The NI Open returns to the Challenge Tour schedule this week for the first time in four years, with Galgorm the perfect setting for an event rich in history.
Galgorm itself has hosted seven previous editions of the tournament, with Daan Huizing claiming a dramatic victory in the inaugural contest back in 2013.
The Dutchman led by six shots going into the final round in Co. Antrim, but after dropping four strokes on the front nine in swirling winds, he would end the day battling it out with former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson in a playoff. Huizing would eventually triumph on the first playoff hole, setting the tone for more grandstand finishes at Galgorm.
In 2014, Swede Joakim Lagergren took it right down to the wire too, holing a clutch eight-foot birdie putt at the last to seal a maiden Challenge Tour triumph by one stroke.
Frenchman Clément Sordet replicated that feat 12 months later in just his fourth start as a professional. Leading going into the final round, Sordet fired a six under par round of 66 to make sure he finished one stroke ahead of the chasing pack.
Ryan Fox added his name to the trophy in 2016 and remains arguably the most notable name on the coveted prize. The now four-time DP World Tour winner would cruise to a four-stroke victory with a sensational ten under par closing 62. That result, coupled with seven other top tens that season, would see Fox earn promotion to golf’s Global Tour, and he hasn’t looked back.
Making a return to Galgorm this week will be 2017 champion Robin Sciot-Siegrist, who came through a new format and Shootout Sunday to claim a maiden Challenge Tour win. The Frenchman, after making the traditional cut after two rounds, also made it through a third cut on Saturday before triumphing in five head-to-head stroke-play matches over 30 holes to win on Sunday.
Scotsman Calum Hill birdied four of his closing five holes in 2018 to secure a come-from-behind victory. Having started the day four strokes back, Hill made a late charge to win by one shot from compatriot Scott Henry and Welshman Stuart Manley.
After a year away, the NI Open returned in 2020, and it was American Tyler Koivisto who completed a remarkable victory in his first Official World Golf Ranking recognised event. Koivisto earned a late entry into the tournament, and made the most of the opportunity, posting a final round three under par 67 to win by two shots.
Since 2020, the event has been played on the Clutch Pro Tour, with Irishman John Murphy winning in 2021, Northern Irishman Dermot McElroy taking the title on home soil in 2022, and Englishman Brandon Robinson Thompson triumphing in 2023.
The NI Open and Galgorm are all set for an eighth outing on the Challenge Tour this week, at a crucial stage of the Road to Mallorca season. Each player in the 156-strong field will be targeting a win to boost their promotion chances.
