Golf Ireland Grant Scheme now open for professional golfers

Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Golf Ireland Professional Scheme, a grant scheme to support Irish professional golfers in the early stages of their careers, and it’s possible that a few Cork golfers will be involved in the programme next year.

The scheme was established in 1999, and has been an invaluable source of funding for early stage professionals for 25 years. 

A number of Cork golfers have benefitted from the scheme in the early years. 

Mervyn Owens and Padraig Dooley were recipients when they were on the Europro Tour, Claire Coughlan for the Ladies European Tour, and Niall Turner was funded for two years when he was on the Challenge Tour and the Asian Tour. 

The funding was previously called the Team Ireland Golf Trust, and was renamed as the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme a few yeas ago.

Sara Byrne and James Sugrue have both confirmed their tour status for 2026 and it’s likely that both will feature on the scheme. 

2025 Golf Ireland professional Sara Byrne has enjoyed a very positive rookie year on tour. 

She received the €33,000 grant for 2025 which was a huge boost going into a season that would involve travel across a dozen countries.

Byrne spent some of the first half of the year competing on the second tier Epson Tour in the US, but focused on the Ladies European Tour and finished in the top 80 on the order of merit to secure her playing rights next year. 

Her strong finish means that she will now have Category 1 status which should see her have guaranteed access to almost all events.

While she has had a positive 2025, inclusion in the 2026 Golf Ireland programme will be an important part of planning for 2026 as she plans a schedule that will take her across the world.

James Sugrue qualifies for consideration for 2026 following his impressive run on the Clutch Pro Tour through the 2025 season. 

Sugrue finished in third place on the Order of Merit after a strong performance in the tour championship in Dubai last month, in addition to earning around €20,000 along the way.

That third-place finish means that he claimed one of the HotelPlanner Tour Cards for 2026. 

The category 13 card should see Sugrue play in all of the European events on the tour, and he may also gain entry to some of the South African events that mark the opening of the season in February. 

Funding from the Golf Ireland scheme will go a long way to supporting Sugrue in 2026, with nearly 30 events taking place across Europe, South Africa and China.

John Murphy was a recipient in 2022 when he first turned professional, and again in 2023 and 2024. 

Murphy has had a tough time of it in tournaments over the past 24 months. 

After a great campaign on the 2022 Challenge Tour, and earning a full DP World Tour card for 2023, Murphy struggled with form. 

As a result of losing his full status on the Hotel Planner Tour for 2025, he played in a number of events across different tours this year. 

Murphy is still eligible for funding, and retains status on the Clutch Pro Tour which is a qualifying tour for the grant.

The scheme goes beyond a cash grant with the lucky recipients receiving a number of benefits in addition to the grant. 

It is designed to provide support to help emerging professionals achieve their potential to perform successfully at international level.

The recipients will receive funding, performance management from Neil Manchip (Scheme Performance Manager and Golf Ireland High Performance Director, and have full access to the Golf Ireland Academy where they can practice, meet their coaches and improve their game. Scheme members will also be eligible to receive tournament invitations as well as having access to sports medicine and sports science facilities from the Sport Ireland Institute.

The scheme has a number of limitations. 

Golfers can only receive a grant for a maximum of six years, and if they earn more that €1.5m in career earnings or over €350,000 in a single year the are not eligible for the scheme. 

Golfers also have to wear the Golf Ireland logo on their clothing while benefitting from the scheme.