The Lough Erne Challenge is an annual invitational golf event played on The Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The inaugural Lough Erne Challenge, played in July 2009, was between Rory McIlroy - touring professional at Lough Erne Resort - and Pádraig Harrington. McIlroy won the 18 hole strokeplay match with a four under par round of 68 to Harrington's two under par 70. In July 2010 McIlroy teamed up with Darren Clarke to form a Northern Ireland team that took on Harrington and Shane Lowry, representing the Republic of Ireland. The Northern Ireland team won the 18 hole combined strokeplay event with a score of six under par with the Republic of Ireland one shot back on five under par.
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Tickets for the event are sold to the public but have been limited in number to 5,000 (2009) and 4,000 (2010).
The Lough Erne Challenge is televised each year on Sky Sports in Ireland and the UK and the Golf Channel in the U.S., Canada and Japan. Other international affiliates also air a highlights package throughout Europe, Latin America, South East Asia, Australia and South Africa. The Lough Erne Challenge's re-airs and highlights reach more than 300 million households worldwide in more than 38 countries.