NI Open part of the NI Swing
The Country Garage BMW NI Open presented by Modest! Golf
(June 20-22, 2023)
niopen.golf | Read 2023 Report
The Northern Ireland Open presented by Modest! Golf is an established, homegrown event that is now in it's 13th year. The 2023 NI Open was part of the new NI Swing in 2023 where a 10-day festival of tournament golf took place at key venues in Northern Ireland. The new initiative was part of the Mizuno Next Generation Series and co-ordinated by the Clutch Pro Tour. The NI Swing carried a total prize fund of £165,000 with the £100,000 NI Open at Galgorm the showcase event where England's Brandon Robinson-Thompson was the 2023 winner. He also secured his place in the ISPS HANDA World Invitational with the win.
The NI Open set attendance records when played on the European Challenge Tour for a decade. Until 2021, the NI Open was played at Galgorm every year and has always been one of the most popular stop-offs for players and officials on the international schedule and remains a core tourism event for Ireland.
In 2022, home favourite Dermot McElroy romped to victory and booked his place in the 2022 ISPS HANDA World Invitational. His eight-under total (205) was enough to win by seven from Limerick’s Tim Rice in second. England’s Billie-Jo Smith was the leading female and all three played in the World Invitational.
In 2021 the NI Open moved to Cairndhu Golf Club as the ISPS HANDA World Invitational was being played at Galgorm. Kinsale's John Murphy was a fine winner. with England's Thalia Martin finishing as leading female professionals and McElroy was runner-up to Murphy. In 2020, little-known American Tyler Koivisto came to the fore by producing sensational golf for the week to win his first professional title by becoming the Northern Ireland Open champion.
