Team Ireland Golf gives 13 golfers €221,000 funding boost
At a photocall to announce the 2020 Team Ireland Golf Scheme grant allocations, (left to right) were LPGA Tour player Leona Maguire, Mark Kennelly (CEO Golf Ireland), John Treacy (Sport Ireland Chief Executive), Neil Manchip (Coach Team Ireland) and Challenge Tour player Robin Dawson.
Thirteen of Ireland’s top golfing talent will receive a total of €221,000 in funding through the Team Ireland Golf Scheme in 2020.
Additionally, 28 starts on the European Challenge Tour have been secured for eight Irish golfers.
Sport Ireland Chief Executive, John Treacy, commented: "Sport Ireland is delighted to continue to support Ireland’s up and coming golfers through the Team Ireland Golf scheme as they transition into the professional game.
“In recent years we have seen some excellent performances by Team Ireland Golf members including the likes of Cormac Sharvin, who has earned his European Tour Card for 2020 and Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow who will both compete in the LPGA Tour in 2020.
“Through the access to the GUI National Golf Academy at Carton House, and the facilities and supports provided by the Sport Ireland Institute, Team Ireland Golf members are well placed to push for further honours in the year ahead.”
Among the newcomers onto the scheme in 2020 are Conor Purcell and Ronan Mullarney, who recently turned professional.
Both golfers have experienced amateur success in recent years with Purcell winning the Australian Amateur Championships and reaching the top-20 in the World Amateur rankings when he turned professional, while Mullarney was reigning Irish Close champion and a top-50 player at the time of turning professional.
This year will see a change in how funding is allocated to Team Ireland Golf funding recipients, as Team Ireland Golf Lead, Des Smyth, explained
“To qualify for Team Ireland support is an achievement in itself and this year I proposed a new way of funding all our golfers. Instead of seeding the funding as we have done in the past, we have decided to equalise it across all successful applicants,” Smyth said
“In my view, the efforts of all those that qualify for our support should be recognised equally. Funding for all our up and coming golfers needs to be at a level that it will make a difference and I believe that’s what we have done today, provided all our players with the same opportunity financially.”
More than €4m has been provided to members of Team Ireland Golf during the last 20 years. Team Ireland Golf was established in 1999 to assist Irish golfers, both male and female, in the early stages of their professional careers on tour. Over 100 players have benefitted from the scheme, including players such as Shane Lowry, Paul Dunne and Michael Hoey.
