R&A Approaches Hosting Open at Portmarnock
Portmarnock Golf Club, located in Dublin, has previously hosted both the men's and women's amateur golf championships. The R&A, the governing body responsible for organizing the Open Championship, is reportedly "getting pretty close" to staging the Open at this venue.
Chief executive Mark Darbon stated that the possibility of Portmarnock hosting golf's oldest championship was first revealed in 2023. The Irish government has expressed support for this initiative, announcing potential backing of up to 40 million euro (£34 million) in 2024.
Should Portmarnock be selected, it would mark the first time the Open or Women's Open is held outside the United Kingdom.
"I think we're getting pretty close. It's a complicated venue because of the scale of the Open Championship, so there's been a lot of great feasibility work with the golf club themselves, with the local authority, the government," Darbon said on the eve of this year's tournament at Royal Birkdale.
"We've undertaken a big feasibility study, that work is pretty much done. We've confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there.
"What we're looking to do is to do a build a model that opens up opportunities for the AIG Women's Open and the Open for many, many years to come.
"That's the dialogue we're in right now with the Irish Government and we're optimistic that those discussions are heading in the right direction."
When asked about the timeline for an official announcement, Darbon added:
"In the spirit of transparency, it's taking a bit longer than I and we thought it may, but it's complicated doing all that feasibility work.
"We're hoping to have a pretty clear view by the end of the year."
Additional Open Championship Updates
- The Open final round schedule is currently under review.
- Players Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy commented on the sun-baked conditions at Royal Birkdale.
- Golfer Howard shared an inspiring journey to The Open, reflecting on his career longevity.
Support from Leading Golfers
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have publicly supported the prospect of hosting the Open at Portmarnock. Lowry, the 2019 Open champion, recently visited the club and spoke to NI about the potential event.
"They're not giving too much away over there but all the rumours are that it's going to be announced at some stage," Lowry said.
"Who knows, it would be amazing to have an Open Championship in Dublin. One of the biggest tournaments in the world coming to a place where I live would be very cool.
"I think Portmarnock is one of the best golf courses in the world so I think it's fit for an Open. It would be a good Open for the R&A, it would be very successful. The infrastructure is all there."
Looking ahead, St Andrews is set to host the Open next year, with the tournament returning to Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2028 for the first time in 16 years.
Broadcast Information
Live radio and text commentary will be available across all four rounds on the website and app, Radio 5 Live, and .
Daily television highlights will be broadcast on BBC2 and at 21:00 BST on Thursday and Friday, 20:30 on Saturday, and 21:55 on Sunday. All times are subject to change.
