Galgorm pro Phil tees up EuroPro glory bid

GALGORM Castle Golf Club professional Phil Collins will hope to put his local knowledge to good use as top quality professional golf comes to Ballymena for the first time this week.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Jun 2010, 11:40 BST

The local pro will be among the 32 Irish professionals aiming for the 10,000 top prize as Galgorm Castle Golf Club hosts a EuroPro Tour event for the first time.

They will be joined by a host of players from around the world and home nations who will battle it out for a total prize fund of 40,000 over the pristine parkland course.

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Among them will be Englishman Gary Wolstenholme who already has a notable notch on his golfing CV - famously defeating current world number one Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup at Royal Porthcawl in Wales as Britain and Ireland won the biennial team event against the Americans.

Wolstenholme was one of the game's leading amateurs for well over a decade before joining the paid ranks as a 48-year-old in September 2008. The English golfer won the British Amateur twice (1991 and 2003) and played in the Walker Cup on no less that five occasions.

Galgorm's reputation as a championship course has been enhanced this year with its inclusion on the PGA EuroPro Tour - a starting point for professionals aiming to make a career on the main PGA Tour.

"I am delighted that the PGA EuroPro Tour is heading to Northern Ireland and Galgorm Castle Golf Club," said Danny Nickless, Operations Manager PGA EuroPro Tour.

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"Galgorm is arguably the most challenging course our tour players will encounter this season as the championship parkland nestles in mature surrounds within the Estate."

After yesterday's (Monday) official practice, the competitive action begins in earnest today (Tuesday) with the annual George Best Invitational Pro-am followed by a Gala Dinner at Galgorm Resort & Spa.

The 54-hole Galgorm Castle PGA EuroPro Open begins in earnest from Wednesday and after Thursday's 36-hole cut, the top 50 and ties will battle it out in Friday's final round.

The event will also provide a welcome economic shot-in-the-arm with many competitors and spectators staying locally, including Galgorm Spa, the official host hotel for entertainment and accommodation.

The Galgorm Castle Northern Ireland PGA EuroPro Open will reach a global audience through its international coverage from Sky Sports and will also feature on the Golf Channel in the United States.

Related topics:BallymenaNorthern IrelandEnglishman