Latest news with #Darbon
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
When will the British Open return to Ireland? Royal Portrush, Portmarnock in line to host
It took only six years for the British Open to return to Royal Portrush after its successful staging in 2019. An estimated crowd of 278,000 was expected at Royal Portrush last week, which would have made it the biggest attendance at an Open held outside St Andrews. How long will it take for the R&A to bring back the final men's major of the season to County Antrim? The R&A is holding its cards close to the vest. While the PGA already has announced future championship sites through 2034 (with the exception of 2033) and the USGA has sites booked as far out as 2051, the R&A has only shared future sites through 2027. (Royal Birkdale is on deck and St. Andrews in 2027.) During his Open Championship press conference, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon suggested that the 2028 site will be named sometime before the middle of next year. Golfweek hears that Royal St. George's in England, which last hosted the 149th Open in 2021 could be in line for a return date. Muirfield, which last hosted in 2013, could also be a serious contender but Darbon noted some logistical changes, including to the practice facility, that need to be made. The next visit to the Emerald Isle may actually come in Ireland, not Northern Ireland. Portmarnock Golf Club has been under consideration in recent years. Set on a peninsula which juts into the Irish Sea about 8 miles northeast of Dublin, the course winds its way through rolling sand hills on crisp turf and pot bunkers abound. 'I've heard they're talking about it. I've heard they might go there. It would be amazing, 30 minutes from my house. I'd be able to stay at home and play in an Open,' said 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry on Sunday. 'It's one of the best golf courses in the world. I think it's good enough to host an Open, and hopefully it will soon.' Speaking to Golfweek, fellow Irishman Paul McGinley also gave his full endorsement: 'Absolutely,' he said. 'Outside of a St. Andrews Open, it would be a memorable Open golf-wise as well as commercially. Amazing course and right in the center of Dublin.' But there are still a few holdups, meaning it may not happen before 2032, including the fact that Ireland isn't part of Britain so technically the British Open – for those who refer to it as that rather than the Open Championship – would be played outside the United Kingdom for the first time. But it does feel that Portmarnock has moved into the category of 'when, not if' it will host an Open. Promising news arrived in late April when the club membership voted and approved several modifications to the links requested by the R&A and to be undertaken by architects Mackenzie & Ebert, who have worked on several of the links in the current rota. 'We think it's a wonderful links golf course and we've been really encouraged by the support that we've had in principle from the Irish government to work with us to understand whether we could stage an Open Championship there in the future,' Darbon said. 'We're knee deep in feasibility work to help us answer that question fully. We expect to have a clearer picture by the back end of this year.' As for Royal Portrush, the club's original contract, signed with then-R&A chief Peter Dawson, promised three Opens within a span of 20 years. 'I think it will be 10 years at least,' said Wilma Erskine, the former Royal Portrush secretary, who was involved in wooing the R&A for the original deal. Northern Ireland's favorite son, career Grand Slam holder Rory McIlroy, is confident that he'll get another chance of winning on home soil at Portrush. 'I think Portrush has quickly turned into one of the best two or three venues that the Open goes to. Talk to every player this week, and they won't say one single bad thing about the golf course,' he said. 'Then I just think the way it sets up, from a logistical standpoint, I think the R&A have worked so well with the local government to make sure everything runs smoothly. Yeah, I hope so. It's only been six years since 2019. I'm not sure Portrush is going to have the Open every six years, that would be nice, but I would obviously love it to keep coming back.' Given that the R&A's TV deal dwarfs that of what the USGA rakes in, expect the commercial success of the Open to be a top priority and making sites such as Royal Lytham and Carnoustie to appear with less frequency in the rota and Ireland and Northern Ireland to be trendy picks. With the 153rd Open a financial success and a contract guaranteeing a return by 2039, Portrush should have its pick of the litter. 'The R&A is looking at how attractive Portrush is and how much of a moneymaker Portmarnock will be,' said one industry observer. 'It's become very much about the profit and loss statement.'
