Twelve of Ireland’s top golfing talent will receive a total of €270,000 in funding through the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme in 2022.
The funding for 2022 will be allocated in three tiers, with the top three players receiving an increased amount of €30,000 each and the next three players receiving an increased amount of €25,000 each. The final six players will receive €17,500 each and will also likely benefit from the 30 starts on the European Challenge Tour that have been secured for Irish golfers.
Minister of State for Sport and Gaeltacht Jack Chambers welcomed the announcement, “the allocations announced by Sport Ireland will assist emerging professional players to advance their careers, and hopefully lead to further Irish golfing success in the future. Ireland has a strong and proud golfing tradition, which has been further enhanced with multiple major wins in recent years. We are seeing graduates of the Scheme performing and impressing on the world stage consistently. This funding, together with the hosting of the Irish Open and Ryder Cup in 2027, will support the continued development of the game here.”
Sport Ireland Chief Executive Dr Una May added, “Sport Ireland is delighted to once again provide funding to Golf Ireland for the management and administration of the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme. Sport Ireland has also been pleased to provide additional support to Scheme members through the facilities and expertise of the Sport Ireland Institute. Performances by Irish golfers on the world stage have been a great source of pride for the Irish public. With the support of the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme, I look forward to seeing this continue long into the future. I wish all our golfers the very best for 2022.”
Golf Ireland Chief Executive, Mark Kennelly commented, ”the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme is a crucial element of our High Performance Pathway, providing vital support to elite male and female golfers making their way in the professional game. The funding, eligibility for which is based on clear performance criteria, enables these players to compete at international level to further develop their careers. Golf Ireland greatly appreciates the support of Ministers Catherine Martin and Jack Chambers, and their Department and Sport Ireland, for their strong and consistent support for this Scheme.”
The Golf Ireland Professional Scheme funding is welcomed by Olivia Mehaffey, who will benefit from the support of Golf Ireland Professional Scheme Funding for 2022. She commented, “not only is the financial support from Sport Ireland extremely helpful in paying the day-to-day/week-to-week expenses that are associated with playing professional golf tournaments, but knowing that both the golf and sports community in Ireland are behind me and are supporting me as I make my way through the various stages of professional golf is very helpful and means a lot to me.”
Source: Sport Ireland
