Rory McIlroy lets slip on future Open venue: "It would be amazing"

Rory McIlroy has confirmed the R&A are 'seriously considering' Portmarnock as a future Open venue.

08 Sep 2023

Rory McIlroy lets slip on future Open venue: "It would be amazing"

Rory McIlroy has revealed the R&A are weighing up Portmarnock as a potential venue for The Open.

McIlroy said the governing body that oversees golf's oldest major are 'seriously considering' the North Dublin links after he completed his first round of the Irish Open.

Related: Best golf courses in Ireland

The venue has been visited many times by the R&A, and while logistical issues would need to be resolved in order for the Open to be viable, it has proven through the hosting of major amateur events such as the Walker Cup and Amateur Championship, that it could be an excellent host for the Open Championship.

If Portmarnock were to host a future Open, it would be the first course outside of the UK to do so, marking a major turning point for the historic competition.

McIlroy said:

"I think there's every chance that they're seriously looking at it. There has to be a lot that makes sense. But, you know, having a course that's so close to a major city, so close to a major airport, having a great golf course, I think it would be amazing."

Situated 10 miles to the North of Dublin and only 15 minutes from Dublin Airport, Portmarnock is ideally situated to welcome fans from around the world. Sitting on a stunning sliver of shallow duneland, the course has hosted numerous prestigious tournaments, including 19 stagings of the Irish Open.

Icons of the game of golf have graced its fairways, including Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead in the 1960 Canada Cup and, more recently, Phil Mickelson and David Duval in the memorable 1991 Walker Cup.

Rory McIlroy says two late birdies glossed over what was an otherwise 'average' start to the Irish Open at The K Club.
Report: ⤵️https://t.co/mhl8rjlnQt
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) September 7, 2023

After fielding questions regarding his revelation about Portmarnock, McIlroy also speculated about the future of the Irish Open and whether or not it would be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour now that its scheduling has moved to after the FedEx Cup.

Discussing the future of the tournament, he said:

"So against would be the date in the schedule because the FedEx Cup season's only going to run from January to August. So that's the biggest obstacle I guess. But you know, there's no reason that it can't be a great standalone DP World Tour event."

Shane Lowry was quick to echo McIlroy's opinion in his post-round press conference, saying:

"Whether it (The Irish Open) be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour or not, this back-to-back with Wentworth, there's obviously going to be options there. That's how I see golf going now myself.

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