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
R&A discussed holding British Open at Turnberry with Eric Trump
Find out what's new on ST website and app. R&A CEO Mark Darbon said he met with Mr Trump's son, Eric, and representatives from Turnberry 'a couple of months ago'. – R&A chief executive officer Mark Darbon confirmed on July 16 he recently had a 'really good discussion' with Eric Trump about hosting a future British Open at Turnberry, owned by United States President Donald Trump. The course in South Ayrshire, Scotland, owned by Trump's organisation since 2014, has hosted the Major four times but not since 2009. 'It's a somewhat hypothetical question in that unless we address the logistical challenges, it's difficult for us to go back,' Darbon told reporters at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, site of the 153rd Open, which teed off on July 17. He said he met the American leader's son, Eric, and representatives from Turnberry 'a couple of months ago'. Logistical issues include the fact that only 120,000 spectators attended the last Open at Turnberry, compared to the 280,000 expected this week and the 250,000 at Royal Troon in Scotland in 2024. 'We had a really good discussion,' Darbon said. 'I think they understand clearly where we're coming from. 'We talked through some of the challenges that we have, so we've got a good dialogue with them.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore Both Bukit Panjang LRT disruptions in July linked to newly installed power system: SMRT Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore More initiatives and support for migrant community announced at Racial Harmony Day event Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi Meeting a member of the Trump family continues the thaw in what had become a testy relationship between the R&A and the current occupant of the White House. After Mr Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol in January 2021, then R&A boss Martin Slumbers said there were no plans to restore Turnberry to the Open rotation 'in the foreseeable future'. 'We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances,' Slumbers said at the time. That stance has softened since Mr Trump's election to a second term. Darbon, who replaced Slumbers in July 2024, said in April that he 'would love' to see the tournament return to Turnberry. 'We love the golf course but we've got some big logistical challenges there,' he said on July 16. 'We've got some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure around Turnberry. 'We've explicitly not taken it out of our pool of venues, but we'd need to address those logistical challenges should we return.' Darbon also said the R&A has had an ongoing dialogue with the British government about staging a Major at a Trump-owned property. 'We've spoken to them specifically about Turnberry and I think they've made it clear that the decision around where we take our championship rests with us,' he said. Meanwhile, Oakmont Country Club has banned 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark from the property after the American caused damage in the locker room at June's US Open there. A letter from club president John Lynch to members this week that revealed the punishment was obtained by Golf Digest, ESPN and Golf Channel. The 31-year-old damaged his locker after missing the cut at the US Open, later apologising for the incident, the results of which were shown in photos on social media. REUTERS
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Another venue in Ireland may host the Open before it returns to historic Scots courses
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE OPEN Championship will be held at a SECOND Irish venue before it returns to two historic Scottish courses, according to top golf chiefs. Royal Portrush returned to the Open rota in 2019 and the famous tournament is taking place there once again this week. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Trump Turnberry is one of Scotland's best and most famous golf clubs Credit: Les Gallagher 5 But despite efforts to bring the Open back there, it looks unlikely Credit: PA The island of Ireland had gone 68 years without hosting golf's oldest and most prestigious event, in large part because of the effects of The Troubles. Portrush was well-received by fans and golfers alike and the R&A has strongly suggested that the Open could be played at another Irish course in the near future. Portmarnock just outside Dublin is the venue being lined up by the governing body and it could host the Open as soon as 2028. Next year's tournament will be held in England at Royal Birkdale before it returns to Scotland in 2027, with the OId Course at St Andrews due to welcome golfers for the 155th Open. Scotland is the home of the Open but two of its most renowned courses are in danger of being forgotten when it comes to hosting the championship. For several years, Trump Turnberry has been ranked as one of the best - if not the best - golf course in the UK. Due to the fact it is owned by US President Donald Trump, the R&A insisted that they would never take the Open there because of the controversy it could bring. Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers adopted a hard-line stance on the Open going back to Turnberry, believing that focus would be detracted from the tournament itself due to Trump's profile. New R&A chief Mark Darbon has been much more receptive to the idea of the Open coming back to Turnberry, going as far as saying it was indeed BACK on their rota of courses. But he has now poured cold water on that happening any time soon - and revealed that another proud Scottish venue is unlikely to be awarded the Open in its current form. Watch moment Scots golf ace Robert MacIntyre wins new fans with 'pure class' gesture after US Open heartbreak That course is Muirfield, a course that has hosted the Open 16 times but not since 2013. The North Berwick venue is one of the fairest links tests and 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus once called it the best golf course in Britain (he even named his own marquee course, Muirfield Village, after it). Ayrshire coast site Turnberry has held the tournament four times in its history, most notably as the venue for 1977's Duel in the Sun between Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Despite their history and popularity, they will be passed over until they can solve certain infrastructure problems, Darbon says. Darbon cited transport and accommodation as issues Turnberry must overcome. The A77 is the only main road for buses and cars to the village and the nearest train stations are Girvan and Maybole, which are five and 13 miles away respectively. He said: "I think we have been extremely clear on our position in regard to Turnberry. We love the golf course but we have some big logistical issues there. "You've seen the scale of the set-up here and there's some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure around Turnberry. "We've explicitly not taken it out of our pool of venues but we'd need to address those logistical challenges should we return. "Unless we address the logistical challenges, it's difficult for us to go back. "I met a couple of months ago with Eric Trump and some of the leadership from the Trump golf organisation from Turnberry. We had a really good discussion. "I think they understand clearly where we are coming from. "We talked through some of the challenges that we have so we have a good dialogue with them." While Turnberry's main obstacles are away from the course itself, Darbon says the main challenges for Muirfield are the inadequate practice facilities. 