By Killeen Castle member Cathal Dervan
Rory McIlroy’s Masters win at Augusta last April has arguably eclipsed everything achieved in Irish golf this century, never mind this year - at Killeen Castle in August the next generation of Irish golfing hopefuls will look to walk in his shadows.
McIlroy’s Challenge Tour history is brief but his stunning professional career is everything the best young players in Europe will aspire to when they compete for the Irish Challenge 2025 on the HotelPlanner Tour schedule.
A Royal County welcome awaits the field on this Jack Nicklaus Signature Course as tournament golf returns to the former host venue for the Solheim Cup and the Irish Women’s Open.
The career Grand Slam completed by McIlroy in the Spring will inspire young boys and girls across Ireland for years to come, just as his exploits earlier in his illustrious career did for the homegrown players about to tee it up at Killeen Castle.
Galway native, Walker Cup player and Brabazon Cup winner Liam Nolan is one of those who has viewed McIlroy as a role model for many years now and continues to draw inspiration from the achievements of the Holywood superstar.
“Rory was a huge role model of mine,” Liam told a recent media day to launch the Irish Challenge 2025. “I remember when I was only five or six and my mum and dad took me out of school and over to Westport to watch Rory play in the Irish Close final.
“Rory was only about 16 himself at the time and I can still remember that day so well and how he played. To see what he has gone to do since then, I mean it’s the pinnacle of golf. Only five other players have ever won the career Grand Slam and Rory is right up there with them now.”
Asked if the current generation of young Irish golfers preparing for Killeen Castle are hungry to taste that McIlroy success, Liam laughs and says: “Hungry? We are starving!
“You see what Rory has done and what the likes of Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke have achieved. We’ve got Tom McKibbin out there now as well.
“All of these guys are such huge inspirations for us when we see where they are now knowing they all started the same way as we did. Your first step is to play well as a kid, get on an Irish team and then work to progress your career.
“And it’s great to have the HotelPlanner Tour as a platform to be able to hopefully move and get up to the DP World Tour and then to the level all those great Irish players are now.”
Golf Ireland are huge supporters of the homegrown players on their way to The Irish Challenge 2025 in August as Nolan readily and happily acknowledges, paying tribute to the €350,000 Golf Ireland Professional Scheme and the many doors their support opens.
“The planning and the framework for Irish golfers transitioning to professional in the last few years has made a massive difference,” adds Liam. “Without them, I would never have got the invites to play on the HotelPlanner Tour in South Africa earlier this year for example.
“Without that invite, I wouldn’t be here today. The knock-on effect of that has put me in a nice position on this Tour, starting off as a Pro, so I was fortunate to get those two invites and come away with a third and fourth place finish in South Africa. It’s taken a lot of pressure off my schedule.”
Looking ahead to the challenge of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Killeen Castle, Liam will be trying to get as familiar as he can with the demands of this five-star course ahead of the opening round in early August.
“We are used to playing on shorter courses, so this is going to be a very different test and we are going to have to try and capitalise on the Par Fives and just be patient on every other hole, try to get the ball onto the fairway to give yourself the best chance,” says Liam.
“Hopefully roll in a few putts on the par fours and as everyone knows, the Par 3's here are very challenging. So yeah, just patience is going to be huge. Killeen Castle will definitely be one of the most challenging courses we're going to play all year.”
See Tomorrow’s Golf Stars Today! Don’t miss your chance to witness the rising stars of golf in action at Killeen Castle, host of the 2025 Irish Challenge from 7–10 August.
Tickets are FREE but registration is required. Secure your spot now and be part of this incredible event! https://bit.ly/IrishChallengeTickets2025