Team Ireland hands budding stars €176,000 in grants

Team Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin, Leona Maguire and Robin Dawson

Ireland's budding tour players have been handed a €46,000 cash boost with Team Ireland grants worth €176,000 awarded to 12 top players including Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow

LPGA Tour player Meadow, rising star Maguire and European Tour category holders Gavin Moynihan, Robin Dawson and Cormac Sharvin have been awarded the maximum grant of €20,000 each.

Player funding has increased by €46,000 on the back of additional support from Sport Ireland with Maguire, Dawson and The Island's Paul McBride the new recipients this year.

Sport Ireland has committed an extra €20,000 to Team Ireland Golf in 2019, bringing their total support to €220,000 with 28 starts on the European Challenge Tour also secured.

Proceeds from the second Team Ireland Golf Pro-Am, which took place at The K Club last July, contributed €45,000.

Sport Ireland Chief Executive, John Treacy, said: "Sport Ireland is delighted to invest in Team Ireland Golf, which is continuing to help Ireland’s top amateur golfer transition into the professional game. The access the grant recipients have to the GUI National Golf Academy at Carton House and the world-class facilities in the Sport Ireland Institute is clearly having an impact on Ireland’s up-and-coming golfers. 

"We have seen some excellent results on the international stage, most recently Leona Maguire’s first professional win at the Windsor Golf Classic in California earlier this month."

Team Ireland Golf Leader Des Smyth added: "The continued support of Sport Ireland enables us to better equip the players for life on a professional tour so that they spend more time focusing on their game and less time worrying about their finances."

As part of the Team Ireland support package, all golfers can avail of the practice facilities at the GUI's National Golf Academy. A coaching base has also been established at Quinta do Lago in Portugal. The resort’s facilities are available to players during the winter months. Neil Manchip (GUI National Coach) and David Kearney (ILGU National Coach) provide additional coaching support. Players can also utilise various support services through the Sport Ireland Institute such as sport science and physiotherapy.

More than €3.8m has been provided to over 100 golfers through Team Ireland Golf over the past 19 years with players such as Shane Lowry, Paul Dunne and Michael Hoey some of the high profile success stories.

Team Ireland Golf grant allocations 2019:

• Leona Maguire, €20,000;

• Robin Dawson, €20,000;

• Stephanie Meadow, €20,000;

• Gavin Moynihan, €20,000;

• Cormac Sharvin, €20,000;

• Ruaidhri McGee, €14,000;

• Gary Hurley €12,000 + 2 Challenge Tour (CT) starts;

• Dermot McElroy, €10,000 + 3 CT starts;

• Conor O’Rourke €10,000 + 5 CT starts;

• John Ross Galbraith €10,000 + 5 CT starts;

• Stuart Grehan €10,000 + 5 CT starts;

• Paul McBride €10,000 + 6 CT starts.

Total - €176,000 + 26 CT starts.