European Challenge Tour event for Galgorm Castle

The popular parkland course is set to become the host venue for a new annual international golf tournament for Northern Ireland, starting next year.

‘The Northern Ireland Open Challenge’ will form part of the European Challenge Tour, the stepping stone to the PGA European Tour for the sport’s future stars.

Interest in golf in Northern Ireland has hit an all-time high this summer on the back of Royal Portrush hosting the Irish Open, while Galgorm Castle has already shown its credentials by hosting a EuroPro Tour event over the past three years.

The new competition is a further move up the golfing ‘ladder’ for Galgorm, which is already acknowledged as one of Ireland’s finest parkland courses.

Times Sport understands that Belfast golfer Michael Hoey, a multiple European and Challenge Tour winner, has already given his commitment to the event, which will take place in late August next year.

Galgorm Castle has already drawn favourable reviews from EuroPro Tour players in the last three years, while hosting the competition has also provided an economic shot-in-the-arm for the local borough.

With the European Challenge Tour representing a step up from the EuroPro Tour, the new event is expected to attract an estimated 20,000 spectators and will become the annual national golf tournament for Northern Ireland as well part of the European Challenge Tour’s International schedule.

Full details of the event will be released in due course but it is expected that the tournament will provide many commercial opportunities for local businesses to be part of the event.