The countdown to the 114th Irish PGA Championship is rapidly gathering pace as the showpiece event of the Irish PGA Region gets underway in just over three weeks at Palmerstown House in Kildare.
After three years at the Wild Atlantic Dunes Course at Carne Golf Links on the west coast, the Championship returns inland, and the par-72 course just outside Naas ticks all the relevant boxes as the cream of the PGA circuit so battle for the most prestigious title in Irish professional golf.
Measuring over 7,400 yards off the back tees, the course itself is a sublime parkland layout, featuring arguably the finest collection of par-5s on the island, and water coming into play on 12 of the 18 holes. The recently renovated par-3 10th, which previously featured the most extensive greenside bunkering to be found anywhere, is now an island green and every facet of the game will be tested over the three tournament rounds.
Defending champion and 2023 Irish PGA Order of Merit winner David Higgins will be looking to join the exalted company of Pádraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Des Smyth, Philip Walton, Christy O’Connor Snr, Harry Bradshaw and Michael Moran as winners of the Championship on four or more occasions, but Simon Thornton and Damien McGrane are also each vying for their fourth Championship victory.
Higgins has yet to win in 2024, and instead, it’s Limerick man Tim Rice that has been the most dominant force in the region, notching victories at Malahide, Carne and Newlands to open up a gap at the top of the Order of Merit.
Thornton too has been in ominous form, securing two individual wins and one shared title, and as he gears up for the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down, he’ll be game sharp and eager to leapfrog Rice once again and signal his intent as a Betfred British Masters berth precedes his date at RCD.
Rice, Higgins, Thornton and McGrane will have to bring their ‘A’ games to Palmerstown, however, as the brutish length plays into the hands of the big-hitting young guns, and the K Club’s Liam Grehan has been the standout player from this cohort, winning at his childhood home of Mullingar and doubling up with one of the most impressive displays of the year to date when taking the second staging of the Donegal Pro-Am in Murvagh.
Throw in fellow 2024 winners Richard Kilpatrick and Michael McGeady, PGA Cup representative Colm Moriarty, and other big names such as Niall Kearney, Richard O’Donovan and Andrew Hickey, and it’s sure to be an exciting spectacle for all fans in attendance.
The tournament is preceded by a Pro-Am on Tuesday August 6th with a Pro-Am dinner to follow in The Manor House at Palmerstown Estate, and the Championship itself will be contested over 54 holes from Wednesday August 7th to Friday August 9th.
Conor Dillon, Manager PGA Ireland, said: “After 3 wonderful years of staging the Irish PGA Championship at Carne Golf Links in Co. Mayo, we are looking forward to bringing our flagship event back east to The Palmerstown House Estate. The last time Palmerstown staged the event was in 2005, when Padraig Harrington was victorious. I would like to thank the host PGA Professionals, Graham Byrne, Mick O’Shea and Mark Cribben for their desire in wanting to stage this very special event and also to the Comer Group for their support and vision in hosting the event.”
For Palmerstown House, hosting the Championship is testament to the hard work done and improvements made to the course and infrastructure: “We are proud and delighted with the opportunity to host the 114th Irish PGA Championship here at Palmerstown House Estate. I am very confident in the recent and continued improvements to the golf course and facilities that Palmerstown is once again equipped to host a championship of this stature. Our golf members and our team are looking forward to observing the challenge the golf course will provide, it will be a stern test for the leading golf professionals in the country,” said Jerry Power, General Manager.
Director of Golf Graham Byrne is equally delighted with the opportunity: “This for me, is an honour and a privilege to have the Irish Championship return to Palmerstown House Estate. It is a culmination of tireless work from our team and amazing support from the owners/management that Palmerstown is back in a position to host such a pretigous event. I look forward to welcoming my fellow PGA professionals in August in what promises to be a great week.”
