Exclusive: Former Open Champion Lawrie Questions Need For Iconic Tournament To Leave UK

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie has question the need for the Open Championship to leave the United Kingdom and be played in the Republic of Ireland.

The prospect of Portmarnock – a fabled links course on the northern outskirts of Dublin – hosting The Open improved in the second half of 2024.

Martin Slumbers - the outgoing chief executive of The Royal & Ancient, which organises The Open - said in July that the body is backing Portmarnock’s attempts to host The Open.

Then in October the Irish government announced it had given "provisional support" to Portmarnock hosting The Open as well as the Women's Open.

The Irish government said its backing was a "significant step towards the potential hosting of these major sports events in Portmarnock Golf Club".

The Open and the Women's Open have never been played in the Republic of Ireland, with unofficial ‘rota’ of courses that play host limited to venues in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Open will head back to Northern Ireland to Royal Portrush for the second time in six years in 2025, after Shane Lowry lifted the trophy when the championship returned to the Dunluce course in 2019 – the first time it had been played there since 1951.

“Personally I think they have enough courses on the rota,” Lawrie, champion at Carnoustie in 1999, told SportsBoom.com. 

“I’ve played Portmarnock a few times and it is certainly capable oof hosting The Open, but I personally think there are enough courses available to host it without having to go there."

“There is no reason why it couldn’t host The Open from the perspective of the course itself."

“But [Trump] Turnberry is a better course in my opinion. So if there is a course to be added I would say it should be there."

"I think Turnberry is the best course in the UK - certainly one of the very best if not the best."

“I’ve played it three or four times since the overhaul; I think it is awesome. It’s just a great links course. It is way up there in the rankings every year – No.2 or No.3."

“In terms of whether the ownership should affect whether it hosts The Open, thankfully that is not my decision to make. I just know it is a brilliant golf course.”

'ROTA' HAS DEVELOPED

Realistically, the earliest opportunity for the Women’s Open to go to Portmarnock would be 2028 and probably a year later at least for The Open.

Royal Birkdale will stage The Open in 2026 after Portrush plays host in 2025.

The ‘rota’ has developed in recent years, with Portrush and potentially Portmarnock being added while Royal Liverpool has become more popular with the R&A again.

Muirfield and Turnberry are currently not on the rota while Carnoustie has hosted just twice since Lawrie’s win in 1999.

He believes the Angus links is one of the very best in the UK and Ireland.

“Carnoustie I naturally love - and it is also way up in the rankings too,” Lawrie added.

“And rightly so. It’s stood the test of time better than a lot of them, because there’s not that many new tees there – compared to a lot of the others where they ae having to add lots more back tees."

“A lot of links courses are having to built back tees that are miles back. Carnoustie doesn’t have to do that, it already has the length and the challenge."

“When you don’t have to do that, it is a true golf course and a great design.”