As Leona Maguire gets ready to tee off in the KPMG PGA Championship in New Jersey, Ireland’s top female amateur golfers will be doing likewise at Connemara Golf Club in Galway in the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship, with the winner crowned on Sunday, June 25.
AIG has been a proud partner of Golf Ireland for 25 years. This partnership shows AIG’s longstanding commitment to promoting and supporting both women’s sport and Irish golf.
AIG also sponsors a number of other prominent Golf Ireland tournaments and competitions, including the AIG Men’s Irish Amateur Close Championship, which takes place in August. AIG are also the long-standing sponsor of the biggest amateur golf competition in Ireland, the AIG Men’s and Women’s Cups and Shields tournaments that involves every club across Ireland.
This is the first time Connemara Golf Club have hosted this event, having previously hosted the AIG Men’s Close in 2013.
The AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship will be contested by 72 of the country’s top women’s amateur players. Among those in the field is Aine Donegan, pictured at her home club of Lahinch in preparation for this weekend.
Donegan has recently qualified to compete in the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship and is a scholar at Louisiana State University, competing in the NCAA D1 Championship.
She has also been announced as part of the Great Britain and Ireland team contesting The Vagliano Trophy against the Continent of Europe at Royal Dornoch on 30 June.
This year Golf Ireland will have an allocation of four places for female amateurs, for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle 31 August – 3 September.
The first invitation will be given to the winner of the AIG Irish Women’s Close this weekend, the player who gains the most WAGR points from the combination of The Women’s Amateur Championship and the AIG Irish Close will be offered the second invitation. The final two invitations will be offered to the leading two Irish players on WAGR after the European Individual Championship.
“The Irish Women’s Amateur Close Championship is the start of a busy period for our AIG-sponsored competitions,” said Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly.
“Next up is the AIG Men’s Close at Malone Golf Club, before the All-Ireland Cups and Shields Inter-Club Finals take over in August and September. We’re delighted to offer this year’s winner of the AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close an invitation for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open. We thank AIG for their support of Irish amateur golf for 25 years now, and we look forward to continuing this strong and close relationship.”
