Golf Ireland has unveiled details of its 2025 Professional Scheme, announcing that nine of the country’s top golfing talents will receive a share of €350,000 in funding to support their development on the international stage.
The announcement was made at the Golf Ireland Academy in Carton Demesne, Maynooth, where Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue TD was joined by representatives from Sport Ireland and several of the scheme’s recipients. Among those in attendance were Conor Purcell, Lauren Walsh, Max Kennedy, Mark Power, Alex Maguire, and Annabel Wilson.
Each of the nine selected professionals will receive €33,000 in funding, aimed at enabling them to compete internationally and continue progressing in their careers. The 2025 recipients also include Sara Byrne, Anna Foster, and Liam Nolan.
“I would like to congratulate and wish all nine players selected for the scheme the very best of luck for this year and beyond,” said Minister McConalogue. “I believe it is vitally important that we continue to invest in sport at all levels, and that we support projects such as the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme to enable our elite, high-performance golfers to excel in their chosen field.”
Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly highlighted the importance of continued investment in the sport. “Golf Ireland’s relationship with Sport Ireland is crucial in supporting Ireland’s top golfing talent,” he said. “This funding plays a key role in enabling our players to excel internationally while inspiring future generations to engage with golf.”
Sport Ireland, which has funded the scheme since its inception in 1999, echoed this sentiment. “We’re proud to have been associated with this initiative since its launch and are delighted to back some of Ireland’s most talented golfers,” said Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May.
Professional golfer Max Kennedy, a new addition to the scheme this year, credited the support with helping him as he competes on the HotelPlanner Tour. “The support and resources available through the scheme make a real difference when you are competing at a high level internationally,” he said.
Lauren Walsh, now establishing herself on the Ladies European Tour, added: “The support from the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme has been invaluable. It’s a massive help to have this backing, enabling me to concentrate fully on my game so I can achieve my goals.”
The scheme is part of a broader investment in Irish golf. In November 2024, Golf Ireland received a provisional allocation of €1.4 million from the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund to support the development of indoor High-Performance facilities. Since 2015, nearly €30 million has been awarded to golf projects through the Community Sports Facilities Fund, including €13.4 million for 142 golf projects in the most recent round.
Looking ahead to the Ryder Cup’s return to Ireland in 2027, the Government has committed €8.5 million to support major professional tournaments, including the Amgen Irish Open, KPMG Women’s Irish Open, HotelPlanner Tour, and the OFX Irish Legends Tour — further boosting Ireland’s global golf profile.
The Golf Ireland Professional Scheme also provides players with direct financial support, access to coaching and training at Golf Ireland’s National Academy and the Quinta do Lago training base, and services from the Sport Ireland Institute.
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SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
This is a targeted and effective funding stream that enables Irish golfers to compete on the world stage with all the attendant benefit that has brought to the country over the past two decades.
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The OFX Golf Legends event is on next week at Mount Juliet.
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