Entries are now closed for the Irish Challenge pre-qualifier, which will be held at Headfort Golf Club on Monday July 24.
The European Challenge Tour returns to the stunning Kells venue from July 27-30 and for the first time ever, golfers can play their way into the tournament with the leading two players from qualifying earning their place in the €250,000 event.
Not only will the two qualifiers get the chance to tee-up at the Irish Challenge but there’s also the dangling carrot of a potential Horizon Irish Open invite just five weeks later for the leading Irish player at the end of the week.
The Christy O’Connor Jr Memorial Trophy was first introduced in 2016 with Tom McKibbin, now a DP World Tour winner, taking the prize last year and with it a place in this September’s Horizon Irish Open at The K Club.
The lucrative $6million Irish Open promises to be a stand-out on this season’s DP World Tour schedule with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry already confirming their place in the field just three weeks out from the Ryder Cup.
48 players will contest the inaugural Irish Challenge qualifier on the Championship Course at Headfort Golf Club, just three days before the tournament itself tees off in Co. Meath.
The stage was already set for a fairy-tale week for one of the home contingent at Headfort but now opportunity truly knocks for two Irish players to fast-track their development to Europe’s top tier.
Sam Townend, Promoter of the Event, said: “We are delighted to host our first Irish Challenge qualifier at Headfort Golf Club next month.
“The qualifier presents a brilliant opportunity for aspiring professional and amateur golfers both from the island of Ireland and from overseas.
“What’s particularly exciting is that a fairytale story is now possible whereby an Irish golfer entering the qualifier could earn his way to the Horizon Irish Open in five weeks’ time.”
Headfort Golf Club last played host the Irish Challenge in 2019 with this latest visit forming part of the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca International schedule, which comprises 29 tournaments in 18 countries across the world.
The top-20 players on the Road to Mallorca Rankings at the conclusion of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final at Club de Golf Alcanada, Mallorca, will earn DP World Tour playing privileges for the 2024 season.
