GUI confirm 2018 schedule

The Golfing Union of Ireland have finalised their 2018 fixture schedule, confirming dates and venues for all 55 domestic championships.

 

Away from home, the GUI Senior Panel – supported by Sport Ireland - will begin their season in South Africa, taking in the South African Stroke Play (6-9 February) and the South African Amateur (13-16 February). An early Easter means an earlier starting date for the West of Ireland, with the first round of stroke play qualifying scheduled for Friday, 30 March although the clocks will have returned to summer time by then, ensuring an extra hour of daylight at Co Sligo.

 

Tralee is the venue for the Irish Students Open in early April (10-12) and the Flogas Irish Amateur Open will dominate the golfing landscape the following month as Ireland’s premier stroke play championship returns to Royal County Down (17-20 May). Ireland international Peter O’Keeffe from Douglas was victorious at the world-renowned links in 2017.

 

Two weeks later the East of Ireland returns to Co Louth (1-4 June) with another Friday start. Galway Bay stages the Irish Mid-Amateur (16-17 June) and Belvoir Park hosts the Irish Boys Open at the end of June (26-29) where Kilkenny’s Mark Power can become the first player to win the championship three times.

 

July is another busy month, featuring the North of Ireland (9-13) at Royal Portrush and the South of Ireland (25-29) at Lahinch. The following month, the AIG Irish Close (4-8 August) revisits The European Club, which toasted Rory McIlroy’s successful title-defence in 2006.

 

In a significant change to the calendar, the Interprovincial Championship moves to the last week of August (29-31) having traditionally occupied the first week of July. Athenry is host venue for the Interpros in 2018.

Also new for 2018 is an underage All-Ireland Finals weekend at Tramore (29-30 September) featuring the Fred Daly Trophy and the Irish Junior Foursomes. Previously the Junior Foursomes was played in the same week as the Irish U16 Championship – next year at Castle Dargan from 20-22 June – and the Fred Daly Trophy traditionally took place the same week as the Irish Students Open.

 

With Ireland hosting the World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House in September (5-8), next year’s Home Internationals take place from 12-14 September at Conwy, Wales. After retaining the title in 2017, Ireland will be bidding for a fifth successive win.

 

Having completed a four-year run at Carton House, the AIG Cups and Shields go back on the road in 2018 and Thurles (21-23 September) is the final stop next season. Limerick will stage the GUI All-Ireland Four-Ball (15-16 September) and Milltown host the Irish Mixed Foursomes (5-6 October).

 

GUI FIXTURES 2018 – PRESS FORMAT

 

JANUARY

13-16: South American Amateur, Martindale (Argentina)

 

FEBRUARY

6-9: South African Stroke Play, Pecanwood

13-16: South African Amateur, Glendower

 

MARCH

1-2: Irish Colleges Match Play Championship, Woodbrook

24-25: Ireland v Wales Boys, Cardigan

28-30: Ulster U16 Close Championship, Kirkistown Castle

28-3 April: West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Co Sligo

 

APRIL

3: Ulster U14 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Ardglass

4-6: Connacht U18 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Belmullet

5-6: Leinster U16 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Beaverstown

10-12: Irish Students Amateur Open Championship, Tralee

11-12: Peter McEvoy Trophy, Copt Heath

18-21: European Nations Team Championship, Sotogrande (Spain)

24-25: Irish Schools Junior & Senior Championship Finals, Monkstown

 

MAY

4-6: Fairhaven Trophy, Fairhaven

4-6: Lytham Trophy, Royal Lytham & St Annes

5-6: Munster Stroke Play Championship, Cork

8-9: Munster Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Ennis

17-20: Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship, Royal County Down

23-25: Irish Seniors’ Amateur Open Championship, Concra Wood

26-27: Connacht Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Oughterard

31-3 June: Brabazon Trophy, Frilford Heath (Red Course)

 

JUNE

1-4: East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Co Louth

5-7: Ulster Students Amateur Open Championship, Moyola Park

8-10: St Andrews Links Trophy, St Andrews

9-10: Connacht Stroke Play Championship, Portumna

12-13: Ulster Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Rosapenna (Old Tom Morris)

16-17: Irish Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Galway Bay

17: Connacht 9-Hole Inter-Club Final, Strokestown

18-23: The Amateur Championship, Royal Aberdeen & Murcar Links

20-22: Irish U16 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Castle Dargan

22-24: Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, Nizels

26-27: Connacht Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Strandhill

26-29: Irish Boys’ Amateur Open Championship, Belvoir Park

27-30: International European Amateur Championship, Royal Hague (Netherlands)

28: Connacht U14 Boys Open Championship, Loughrea

 

