Matt Donoghue and Leslie O’Meara from Portumna Golf Club were announced as the Connolly Motor Group Audi quattro Cup regional winners on a score of 47 points. They are pictured here receiving their prizes from Neil Connolly, managing director, Connolly Motor Group (left), and Alan Burns, general manager of Audi Ballina (right). Having claimed the prestigious title, Donoghue and O’Meara qualify for the national Audi quattro Cup final, along with the next five highest ranking teams, taking place at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club on September 7.

Hosted by Audi Ballina, Connolly Motor Group Audi quattro Cup makes welcome return

The quattro Cup is back on Irish soil after a break of two years, with the Audi Galway, Audi Sligo and Audi Ballina regional competition taking place last Thursday (June 16).

Having been postponed in recent years, interest levels were exceptional, with a total of 122 golfers in 61 teams taking part in the tournament in mixed weather conditions at County Sligo Golf Club.

Matt Donoghue and Leslie O’Meara of Portumna Golf Club were announced as the winners on a score of 47 points to claim the prestigious title of the Connolly Motor Group Audi quattro Cup regional winners.

In a tightly contested competition, the winning team claimed victory by five points. Along with the next five highest ranking teams, they now qualify for the national Audi quattro Cup final, taking place at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club on September 7.

Additional regional events are being hosted for Audi customers by Audi dealerships at some of Ireland’s best golf courses to determine who will join the Connolly Motor Group qualifiers in the national final.

The prize for winning the national quattro Cup will be to represent Ireland at the Audi quattro Cup world final, taking place on the Marco Simone Golf Course in Rome. The famed golf course will host the 2023 Ryder Cup and is also host of the Italian Open, one of the biggest European Tour events. All participants will be staying in the Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria hotel.

The world final will see the victorious Irish pairing tee off against 40 participating countries. The Audi quattro Cup tournament welcomes approximately over 80,000 golfers globally, making it the largest amateur golfing tournament in the world.

Neil Connolly, managing director, Connolly Motor Group, commented: “The Connolly Group is delighted to be back again to host the Audi quattro Cup heat. The Audi quattro Cup is an event we always look forward to and after the two-year break there was incredible excitement. We are thrilled to see it back.

“This is one of the unique offerings that Audi brings to our customers and it is great to see the interest in participation, standard of play and level of competition. On behalf of everyone at Connolly Motor Group, we’d like to wish our finalists all the luck for the national final of the Audi quattro Cup.”

Coming in behind Donoghue and O'Meara were: John Darby and Pat Ward (42), Kieran O’Reilly and Phillip Aldritt (42), Darren Joyce and James Cavanagh (41), Mel Loughlin and Jimmy Donovan (41), and Sebastian Vogt and Colin Diamond (40). Other results: nearest the pin - Daire Mulligan (men) and Mary O'Rourke (women); longest drive - Stephen Daly (men) and Mary King (women).