The will – and the financial assistance – would appear to be there from the Government in the aim to bring both The Open, golf’s oldest Major championship, and the AIG Women’s Open to Portmarnock Golf Club, in north county Dublin.
The 153rd Open will be staged at Royal Portrush in Co Antrim next year, which also staged the 149th edition in 2019 when Shane Lowry triumphed, but the championship – which is run by the R&A – has never been held outside of the United Kingdom.
Any move of the championship to the Republic of Ireland would be viewed as a historic step, with the women’s Major expected to be staged initially and then The Open at a point further down the road, possibly in 2032 or 2033, if it were to happen.
The Government’s confirmation that it would explore a bid to host The Open and the AIG Women’s Open has been welcomed by Catherine Martin, the Minister for Sport, and Thomas Byrne, the Minister of State at the department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
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Golf Ireland, the governing body for golf in the country, also welcomed the latest development. “Should Portmarnock host these Major events, it would be an opportunity to further progress Irish golf and the wider sporting landscape here,” said GI chief executive Mark Kennelly.
Martin Slumbers, the R&A chief executive, described the challenges of hosting the championships at Portmarnock as “not trivial” when speaking at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon last week.
It is expected that a final decision will be made by the Government after a further period of discussions due to take place in the coming between Portmarnock Golf Club and the R&A and also to a positive economic impact assessment, with a report being drawn up.
When the 151st Open was held at Hoylake last year, the economic impact of the championship for the Liverpool area was estimated to be in excess of €250 million and a similar outlook is expected for Northern Ireland when next year’s championship returns to Royal Portrush.
Fingal County Council, in a statement, said it “has been working for several months with The R&A and Portmarnock Golf Club to scope out the infrastructure required to stage these two global sports events. [We look] forward to broadening this work in the coming months and engaging with other key stakeholders so that a positive recommendation can be brought to Government in the autumn.”
Those infrastructural and logistical requirements, with an attendance of 250,000 through the week, are as important as any financial considerations as Portmarnock Golf Club is located on a peninsula with limited road access. However, extensive park and ride locations, and possibly the construction of pedestrian walkways over the estuary, are understood to be under consideration.
“Hosting both of these championships as recognised Open venue courses, with Government support, would have a positive impact on closing the gender participation gap in sport, and boosting women’s participation and equality in golf ... and this would also increase Ireland’s reputation as a world centre for golf if we were to host these Major tournaments on the island at Portmarnock and Portrush,” said Minister Martin.
