Pádraig Harrington would love to have an Open Championship swan song at Portmarnock after the R&A reiterated their commitment to bring the Open Championship to the Republic of Ireland for the first time at the Dublin links.
“If it’s after 2032 I’ll have to go to a qualifier. Don’t worry I will!” laughed Harrington who will be over 60 and have to go through Open qualifying. The three-time major winner is hopeful that he will get the opportunity to have a very special and emotional Open farewell in his home county.
“It would be incredibly special. By that stage I will be signing off and waving at the crowds and it would be very nice. I have already played an Open in front of home crowds, teeing off first in Portrush last year and have played twice up there and have had fantastic welcome. Clearly playing in Dublin where I am from would be very special, Portmarnock would be very special. It is a nice step forward but when I got to Portrush it was exceptional and when it gets to Portmarnock it will be the same way.”
Portmarnock has previously hosted 19 Irish Opens and two years ago it hosted the Women’s Amateur Championship which was seen as a precursor for the AIG Women’s Open which would open the doors for The Open. A feasibility study has been carried out on the suitability of Portmarnock while the Government has committed up to €40 million to support the necessary infrastructure work, in tandem with Fingal County Council, and also as part of its strategy to bring major international sport to the country.
Harrington, an Open champion of 2007 and 2008, the last player to retain the Claret Jug, believes Portmarnock would be a fantastic venue for players, spectators and everyone else involved.
“I would love for it to happen in my time! Portmarnock would be an unbelievable venue. It would be the only Open in a capital city. The space is capable of hosting an event of that size. It’s unusual that the course is very fair which is strange for a links course with flat fairways and greens so players will like it. It’s not a tricky golf course. Players will love the event, it would be a great Open.
“If it can match Portrush wouldn’t that be great? I do believe Portmarnock will. It will be a great Open for the players. Everybody will enjoy it.”
Officially the mooted 2032 date would see the Open Championship be hosted outside of the United Kingdom for the first time but Harrington has always seen the Claret Jug event as The Open rather than the British Open and feels that Ireland could become a regular feature on the Open rota.
“Some people think it’s the British Open, it’s always been the Open for me. I’ve never seen a them and us from the R&A so I have always thought an Open could move out of Britain and no better place than Ireland. It’s nice that it’s coming home to Ireland.”
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