- The R&A has confirmed Portmarnock can host an Open Championship
- Feasibility work has been completed by the R&A
- Portmarnock has hosted the Irish Open 19 times
- A clear view on the rota inclusion is expected by the end of the year
- It would be the only Open Championship held in a capital city
Portmarnock Golf Club has been moving closer to being added to the Open Championship rota, with Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A, providing a positive update in breifings to several media.
Darbon confirmed that the feasibility work has been completed and the R&A has confirmed they believe they can take an Open Championship to the north Dublin course. The Government has previously committed provisional support to Portmarnock hosting the Open Championship and the Women’s Open.
The question regarding when the event might happen remains unanswered due to the sheer amount of work necessary to stage the event. The R&A is looking to build a model that opens up opportunities for both the AIG Women’s Open and The Open for many years to come. Preparatory works on and off the course would be of such a scale as to make sense for Portmarnock to be part of the entire Open rota going forward, with a clear view expected by the end of the year.
Portmarnock has hosted the Irish Open more times than any other course on the island, with the most recent of its 19 stagings happening in 2003. Two-time Open winner Padraig Harrington expressed his hope that the event happens during his career, describing Portmarnock as an unbelievable venue that would be the only Open in a capital city.
