LIMERICK GC TO HOST 116th IRISH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Pictured at the launch of the Touchstore Irish PGA Championships at Limerick Golf Club: Lee Harrington, PGA Professional, Paul Bourke, Mens Captain, Niall Collins, TD, Ger Cassidy, MD TouchStore, Ivan Morris, Club President, Ian Madden, MD, Supply Chain and Retail, Uniphar, Marie McConn, Women’s Captain and Conor Dillon, Irish PGA Manager. (Photo: Alan Place)
The Irish PGA Championship, one of the oldest professional golf tournaments in the world, is heading for a new venue with a new title sponsor for the 116th staging this year.
Limerick Golf Club will play host from August 2-5, with TouchStore – a Limerick-based provider of pharmacy and Retail management software – lending its support as the new title sponsor and the event will be called the TouchStore Irish PGA Championship.
The prestigious Championship was last held at Limerick Golf Club in 1973 where Jimmy Kinsella prevailed in a successful defence of his title, shortly after winning the Madrid Open on the European Tour.
Simon Thornton, recently installed as the PGA in Ireland Captain for 2026, will be the defending champion after securing a wire-to-wire victory last year in Monkstown in a year in which he also won the season-long Elavon Order of Merit title, but he’ll face stiff competition from the top PGA Professionals in the country, including Limerick Golf Club’s own Tim Rice.
Rice, winner of the Championship in 2017, won the Elavon Order of Merit in 2024 and finished in seventh place last year, and will be sure to have plenty of vocal support from his home club.
“It is a privilege and an honour for Limerick Golf Club to be invited to host the 116th staging of the TouchStore Irish PGA Championship this year,” said Ivan Morris, Limerick Golf Club President.
“It is all of 53 years since we last hosted the Irish PGA Championship, one of the oldest professional golf tournaments anywhere in the world. 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.
“I expect the scoring to be better in 2026 than in 1973, but a similarly exciting finish would make everyone happy - the hosts, the Irish PGA, the golfing public and, of course, the sponsors TouchStore without whom there would be no tournament.”
PGA in Ireland manager Conor Dillon also paid tribute to Limerick Golf Club and to TouchStore.
“Limerick Golf Club, founded in 1891, is one of the oldest golf clubs on the island, and along with being a fantastic golf course worthy of the players who’ll be competing, its history makes it an ideal match for the history of this championship,” Dillon said.
“I’d like to thank TouchStore for their support in making all of this possible, and we expect another incredible championship and another extremely worthy winner to emerge from this, the 116th staging of the event.”
“Our sponsorship of the Irish PGA Championship represents more than support for an iconic sporting event—it reflects our belief in performance, precision, and continuous improvement,” said Ger Cassidy, Managing Director at TouchStore. “Just as Irish PGA members strive for excellence in Irish golf in every lesson they give and every round they play, TouchStore is dedicated to delivering excellence to pharmacies across Ireland. We’re honoured to stand behind this championship and the athletes who elevate the game.”
For more details contact:
Conor Dillon – PGA in Ireland Manager - conor.dillon@pga.ie