Speculation kicked off last month when four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said: “I think there’s every chance [the R&A] are seriously looking at it, and it would be fantastic.”

That triggered Ireland’s Minister for Sport, Catherine Martin, to ask her officials to engage with Portmarnock to secure a plan to hold “what would be very significant for the game of golf in Ireland and our international profile as a must visit destination for golf tourism”.

Slumbers, in Melbourne for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, said there were two hurdles to jump before Portmarnock could host an Open.

“One is Portmarnock Golf Club has asked the Irish government to help them explore how they can solve some of the infrastructure issues to be able to make a credible presentation to the R&A that they could stage the Open,” Slumbers told Golf Digest on Thursday at Royal Melbourne. “It’s very much in their court and needs govern investment to do it.

“The second piece is, there are some huge impediments to be overcome before we can get to the conversation, but that’s very much with the club and the Irish government.

“But the golf course is magnificent. I mean, it is a wonderful links course. We have staged many much amateur championships there. Had [the 1991] Walker Cup there, The Amateur championship four years ago and the Women’s Amateur Championship next year. It is a world class golf course that I think will be tremendous to see the world’s best players playing on it.”

The 129-year-old Portmarnock is considered among the best courses in Ireland. But the infrastructure surrounding it — there is one road into the course and it sits on its own peninsula — has seemingly prohibited it from serious consideration for a championship of the magnitude of the Open, where more than 100,000 spectators descend on the event over the course of championship week.

Additionally, the club’s male-only membership ran counter to R&A policy for host clubs, but the Portmarnock membership voted in 2021 to admit females. Last December, nine women were elected as full members.

Working in Portmarnock’s favour is that it is less than 15 minutes from Dublin’s international airport and a 20-minute train ride from downtown Dublin. There are also large golf properties nearby, like the newly rebranded Jameson Hotel and Golf Links next door, as well as vibrant towns like Malahide nearby capable of supporting the championship.

Main image: Luke Walker/R&A

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By John Huggan
Never once behind, but hunted all the way to the 36th green during Saturday’s final match, Irishman James Sugrue is the 2019 Amateur champion. Calling him the “British” Amateur champion would be technically incorrect, as the event was played for only the second time in its 134-year history at Portmarnock in the Republic of Ireland. That fact will make the biggest win of Sugrue’s life only more special for the man from the Mallow club in County Cork.

It was an intriguing if sometimes scrappy final against Scotsman Euan Walker, one dominated early by the eventual champion. After winning the opening three holes, Sugrue was 5 up by the turn in the morning round of the championship match. By lunch, the lead was reduced to 3 up, and it was Walker who played most of the better golf thereafter. An approximate four under par for the first 15 holes of the afternoon round, the Kilmarnock Barassie member (the club is actually in Troon) tied the match on the 33rd hole.

A crucial mistake from Walker, however, came on the 35th, where he made his first bogey in 17 holes. And the 36th hole was even worse for the Scot. Technically, it was conceded, making the final margin of victory 2 up. Whatever, in the 22-year-old Sugrue, Ireland has its eighth Amateur champion since World War II and the first since Alan Dunbar in 2012.

Victory comes with many perks—places in the upcoming Open Championship at Royal Portrush and next year’s Masters and U.S. Open—even in an event that has lost some of its lustres in recent years. Only two Amateur champions—Matteo Manassero in 2009 and Romain Langasque six years later—have made the cut at Augusta National in this century. And you have to go back to 2007, when Drew Weaver lifted the famous trophy, to find an American winner.

This year, the two finalists were at best unlikely. Sugrue, the 2017 South of Ireland champion, was actually the lowest ranked (249th) of the eight quarterfinalists, 178 spots down from Walker, who himself was 64 places behind the highest-ranked survivor at that stage (Australia’s David Micheluzzi). A quarterfinalist last year, Micheluzzi lost, 3 and 1, to Sugrue in the semifinals, after seeing off the last American, Cameron Sisk.

Neither finalists distinguished themselves in the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying led by Thomas Plumb of England and Dane John Axelsen. Walker was T-29 on 145, six shots behind the leaders, and Sugrue finished T-45 on 146, a second-round 69 on The Island course redeeming his opening 77 at Portmarnock.

