Royal Portrush to host The Open

The Open Championship will be played again at Royal Portrush, returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in over 60 years and only the second time in its more than 150-year history. Royal Portrush staged the Irish Open in 2012, with more than 130,000 people attending throughout the week, and it has held the Senior Open Championship on six occasions. The Amateur Championship is being played at the Dunluce links for the third time this week.

The Open was last held at Royal Portrush in 1951, when Englishman Max Faulkner won the Claret Jug after a two-shot victory over Argentina’s Antonio Cerda, on the only occasion it has been played outside Scotland and England. Based on independent research The Championship is likely to deliver a combined economic impact and destination marketing benefit of £70 million for Northern Ireland.

Peter Unsworth, the Chairman of The R&A’s Championship Committee, said, “Royal Portrush is one of the great links courses and we could not be more excited at bringing The Open back to Northern Ireland. We welcome the support of the Northern Ireland Executive and the various agencies involved who will play a key role in the Championship. There is huge enthusiasm for golf in Northern Ireland and throughout Ireland and we expect fantastic support for The Open when it returns.”

Pictured from left: Simon Rankin, Captain Royal Portrush; Peter Unsworth, Chairman of The R&A Championship Committee; Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA; First Minister the Rt. Hon. Peter D Robinson MLA; Peter Dawson, Chief Executive The R&A; Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster.