The visible signs of a 13-week countdown to The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush are evident around the majestic Dunluce links, as horseshoe grandstands and corporate hospitality – an integral part of the commercial success of the championship’s return – merge in with the natural sand dunes.
Come July 17th-20th, a record crowd of 278,000 spectators will attend the championship – up more than 40,000 on the total back in 2019 when Shane Lowry famously captured the Claret Jug – which will be the largest attendance outside of when the event is held on the Old Course at St Andrews.
However, Mark Darbon, the chief executive of the R&A, confirmed there is no guaranteed timeline on when Portmarnock Golf Club in north county Dublin would potentially play host to the championship, which would be the first time golf’s oldest Major would be staged outside of the United Kingdom.
“We’re doing a lot of work around feasibility and clearly it is a wonderful golf course that we think is fit to stage this championship. There is a lot we need to do. We’re thankful for the support we are receiving from the [Irish] Government and local authorities [Fingal] there. So, a lot of ground to cover, but we are hopeful for the opportunity in the future,” said Darbon.
Greystones’ Dylan Holmes becomes youngest West of Ireland winner since Rory McIlroy
R&A ‘hopeful’ for future Portmarnock staging of The Open but says a lot of work still be done
Major opportunity beckons for Leona Maguire at Chevron Championship
Justin Thomas ends drought with playoff win at RBC Heritage
A considerable amount of infrastructure and logistical considerations need to be addressed for Portmarnock to get the green light to stage The Open, with the expectation that the AIG Women’s Open would likely be held a couple of years in advance.
Royal Portrush is very much back on the championship’s rota, the 2019 staging won by Lowry (on its return for the first time since Max Faulkner’s win in 1951) proving commercially successful and this year’s 153rd edition is anticipated to generate more than €248 million (£213m) in total economic benefit for Northern Ireland according to an independent forecast by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University.
It estimates that the economic impact resulting from The 153rd Open will be €73m (£63m), while the destination marketing benefit for Northern Ireland derived from coverage produced via linear television and digital platforms will exceed €175m (£150m).
“It’s clear that staging a major event such as The Open can generate significant economic benefits for the locations in which they are held and this study demonstrates the huge benefit that the Championship brings,” said Darbon, adding:
“We are grateful to the government and local agencies in Northern Ireland for their investment and support in bringing the Championship back to Royal Portrush after the success of 2019. Their enthusiasm and expertise has been crucial to our planning and we thank them for the work they have contributed towards making this possible.”
“The passion and enthusiasm for golf throughout the island of Ireland is world-renowned and is clearly reflected in the extraordinary demand among fans to be part of this historic occasion.”
This year’s Open on the north Antrim coastal links is a sell-out, with over a million ballot applications for tickets; and that demand was ahead of Rory McIlroy completing the career Grand Slam with his recent win at the Masters tournament.
“I think it is brilliant for the sport of golf, not just our own championship, for Rory [to complete the Grand Slam]. It was an amazing, emotional win to witness. We are delighted to see Rory named in the history books,” said Darbon, who added:
“We expect Rory to be very focused on performance when he is here. I have written to him very recently to congratulate him. We know he is super excited to return here, there’s a case of unfinished business here on this course. He will be very focused on performance and we look forward to welcoming him.”
There are a number of minor course changes for this year’s championship, with the length increased by 37 yards to 7,381 yards (the par 4 fourth is 20 yards longer and the par 5 seventh will play 15 yards longer).
A quintet of Irish players – McIlroy, Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Tom McKibbin – are already exempt into this year’s championship, while several further exemptions will be available through qualifying series events including the Korea Open, the Memorial tournament, the Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open as well as regional and final qualifying to complete the 156-man field.
