The Northern Ireland Open is a professional golf tournament currently played on the Challenge Tour. It was played for the first time in June 2010 on the PGA EuroPro Tour at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It also featured on the Clutch Pro Tour schedule from 2021 to 2023.
History The tournament was founded in 2010 and featured on the PGA EuroPro Tour schedule. James Hepworth won the inaugural event.
In 2013, the event became part of the Challenge Tour schedule.
In 2017, the event was changed from 72 holes of stroke play to a "Super 6" style format. The format was similar to that used for the World Super 6 Perth. The main difference was that the 6-hole matches were determined by stroke play rather than match play. It retained the 156-player field, with the cut being made at the top-60 and ties after 36 holes. After 54 holes, the field was cut to a fixed 24. Ties for 24th place were determined by a sudden-death playoff. There were then five six-hole knock-out rounds on the final day. The leading eight after 54 holes received a bye in the first round. The remaining 16 were randomly paired. The six holes used on the final day were 17, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 18. There were a number of other matches for the minor places.
In 2018, the event reverted back to a 72-hole stroke-play tournament.
In 2019, Galgorm Castle hosted the ISPS Handa World Invitational, a mixed event with separate tournaments for men and women, in place of the Northern Ireland Open.
In 2020, the event returned to the Challenge Tour as the Northern Ireland Open with backing from The R&A. The tournament was played on the Clutch Pro Tour between 2021 and 2023, with the event returning to the Challenge Tour schedule in 2024. It was later confirmed in June 2024 that the Black Desert Resort in Utah (host of the Black Desert Championship on the PGA Tour) would become the title sponsor of the event.
Winners YearTour(s)WinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upBlack Desert NI Open 2024 CHA Conor Purcell 267 −13 1 stroke Joakim LagergrenNorthern Ireland Open 2023 CPT Brandon Robinson-Thompson 201 −9 3 strokes Daniel Smith 2022 CPT Dermot McElroy 205 −8 7 strokes Tim Rice 2021 CPT John Murphy 135 −5 4 strokes Dermot McElroy 2020 CHA Tyler Koivisto 267 −13 2 strokes Kristian Krogh Johannessen2019: No tournamentGalgorm Resort & Spa Northern Ireland Open 2018 CHA Calum Hill 265 −19 1 stroke Scott Henry Stuart Manley 2017 CHA Robin Sciot-Siegrist 20 −3 2 strokes Alessandro TadiniTayto Northern Ireland Open 2016 CHA Ryan Fox 265 −19 4 strokes Dominic Foos Dylan Frittelli Max Orrin Bernd RitthammerNorthern Ireland Open 2015 CHA Clément Sordet 267 −17 1 stroke John HahnNorthern Ireland Open Challenge 2014 CHA Joakim Lagergren 271 −13 1 stroke Adrien Bernadet 2013 CHA Daan Huizing 271 −13 Playoff Oliver WilsonUlster Bank Open 2012 EPT Paul Reed 204 −12 1 stroke Elliot Saltman George WoolgarGalgorm Castle Northern Ireland Open 2011 EPT Chris Hanson 202 −14 Playoff Graeme Clarke 2010 EPT James Hepworth 201 −15 Playoff Daniel Gaunt
See also Open golf tournament ISPS Handa World Invitational
Notes
References
External links NI Open official website Coverage on the Challenge Tour's official site