The Northern Ireland Open presented by Modest! Golf is to introduce a new format for the event in 2022, which is played at three different clubs.
The NI Open forms part of the Clutch Pro Tour for the second year and is a key stop-off on the tour’s schedule to be played over three rounds from July 4-6.
The first round will take place on the headland of Cairndhu Golf Club, before moving on to Castlerock Golf Club further along the coast for round two, after which. a cut takes place to see whom will progress to compete at Galgorm for the third and final round.
This year amateurs and celebrities will also compete alongside male and female professionals in an event similar in format to the successful Alfred Dunhill Links Championship played annually in Scotland on the DP World Tour.
In this revamped format for the NI Open, 104 professionals will compete in a 54-hole stroke play tournament, while a two-person Pro-Am team event (104 pairs) will run simultaneously. Amateurs will experience the pressure involved in trying to ‘make the cut’ with the top 10 Pro-Am teams progressing to Galgorm for day three, alongside the top-60 professionals.
“We are delighted to continue our involvement in an event we have been associated with since 2016,” said Niall Horan, owner Modest! Golf. “This year’s event is an exciting new format, and we look forward to working with Castlerock as one of our new venues.
“The NI Open is an excellent pathway for male and female professionals from across Europe to qualify and secure their place in the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management.”
The NI Open will have a prize fund of £15,000 for the professionals and is also a pre-qualifying event where the leading professionals will earn a place at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational and a chance to compete in the global event tri-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and Lades European Tour.
Tom Hayward from the Clutch Pro Tour said: “We are delighted to return to Northern Ireland for what promises to be another great event with such an exciting new format. Cairndhu was an excellent venue last year where John Murphy was a deserving winner and this year we look forward to bringing the Clutch Pro Tour to venues such as Castlerock and Galgorm as amateurs get the chance to compete alongside male and female professionals.”
Entries for professionals and amateurs should be made via the Clutch Tour at https://clutch-registration.golfgenius.com/pages/8055504978501965308