Donegal Golf Club, Murvagh gets ready for first ever Pro-Am

The world-renowned links at Donegal Golf Club,  Murvagh, will be busy this Friday and Saturday as they host their first ever Pro-Am over two days.

The recent rain has left the course in pristine condition as the best Professionals in Ireland will battle it out for the prizes, with the main sponsor local Donegal Town firm, Splicing Solutions.

Some 48 or 49 teams are expected to tackle the links over the two days with former Ryder Cup winner, Philip Walton among them.

Most of the Top 20 in the Irish PGA Order of Merit are among the entries with names like Simon Thornton (who played on the European Tour and presently on the Euro Pro Tour). 

There will be plenty of local interest with Jason Conway, a former junior at Murvagh, now a professional in Dun Laoghaire; Bundoran brothers Matthew and Adam Dunmore as well as Michael McGeady and Brian McElhinney.

Many will remember McGeady and McElhinney battling it out for the Irish Close title at the Murvagh links back in 2004, a competition which included a then 15-year-old Rory McIlroy. 

“We’re in the last couple of days leading into it now and just hoping that the weather Gods shine on us,” said Sean Martin, Sales and Marketing Executive at Murvagh.

Martin remembers that 2004 Irish Close when he was a young spotter on the course for McIlroy.

Pictured at the launch of the Pro-Am at Donegal Golf Club,  Murvagh

Michael McGeady lost out to Brian McElhinney by one hole in that Irish Close, but has been very much to the fore in helping Donegal Golf Club join the Pro-Am circuit this year.

“I was very keen to get the PGA Pro-Ams back into the North West,” said McGeady. I went to Donegal Golf Club, Murvagh and asked them about hosting a pro-am and they were really excited and wondering how to do it,” said McGeady.

“I introduced them to Conor in the PGA and we took it from there. It looks like it’s going to be a very strong event. We have a great date in the calendar which is super and means we can maximise the amount of teams that can play in it. I’m really looking forward to it," said McGeady.

The North West was very popular for Pro-Ams back in the day with Bundoran and Portnoo among those who hosted very popular events.

The manager at Donegal Golf Club, Grainne Dorrian, is pleased to be a Pro-Am host for 2023. "Donegal Golf Club is delighted to be added to the PGA Pro-Am Schedule for 2023. We are thankful to our main sponsor, Total Splicing Solutions, who have kindly agreed to sponsor the event,” said Ms Dorrian, who hopes that the Pro-Am will become a regular part of the Murvagh calendar.