Irish Junior Open marks ten years of finding and nurturing the next Rory McIlroy or Leona Maguire

With the success of Irish golfers over the last decade, there's a strong uptake on Junior golfers looking to emulate the likes of Rory McIlroy on the world stage.

There's one event leading the way in providing opportunities for these young golfers and that's Ireland's largest Junior Golf Tour, the 'Flogas Irish Junior Open' which is currently celebrating its 10th year.

Set up in 2014 by PGA Professional Michael Gallagher, to give kids aged 6 to 19 a tournament environment to grow, meet new friends and develop their skills, it has created an all year round schedule for young boys and girls to participate in.

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Speaking to Belfast Live, Michael, from Co Tyrone, explained how things have developed over the past decade of nurturing young talent across Ireland.

"Starting out 10 years ago when there was very little in the way of competitions on a national stage for Junior Golfers aged 5 to 19, it's amazing to see that the Irish Junior Open has grown to become one of the biggest Tours in Europe.

"We started out with the mindset of providing a professional experience from start to finish leaving no stone unturned as we wanted each player to feel special. That same ethos has enabled us to grow and include unique events like our Adult/Junior Tour which gives the adults an opportunity to play with their junior counterparts in a competitive environment, Michael explained.

"We have also added a full schedule of World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) events to give the Elite players aged up to 21 some exciting opportunities. Over our 10 years we are proud to have donated £15,000 to various charities and given thousands of Junior golfers an opportunity that they maybe wouldn't have had.

"With the help of our generous sponsors and golfing stars like Darren Clarke, Gary Player, Tom McKibbin & the late Payne Stewart it has enabled us to continue to grow and provide further opportunities for the kids," he added.

Now with 30 all year round events across Ireland, the Tour is continuing to grow with Junior, Adult/Junior & Elite Tour events so that junior golfers of all abilities feel comfortable competing. Michael and his team also manage the world's Biggest Junior Champions Invitationals, the 'Champion of Champions' World Championship which sees 250 of the World's best Juniors take part in an Invitational like no other at the 5 Star Lough Erne Resort.

For more information you can follow the Irish Junior Open on their Social Media pages or visit www.irishjunioropen.com

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