The R&A Confirms Portmarnock Is A Potential Open Venue

The R&A says Portmarnock has "the potential to host our major championships" and is investigating the feasibility of taking the Open to the Republic of Ireland for the first time

Claret Jug trophy pictured
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Paul Higham
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The R&A has confirmed to Golf Monthly that they are investigating the potential for Portmarnock Golf Club in Dublin to host the AIG Women’s Open and the Open Championship.

It looks like the Claret Jug will be heading outside of the UK for the first time, with support growing for Portmarnock from the likes of Rory McIlroy and Paul McGinley.

The course itself is not in question, with McGinley saying the Dublin links layout is as good as anything currently on the Open rota.

Logistics and access are the main issues, with the Open Championship such a huge event requiring a massive footprint along with good transport links and hotel accommodation.

Portmarnock is looking to enlist government help in solving any logistical issues, and if they can be solved then what is clear is that the R&A are definitely interested in staging their two top professional events there.

A spokesman for The R&A told Golf Monthly: “We regularly stage championships and international matches throughout Great Britain and Ireland, including at Portmarnock, and work with Golf Ireland as the national body throughout the island of Ireland.

“We would like to investigate the possibility of taking our professional championships there as well.

“Portmarnock is undoubtedly one of the world’s outstanding links courses and we believe there is the potential to host our major championships there but it is essential that a full evaluation is carried out to assess whether it is feasible and what would be required to make it happen.”

Portmarnock has hosted the Irish Open 19 times, the Amateur Championship twice, in 1949 and 2019, along with the 1991 Walker Cup, and is staging the Women’s Amateur Championship next year.

The next logical step would seem to be the AIG Women’s Open before the Open Championship could possibly be played outside of the UK for the very first time.

Former Ryder Cup captain McGinley is confident that the Claret Jug will eventually head to Portmarnock, but says it will likely take at least a decade before the dream for Irish golf fans comes true.

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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