Golf Ireland has welcomed the latest developments in discussions between the Irish Government and The R&A with today’s announcement to provisionally support the hosting of The Open and AIG Women’s Open at Portmarnock Golf Club in the coming years.
“Today’s announcement that Portmarnock Golf Club will likely host both The Open and the AIG Women’s Open is a momentous occasion for golf in Ireland,” said Golf Ireland CEO, Mark Kennelly.
“These historic events will not only be a wonderful spectacle of professional golf, but they will also pave the way for impactful legacy programs that will nurture talent and grow the game across all communities.
“We are particularly excited about the prospect of the AIG Women’s Open taking place in Ireland as it would be a fantastic showcase of women’s golf.
“We thank the Irish Government for their commitment to securing these events and look forward to welcoming golf fans from all over the world to our shores.”
Portmarnock hosted The Amateur Championship in 2019, where James Sugrue delivered a famous home win for Ireland and this summer it also successfully staged The Women’s Amateur Championship.
This would be the first time these events are played outside of the United Kingdom, and according to government analysis The Open could attract up to 245,000 spectators to each event with the potential hosting of three Opens, along with one AIG Women’s Open, seeing a gross economic impact of €338 million.
Golf Ireland’s Major Events Legacy program is designed to ensure that the high-profile golf tournaments coming to Ireland between 2024 and 2027, including The Open and AIG Women’s Open, have a lasting impact on golf participation. Today’s news offers further optimism more major events will be headed for these shores