Limerick Golf Club to Host 116th Irish PGA Championship, Highlighting Recent Course Upgrades

Limerick Golf Club is set to host the 116th Irish PGA Championship, sponsored by TouchStore, from August 3rd to 5th.

This marks only the second occasion the Championship will be held at Ballyclough, occurring 53 years after its last visit in 1973. During that event, defending champion Jimmy Kinsella secured his second domestic title by closing with a 66 and subsequently defeating Paul Leonard in a play-off.

Club President Ivan Morris recalled the 1973 event, stating, “I was an interested observer in 1973 when Jimmy Kinsella ‘caught fire’ during his last nine holes to make up eight shots on the field and join Paul Leonard in a play-off where Kinsella calmly holed an awkward four-footer to win on the first hole.”

The 54-hole Championship boasts a €60,000 prize fund. Reigning champion Simon Thornton aims to achieve his fifth victory, thereby matching the notable record of Michael Moran.

Thornton, who was recently appointed as the PGA in Ireland Captain for 2026, achieved a dominant wire-to-wire victory last year in Monkstown. That same year, he also clinched the prestigious season-long Elavon Order of Merit title.

He is anticipated to encounter strong competition from Ireland's leading PGA professionals, notably Tim Rice from Limerick Golf Club, who won the Championship in 2017 and finished seventh in the previous year's event.

Additionally, the club will host the “1976 Memorial Scratch Cup” on June 1st. This event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the club's Senior Cup-Barton Shield double and offers players an opportunity to experience the course ahead of the Regional Senior Cup finals.

Since 2024, the club has invested €800,000 in significant course improvements. These enhancements include the construction of five new sand-based greens, improved drainage across six fairways, and upgrades to 25 of its 41 bunkers. A new par-three 16th hole has also been created, effectively resolving previous boundary challenges.

A Pro-Am event will precede the Championship on August 2nd.

TouchStore, a Limerick-based provider of pharmacy and retail management software, is the official sponsor of the Championship.