[caption id="attachment_69031" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="U.S Open winner Rory McIlroy is delighted that Royal Portrush will host the Irish Open."]
The Irish Open Golf Championship will return to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1953 when Royal Portrush hosts the event this summer. The European Tour announced that the event will tee off on Thursday, June 28 and conclude on Sunday, July 1.
This will be the fourth occasion on which Royal Portrush has hosted the Irish Open. The first time was in 1930, when England’s Charles Whitcombe triumphed. Bert Gadd, another Englishman, won there in 1937. The last time the event was held there was in 1947, when Harry Bradshaw won on his native soil.
The last time the Irish Open actually took place in the six counties was in 1953, when Scotland’s Eric Brown produced a victory at Belvoir Park in south Belfast.
Royal Portrush in no stranger to major championship golf, either, having hosted the 1951 British Open, which was captured by England’s Max Faulkner. The Senior British Open has been held at Royal Portrush on six occasions in the last 20 years, the most recent coming in 2004, when Pete Oakley of the U.S. posted a surprise win.
The Troubles have almost entirely been responsible for keeping Northern Ireland off-limits for any golfing event that has to play host to large numbers of visiting spectators. This year’s Irish Open will certainly be closely scrutinized by the Royal & Ancient, who will be responsible for deciding whether or not to add Royal Portrush to the Open Championship rota.
Plaudits from Ireland’s golfing community were unanimous and enthusiastic.
“It is fantastic news that an event of the caliber of the Irish Open is coming to Portrush, a world class event on a world class golf course,” said Darren Clarke. “I know every inch of this course and can vouch for its quality.
“The decision to come here reflects the amazing run this relatively small golf community has had in the last couple of years. Best of all, it will be great to sleep in my own bed during that week.”
“Royal Portrush is one of the best courses in the world and to have the Irish Open there and play my first European Tour event in Northern Ireland in front of home fans will be very special,” said Rory McIlroy.
“This course holds great memories for me,” said McIlroy. “From watching my dad play in the North of Ireland there as a toddler to playing in it myself as a 15-year-old and shooting a course-record 61. It’s a superb set-up and players new to the course are going to love it.
“The rescheduling of the Irish Open to late June [from late July] is also a great plus, given that the Open Championship takes place three weeks later. Hosting an event on one of the best links courses in the world that close to an Open Championship is sure to generate a strong field,” McIlroy added.
Padraig Harrington chimed in, also.
“Personally, I have many great memories of playing in the North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club, which quickly became my favorite course in the world,” Harrington said. “The Northern Irish public love their golf, always turn out in great numbers and I’m sure will generate a great atmosphere.”
The opportunity to spotlight Ulster in a positive glow is welcomed by Irish officialdom.
“Bringing the Irish Open to Royal Portrush will showcase our golf tourism offering to a worldwide audience and will provide a major boost to our local economy,” said Arlene Foster, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. “The Irish Open is a welcome addition to our impressive roster of NI 2012 events. This is our year to change global perceptions and reposition Northern Ireland as a place to live, work, invest, study and visit.”
“Given the success of Ulster golfers in recent years, it is very fitting that we stage the Irish Open in Portrush this year,” said Redmond O’Donoghue, Chair of Failté Ireland. “Just as our northern stars have proven to be great advertisements for Irish golf, I am sure the Irish Open in Portrush will be a great calling card internationally for the sport on this island.”
Simultaneously, Carton House in Co. Kildare was announced as the 2013 host of the Irish Open, an honor it last held in 2006.
“I am equally pleased that we will be hosting the 2013 Irish Open at Carton House,” said O’Donoghue. “During that particular year, we will be hosting The Gathering, the biggest tourism festival ever held in Ireland, and, as part of that, we look forward to making the Irish Open a special and unforgettable element of The Gathering programme.”
Now that the official announcement is in the can, further issues will present themselves. Such as, can Clarke cajole his good friends Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to agree to tee off in Portrush? Let the speculation begin.