5 Phil Mickelson won the Claret Jug the last time the Open was at Muirfield Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 5 The East Lothian venue has hosted the tournament 16 times Credit: Alamy He said: "We love the golf course at Muirfield. We're in discussions with the venue right now. "There are some things we need to evolve at Muirfield, the practice ground in particular is a challenge for us with a modern Open. "And there's some work to facilitate some infrastructure we need, but there's some good dialogue and we'd love to go back there in the future." So as more traditional locations such as Turnberry and Muirfield face being snubbed as Open venues for the foreseeable future, new sites like Portmarnock are firmly in the running. "Yes, we are thinking about Portmarnock," confirmed Darbon. "We think it's a wonderful links golf course and we've been really encouraged by the support in principle that we have had from the Irish government to work with us to understand if we can stage an Open Championship there in the future. "We're knee deep in feasibility work to help us answer that question fully We expect to have a clearer picture by the back end of this year." 5 Portmarnock Golf Club in Ireland could be the newest Open venue Credit: Getty Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Major change to The Open schedule announced with tee times moved due to event clash at Portrush
THE OPEN will start earlier on Saturday due to a clash with an event in Portrush. The 153rd edition of the tournament is underway and will conclude on Sunday. 1 Tee times on Saturday have been brought forward Credit: Sportsfile Play began at 6:35am for the opening round and tee times will be brought forward on Saturday. That is because of a band parade that is scheduled to take place in Portrush. It is expected 70 bands and 2,000 people will descend on the town in an event organised by Portrush Sons of Ulster. It will take place in the evening, at which time the golf will be complete for the day. READ MORE ON THE OPEN That is because times will shift forward by around 15 minutes according to the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient (R&A), Mark Darbon. Mr Darbon said, as organisers, they are "guests in the community" - albeit 275,000 in number. He said at a press conference: "We recognise that when we bring The Open Championship to town, we are a guest in the community in which we operate. "On many occasions, there are concurrent events that take place around the action that we are very focused on here, within the rules of the venue. Most read in Golf CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS The Open 2025 ONE of the most anticipated Opens in years is finally here. Can THE OPEN 2025 LIVE - Follow all the latest updates from Royal Portrush TIPS AND FREE BETS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW... The Open 2025 schedule and tee times TOP STORIES... "So, recognising the events that are taking place on Saturday, we have worked collaboratively with the organisers and across multi-agency groups to ensure, primarily, both events can run as seamlessly as possible. "We are making a slight tweak to tee times to try and finish - it's not dramatic, maybe 15 minutes or so earlier. 'People's champ' Bryson DeChambeau delights Open fans with classy gesture as they say 'how can you not love this guy?' "At the same time, this is an outdoor sport; the weather can play a big role. "It's very difficult to be precise on finishing times, but we are looking at some marginal adjustments."
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Turnberry won't be hosting British Open soon — but it's not because Trump
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — President Donald Trump won't be getting to host a British Open at his Turnberry resort anytime soon, according to the R&A, which governs the world's oldest major championship. Mark Darbon, the new chief executive of the R&A, said Wednesday that the reason Turnberry is on the outside looking in is not political, but more about transportation issues accessing the golf course located on the west coast of Scotland. Advertisement Turnberry has hosted the Open Championship four times, the first being 1977, the famous 'Duel in the Sun'' when Tom Watson defeated Jack Nicklaus, and the last being in 2009, when Watson lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Darbon, who took over at the R&A this year from Martin Slumbers, said Turnberry had not been taken off the list of potential Open sites, but that transportation and other issues need to be addressed before it can become an option again. 'I think we've been extremely clear on our position in respect of Turnberry,'' Darbon said. 'We love the golf course, but we've got some big logistical challenges there. You see the scale of their setup here, and we've got some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure around Turnberry.' Advertisement Darbon revealed that the R&A met with Eric Trump and other leaders of Trump Golf a few months ago. 'I think they understand clearly where we're coming from,'' Darbon said. 'We talked through some of the challenges that we have, so we've got a good dialogue with them. Turnberry falling out of the rotation after 2009 was perceived by many to be political after Trump bought the course in 2014. Henrik Stenson tees off on the 10th hole with the Turnberry Lighthouse in the background, during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championship at Turnberry Golf Course, on July 11, 2009. AP Advertisement Slumbers previously said the R&A would not be going to Turnberry until it was comfortable the focus would be on the golf and not the owner. Trump, a golf fanatic who owns numerous golf courses, has always wanted to host a major championship yet never has. There has been recent speculation that Trump might ask the British government to intercede in getting the Open back to Turnberry. 'We have an ongoing dialogue with the U.K. government, given that we're a major event that creates significant value into the U.K. economy,' Darbon said. 'We've spoken to them specifically about Turnberry, and I think they've made it clear that the decision around where we take our championship rests with us,' Darbon said. Advertisement Donald Trump is welcomed as he arrives at his Turnberry golf course, in Turnberry, Scotland on June 24, 2016. Reuters 'I would find it difficult to predict whether there will be any discussion on the Open if the president is making a visit here.'
