The government has shown willingness and is financially ready to bring The Open, the oldest Major championship in golf, and the AIG Women’s Open to Portmarnock Golf Club in North County Dublin.
Royal Portrush in County Antrim has been chosen to host the 153rd Open next year. The same venue successfully hosted the 149th edition in 2019 and saw Shane Lowry emerge victorious. However, the championship, managed by the R&A, has yet to be held outside the United Kingdom.
Relocating the championship to the Republic of Ireland would be a historic move. It’s thought that the women’s Major would take place first, with The Open likely to be staged further in the future, perhaps in 2032 or 2033.
The government’s affirmation that it will look into a bid to host The Open and the AIG Women’s Open was warmly received by Catherine Martin, Minister for Sport, and Thomas Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media.
The governing body for golf in Ireland, Golf Ireland, also hailed this recent development. GI chief executive Mark Kennelly commented that if Portmarnock were chosen to host these Major events, it would present an opportunity to boost Irish golf as well as the larger sports landscape in the country.
Marking the potential complexities of staging the championships at Portmarnock as “not trivial”, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers shared his thoughts during The 152nd Open at Royal Troon last week.
A final resolution is projected to be reached by the government after further discussions anticipated in the coming months between Portmarnock Golf Club and the R&A, as well as an optimistic economic impact evaluation. A report is currently being composed.
From last year’s experience when the 151st Open was held at Hoylake, the economic reward of the championship for the Liverpool region was estimated to be over €250 million. An analogous projection is predicted for Northern Ireland when the championship makes its return to Royal Portrush next year.
In a statement released by Fingal County Council, it was mentioned that months of working alongside The R&A and Portmarnock Golf Club were invested to outline the necessary infrastructure for hosting two significant global sports events. Plans to expand this collaboration to include other crucial stakeholders in the coming months are in play, with the objective of presenting a favourable proposal to the Government in the autumn.
The infrastructural and logistical needs associated with an estimated weekly crowd of 250,000 are deemed as significant as the financial aspects. Given the geographical conditions of Portmarnock Golf Club – its location on a peninsula with limited vehicular accessibility – are important considerations. It is reported that the extensive allocation of park and ride spots, as well as the proposed building of pedestrian pathways across the estuary, are being pondered over.
“Having both these championships at acknowledged Open venue courses, supported by the Government, could greatly assist in bridging the gender divide in sports participation. This would not only enhance women’s engagement and fairness in golf but also amplify Ireland’s standing as a global golf hub, particularly if we were to stage these significant tournaments at Portmarnock and Portrush”, stated Minister Martin.