Simon Thornton

For many years the Irish Professional Golf Championship was the richest national championship in Europe.

THE new season of PGA Ulster Grand Prix events began at Dunmurry Golf Club on Monday and finished with Simon Thornton and David Leathem sharing top of the professionals' leaderboard.

SIMON Thornton will take his family off on a Portuguese holiday shortly in a much better frame of mind after winning the 36-holes PGA Challenge, staged at Carton House in association with Johnston, Mooney & O’Brien.