RELEASE: December 12, 2023
Galgorm Touring Professional Tom McKibbin was rewarded for an outstanding year by being named the 2023 Men’s Professional of the Year at the Irish Golf Writers’ Association (IGWA) awards at The K Club.
McKibbin, 20, became Irish golf's youngest tour winner since Rory McIlroy in 2009 when he captured the Porsche European Open in his 26th start on the DP World Tour. He also recorded another nine top-25 finishes in an outstanding rookie season and qualified for the DP World Tour Championship, finishing 44th in the Race to Dubai.
“I’m delighted to receive this prestigious award. It has been a good season and I hope I can go far in the game. I have a lot of confidence in my game, and if I continue to prepare well and work hard then hopefully things will work out,” said McKibbin after receiving his award at the IGWA luncheon at The K Club.
Other key awards were also announced at the McGuirks-sponsored event. Leona Maguire was recognised for another wonderful season that saw the 29-year-old named the IGWA Women’s Professional of the Year.
Maguire, who is also the touring professional for The K Club, captured her second LPGA Tour title with a two-shot victory in the Meijer LPGA Classic. She was also the driving force for Europe in the Solheim Cup in Spain, winning three points as the team made history in a drawn match by retaining the crystal trophy and lifting it for the third time in a row.
Laytown and Bettystown's Alex Maguire and Douglas' Sara Byrne won the respective Men's and Women's Amateur of the Year Awards.
Maguire, 22, became the first player since Raymie Burns in 1993 to retain the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at County Louth and went on to win the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf the following week.
He reached the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Hillside and topped the first R&A Open Amateur Series, earning him a place in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool and, ultimately, a spot on the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team at St Andrews last September.
Byrne captured the Women's Amateur of the Year award for the second time since 2018. The 22-year-old from Douglas Golf Club won her second AIG Irish Women's Close title with a one-up win over Beth Coulter at Connemara Golf Links before finishing as the leading amateur in the KPMG Women's Irish Open at Dromoland Castle.
She also made back-to-back cuts on the LET Access Tour and completed a stellar year by winning back-to-back individual titles with the University of Miami on the US collegiate golf circuit in October.
Cork's Denis O'Sullivan was the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Services to Golf Award sponsored by Galvin Green.
A former Irish international and selector, he was Irish Amateur Close champion in 1985 and East of Ireland winner in 1990 before he turned professional at 49 and qualified for the European Seniors Tour, where he won six times.
Former Skerries professional Jimmy Kinsella, the first Irishman to win on the European Tour when he captured the Madrid Open in 1972, was also presented with his 2022 Distinguished Services to Golf Award.
BBC NI Sport’s Stephen Watson, Chairman of the Irish Golf Writers’ Association, said: “We are thrilled to be able to return to present the Irish Golf Writers’ awards in person this year at The K Club. The incredible quality of Irish golf, both amateur and professional, north and south, is reflected in our winners. Congratulations to all our award recipients.”
The Irish Golf Writers' Association (IGWA) was founded in 1976. Previous winners of the IGWA awards are listed here: http://www.irishgolfwriters.com/igwa-award-winners