The sight of Pádraig Harrington saying farewell to The Open at Portmarnock looks a more realistic prospect now after Government agreed to further explore the club’s bid to host The Open and the AIG Women’s Open.
While Fingal County Council has been working with The R&A and Portmarnock on the infrastructure needs, the government’s final decision will depend on discussions between the club and the governing body this summer and on “a positive economic impact assessment”.
Outgoing R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers said at The Open last week that the transport and logistical challenges were “not trivial” but that the “amazing” 2019 staging at Royal Portrush, which hosts again next year, showed the potential of new markets.
Government backing is key to carrying out the infrastructure changes required but the willingness of the R&A to take The Open outside the UK for the first time is also a huge factor.
Sports Minister Catherine Martin welcomed the decision to explore a bid and anticipates a recommendation being brought to Government in the autumn.
“I am delighted by Government’s decision to explore the possibility of hosting both The Open and the AIG Women’s Open at Portmarnock Golf Club,” Minister Martin said.
She added that hosting the events would have “a positive impact on closing the gender participation gap in sport” and “also increase Ireland’s reputation as a world centre for golf if we were to host these major tournaments.”
The Minister said that a “positive economic impact assessment” is also required for an event that generated over €118 million in economic benefit for Northern Ireland in 2019.
Golf Ireland also welcomed the news and said it gave “further encouragement that more major golf events could be coming to Ireland and that the window of opportunity could be even broader.”
The R&A is well disposed towards taking its events to the Republic of Ireland, having staged the Amateur Championship at Portmarnock in 2019 and the Amateur and Women’s Amateur at Ballyliffin and Portmarnock, respectively, this year.
Lahinch has also been awarded the 2026 Walker Cup matches and strokeplay qualifying for the Pierse Motors-sponsored 122nd South of Ireland Amateur Open got underway yesterday,
Despite showers and westerly winds gusting over 25 mph, scoring was still impressive with Castleknock’s Ian O’Connell (26) and Ballybofey and Stranorlar’s Ryan Griffin (24) carding six-under 66s to lead by a shot from Naas’ Jamie Butler, Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill and Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill in the battle to make the 64 qualifiers tomorrow’s matchplay stages.
Griffin made an eagle and six birdies in his 66 before being joined by Senior Cup player O’Connell, who made two birdie hat-tricks from the eighth and 13th in the afternoon to go bogey-free and tie for the lead.
Blainroe’s Conor Dean (26), a son of former Ireland rugby out-half Paul Dean, shot an impressive 68 on his debut at Lahinch to share sixth place with Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins and Nenagh’s David Reddan while defending champion Colm Campbell from Warrenpoint was well placed after a 70.
Meanwhile, Harrington knows past performances will count for nothing when he tees it up in the Senior Open at Carnoustie today looking to improve on back-to-back runner-up finishes.
“As much as I’ve won The Open here (in 2007), it’s not like having won The Open, they give me a one-shot start or something like that,” said Harrington, who finished a shot behind Darren Clarke at Gleneagles in 2022 before losing out in a playoff to Germany’s Alex Čejka at Royal Porthcawl last year.
Harrington, who said last week that he would relish saying farewell to The Open at Portmarnock when his exemption runs out in 2032, is joined at Carnoustie by Clarke, Peter Lawrie, Northern Ireland’s Cameron Clark and Paul McGinley, who yesterday joined Thomas Bjørn and Miguel Ángel Jiménez in receiving Honorary Life Membership of the DP World Tour.
On the PGA Tour, Seamus Power returns to action in the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota while on the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire begins work with a new caddie, Tralee’s Verner Tess, when she joins Stephanie Meadow in the CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary.
Elsewhere, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, Open Championship runner-up Billy Horschel and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox are confirmed for the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down from September 12-15.
In the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in Finland, Spain’s Anna Revuelta opened with a six under 66 to lead by two shots from Denmark’s Marie Elina Madsen and Scotland’s Lorna McClymont.
Aine Donegan and Kate Lanigan shot 73s, Beth Coulter and Annabel Wilson 74s, Anna Foster 75, Emma Fleming and Anna Dawson 78s and Aideen Walsh a 79.
In the US Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills, Roganstown’s Sean Keeling lost 4 and 3 to Jackson Bandelier in the round of 64.