Portmarnock Golf Club seeks government support in bid to host Open Championship

Portmarnock Golf Club will seek government support for a formal approach to The R&A regarding the possibility of staging The Open Championship or Women's Open at some point in the future.

The Open was last held on the island of Ireland in 2019 when Shane Lowry won the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush and it will return to the County Antrim venue in 2025.

Speaking during last month's Irish Open at The K Club, Rory McIlroy believes the R&A are "seriously looking" at staging the Open Championship outside the UK for the first time.

"I think they are seriously looking at it. I think it would be fantastic," McIlroy said.

"I was looking forward to Portrush but [concerned] in terms of how it would do commercially; there's so many other considerations to hosting a major championship apart from it being a great golf course.

"There has to be a lot of stuff that makes sense, but 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."

Portmarnock is eligible to stage R&A events after voting in 2021 to admit women members for the first time in its history, with nine women elected as full members in December last year.

The north Co Dublin links will host the 121st Women's Amateur Championship next year and now they are exploring the opportunity to bring two more prestigious events to the venue at some point in the future.

And Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly believes hosting these events at Portmarnock would be another boost for Irish golf, as The Open returns in two years before the Walker Cup comes to Lahinch in 2026 and the Ryder Cup is at Adare Manor the following year.

"Portmarnock is steeped in history and golfing tradition and we welcome their initiative to