European Challenge Tour game’s will again descend on Galgorm Castle, in Ballymena, from July 28-31 to compete in the Northern Ireland Open, which promises to be a week-long festival of golf and fun-filled activities for all the family.
For a fourth consecutive year, one of the Challenge Tour’s most popular events will attract fans from across the country to witness the golfing stars of the future in action.
The event continues to grow in stature and this year promises to be as exciting as ever, with a key date on the schedule and so many other family activities scheduled for the tournament week, not least the food festival at the golf village.
Thanks to the ongoing support of Ulster Bank, who have supported every professional tournament held at Galgorm Castle over the years, organisers are confident they can attract in excess of 40,000 spectators and build on the Challenge Tour’s all-time attendance record of 39,020, set in 2015 when France’s Clément Sordet was crowned the NI Open champion.
Terry Robb, Ulster Bank Regional Manager Private Banking NI, said: “At Ulster Bank, we’re very pleased to once again be centrally involved in the NI Open, a fantastic opportunity to profile great golfing talent and provide exposure for Northern Ireland on a global scale.
“As we’re in the Year of Food & Drink 2016, the food festival is an excellent opportunity to promote some of the producers, restaurants and exporters who form such an important part of the local economy, and something we are keen to support, as will be seen at the upcoming Balmoral Show.”
The economic benefits of staging the Northern Ireland Open are significant as a potential worldwide viewing audience of 500 million will not only showcase the event, but also reinforce Northern Ireland as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell said: “The Northern Ireland Open will once again be one of the sporting highlights of 2016. As golf grows in popularity and our local golfers continue to make their mark on the world stage, I am sure this event will once again provide a showcase of sporting excellence.
“The picturesque surroundings of Galgorm Castle are impressive and will assist in highlighting the tourism potential that golf has to offer. I have no doubt that this year’s NI Open will be a resounding success, and will continue to grow from strength to strength.”
Galgorm Castle’s Christopher Brooke gave thanks to the wide range of sponsors, many of whom have partnered the Northern Ireland Open for years. Organisers also welcomed the new sponsors and partners to the event, and over the coming weeks further details will be announced.
“The success of the NI Open is undoubtedly the sum of its parts, a huge collaborative effort goes on behind the scenes,” said Brooke.
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, is also looking forward to returning to Northern Ireland.
“We are delighted to be returning to Northern Ireland and look forward to enjoying Galgorm Castle’s fantastic hospitality once again,” said de Soultrait. “The tournament is already one of the most popular events on our schedule and it continues to grow every year.
“We would like to thank everyone involved in continuing to make this such a successful event and special mention must go to Michael Hoey for his continued and valuable role as tournament ambassador.”
Hoey has been speaking to his peers, many of whom have already confirmed the tournament will be on their playing schedules.
“The NI Open will attract an even stronger field than in previous years, especially with such a good place on the schedule,” said the five-time European Tour winner.
“Players want to compete at Galgorm because they know the atmosphere and set-up make it one of the best stop-offs of the season. The course and greens are always excellent, and it’s a really well run tournament.”
From a home perspective, the tournament offers opportunities to young up and coming professionals looking to make their mark, and some of the ‘Famous Five’ Irish Walker Cup players from 2015 are set to compete at Galgorm.
This, combined with more experienced campaigners such as Hoey, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane and Simon Thornton, will give the field real strength in depth.
The NI Open remains free to enter and tickets can be secured by registering online at the new website here
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