The oldest golf tournament in the world, Open Championship is also known as the British Open. Played since 1860, it was originally held at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. After that, the tournament was hosted in a select group of coastal links golf courses in the UK but has never left the British Isles.

This year saw the 151th edition being held at the Royal Liverpool in the month of July 2023 where Brian Harman took the trophy home. However, recently the rumours mills are abuzz that the event might be hosted out of Britain at some point and a Ryder Cup legend has supported this claim.

Open Championship to be played out of UK in future?

The Open Championship is always organized by R&A who at the beginning of October was apparently ‘keen to investigate the possibility’ of taking the prestigious tournament outside of the United Kingdom. The news was unintentionally shared by Rory McIlroy who said “I think there’s every chance the R&A are seriously looking at it, It would be fantastic.”

McIlroy further added that there are a lot of aspects to be considered while choosing a new venue for such an important event. He also indicated that Portmarnock which is situated 10 miles north of Dublin is the closest major city which also features a big airport and other facilities. Traveling there would be easier for the players as well as the international spectators.

And now professional golfer Paul McGinley has jumped into the debate. Speaking to the Irish Independent he said, “I think it’s a reality and it’s got more chance of happening than not happening, but the timeline is open. A lot of ducks have to be lined up before it could happen. But it’s certainly a potential reality. Who would have thought that 10 years ago?”

McGinley who played in the Ryder Cup in 2002 and also captained in winning in 2014 also finds the location of Portmarnock to be a feasible option.

Paul McGinley says shifting new venue might take a decade

Commending the potential venue he further added, “It will take a lot of boxes for the R&A commercially and while St Andrews is unique, Portmarnock is as good as or better than anything on the current rota. The biggest challenge is getting in and out. With the Ryder Cup in 2027, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have something in the diary for 2030? But I think that timeline’s too short. I’d say realistically, we’re looking at nearer to 10 years from now.”

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Though no official news has been released by any of the authorities the words of McIlroy and McGinley who are big names in the sports world are something to go by.

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