JULY

2: Kenny Cup Qualifiers, Tubbercurry/Cregmore Park

3-5: Leinster U18 Boys Amateur Open Championship, The Heritage

4-6: Ulster U14 Boys Amateur Close Championship, Foyle

4-6: Irish Seniors Close Championship, Enniscrone

9: Leinster U16 Boys Amateur Close Championship, Ashbourne

9-13: North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Royal Portrush

10-14: European Amateur Team Championship, Berlin (Germany)

10-14: European Boys Amateur Team Championship, Kaskada Brno (Czech Republic)

11-13: Munster Boys Amateur Open Championship, Waterford Castle

12: Leinster U14 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Kilkenny

17-18: Ulster U16 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Donaghadee

17-19: McGregor Trophy, Kedleston Park

20-21: Irish Mixed Foursomes Connacht Finals, Claremorris

20-21: AIG Barton Shield & Jimmy Bruen Shield Leinster Finals, Mount Wolseley

22: AIG Jimmy Bruen & Pierce Purcell Munster Finals, Co Tipperary

24-26: Underage Interprovincial Championships, Slieve Russell

25-29: South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch

26: Connacht U12, U14, U16 U18 Close Qualifiers, Ballinasloe/Castle Dargan

26-28: European Young Masters, Oslo (Norway)

27: Fred Daly Trophy – Leinster Finals, Esker Hills

28-29: AIG Junior Cup and Pierce Purcell Shield Leinster Finals, Carlow

30: Irish Junior Foursomes Ulster Finals, Lurgan

 

AUGUST

2: Connacht U16 Inter-Club, Ballina

2-3: Irish Boys U14 Amateur Open Championship, Mullingar

4-8: AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship, The European Club

5: Irish Mixed Foursomes Leinster Final, Knightsbrook

7: Irish Junior Foursomes – Leinster Finals, Co Longford

7-8: Connacht U16 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Gort

7-9: Reid Trophy, Reading

7-9: Boys Home Internationals, Royal Dornoch

9: Munster U15 & U17 Close Championships, Roscrea

9: Leinster U13 Series Final, Athy

10-11: Leinster Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Corrstown

10-12: AIG Cups and Shields – Connacht Finals, Roscommon

11: Irish Mixed Foursomes – Munster Finals, Limerick

12: Munster Country Clubs Final, Lismore

12: AIG Junior Cup & Pierce Purcell Shield – Ulster Finals, Shandon Park

12: Ulster Scratch Foursomes, Malone

13: Connacht U12, U14, U16 U18 Close Finals, County Sligo

13-14: Scottish U14 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Murrayfield

18: AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield – Ulster Finals, Castle Hume

18-19: AIG Barton Shield, Senior Cup & Junior Cup Munster Finals, Thurles

19: AIG Senior Cup – Ulster Finals, Portstewart (Strand)

19: GUI All-Ireland Four-Ball Championship – Leinster Finals, Tullamore

20: Fred Daly – Munster Finals, Nenagh

21: Irish Junior Foursomes – Munster Finals, Nenagh

21-22: Leinster Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Luttrellstown Castle

22-23: Munster U16 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Newcastle West

22-24: Leinster Students Amateur Open Championship, Killeen

25: Irish Mixed Foursomes – Ulster Finals, Massereene

25-26: AIG Senior Cup – Leinster Finals, Mount Juliet

26: AIG Barton Shield – Ulster Finals, Belvoir Park

26: GUI All-Ireland Four-Ball Championship – Ulster Finals, Dungannon

26: GUI All-Ireland Four-Ball Championship – Munster Finals, Limerick

29-31: Interprovincial Championship, Athenry

31: Irish Junior Foursomes – Connacht Finals, Galway Bay

 

SEPTEMBER

2: Fred Daly Trophy – Ulster Final, Knock

4-6: Italian U16 Amateur Open Championship, Biella

4-8: European Seniors Team Championship, Diamond Country Club (Austria)

5-8: Eisenhower Trophy (Men’s World Amateur Team Championship), Carton House

8-9: Munster Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Lee Valley

9: East of Ireland Mixed Foursomes Championship, Castleknock

12-14: Home Internationals, Conwy

15-16: GUI All-Ireland Four-Ball All-Ireland Finals, Limerick

18-20: Seniors Home Internationals, Southerness

21-23: AIG Cups and Shields All-Ireland Finals, Thurles

29-30: Irish Junior Foursomes & Fred Daly Finals, Tramore

29-30: Ulster Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Rosapenna (Tom Morris/Sandy Hills)

 

OCTOBER

3-5: Munster Students Amateur Open Championship, Charleville

5-6: Irish Mixed Foursomes All-Ireland Finals, Milltown

17-19: Irish Intervarsity Championship, Rosapenna (Old Tom Morris)

30 – 1 November: Ulster U18 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Royal Portrush (Valley)

31: Munster U14 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch (Castle)