The world-famous links at Lahinch Golf Club will host the 123rd staging of the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship from tomorrow, Wednesday, 23rd July to Sunday, 27th July 2025. A field of 150 of Ireland’s leading amateur golfers will compete in the 36-hole strokeplay qualifier on Wednesday and Thursday, with the top 64 advancing to the matchplay stage, which begins on Friday and concludes with the semi-finals and final on Sunday, 27th July. Pierse Motors Volkswagen, based in Tipperary and Ennis, continues its sponsorship of Ireland’s oldest championship. There are 8 golfers from Galway clubs participating in this year's 'South', including Joe Lyons (Galway), who lost the 2007 final on the 18th hole to Darren Crowe (Dunmurry). The South of Ireland has a Roll of Honour that includes Graeme McDowell (who beat Galway Golf Club's Ken Kearney in 2000), Darren Clarke (1990) and Paul McGinley (1991), while Padraig Harrington lost in the finals of 1994 and 1995. The last Galway golfer to win the event was Stephen Keenan (Galway) in 1989, when he beat Jody Fanagan (Milltown) on the 4th extra play-off hole. The list of Galway golfers playing tomorrow and their tee times is:
7.30 am Luke O'Neill (Connemara)
8.10 am David Kitt (Athenry)
9.20 am Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay)
10.20 am Adam Challoner (Galway Bay)
11.20 am Niall Conneely (Ballinasloe)
11.50 am Joe Lyons (Galway)
12.30 Cathal Penney (Athenry)
1.30 pm Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay)
Ken Kearney and Graeme McDowell before the 2000 South of Ireland Final in Lahinch.