Even in the knock-out stages, neither finalist had an easy time. Only once in his six matches did either man play fewer than 17 holes; four times each was taken to the 18th green or beyond. Neither, at least, can be faulted for endurance.

The post Ireland’s James Sugrue wins Amateur Championship at home as Portmarnock plays rare host appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
It was a day to forget for those with Middle East connections at the 124th British Amateur Championship in Ireland on Tuesday.

Following a four-over 75 at The Island near Dublin on Monday, Rayhan Thomas needed something special in the second round of strokeplay qualifying to advance to the matchplay phase of the R&A’s premier amateur men’s event at the third time of trying. Sadly the region’s highest ranked player at No.14 in the world amateur rankings blew out to a 79 in his second round at Portmarnock to finish 219th in the 288-strong field at 11 over par.

The Indian 19-year-old’s Dubai colleague Josh Hill had little chance of advancing in the top 64 after an opening 82 at Portmarnock. The Trump Dubai 15-year-old at least improved with a 75 at The Island yesterday but still finish +14 for the championship in 256th place.

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WATCH DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 124th AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

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Even MENA Tour amateur Order of Merit leader Curtis Knipes had a horror Tuesday, falling from a share on 9th after the opening round to 179th place. After opening with a one-under 70 at The Island, the Englishman tumbled 169 places and well out of contention on Tuesday with an 83 at Portmarnock.

England’s Thomas Plumb and Dane John Axelsen shared top spot in stroke play qualifying at -4. Plumb was declared the leading qualifier on back nine count back after posting 71 in his second round at Portmarmock. The matchplay knockout begins today at Portmarnock. 

The post Forgettable day for Middle East trio at Amateur Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Thomas opened his third tilt at the R&A’s premier men’s amateur event with a four-over 75 at The Island near Dublin on Monday as just 17 of the 288 starters dipped under par following a windswept start to the 124th edition of The Amateur Championship.

It left the 19-year-old Dubai-domiciled Indian in a 37-way share of 106th place heading into the final round of strokeplay qualifying on Tuesday and likely needing a sub-par round to be among the top 64 players who advance to the matchplay knockout. Indeed, heading into the second round, 78 players are at +2 or better meaning the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club member has much ground to make up.

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WATCH FIRST ROUND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 124th AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

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Fortunately, Thomas, who will play famed Portmarnock (par 72) on Tuesday, is no stranger to low numbers as his 61 at the MENA Tour’s Dubai Creek Open in 2017, including a world-record equalling nine successive birdies, amply illustrates.

The world amateur No.14 also has a runner-up finish at last year’s Asia Pacific Championship and his eighth-placing in the individual standings at the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy world amateur teams’ championship – not to mention two professional titles – to draw on.

Meanwhile, England age-group representative Josh Hill will be looking for a vast improvement on the 10-over 82 he signed for at Portmarnock on Monday. Playing The Amateur for the first time, the Trump Dubai member switches to the par-71 The Island layout today.

Josh Hill

Morocco’s Ayoub Ssouadi, 23, posted an impressive four-under-par 67 over The Island, near Dublin to claim a share of the opening round lead alongside England’s recent Brabazon Trophy runner-up Harry Hall and Germany’s Anton Albers. Alber also reached four under after a birdie at the last at Portmarnock for his 68.

Morocco’s Ayoub Ssouadi?? demonstrated the global nature of #TheAmateur sharing the early lead after the opening day of stroke play qualifying in Ireland.

??https://t.co/SexGCxmn6d pic.twitter.com/2XXme2CnSr

— The R&A (@RandA) June 17, 2019

Current MENA Tour amateur order of merit leader Curtis Knipes (Chelmsford) is handily placed after a one-under 70 at The Island. The Englishman was T-9 heading into his second round at Portmarnock.

RELATED: Meet Curtis Knipes, the MENA Tour’s latest amateur head-turner

Players from 37 countries are represented in the 288-strong field in Ireland this week.

The post Thomas eyes deep red numbers at Portmarnock to finally advance at British Amateur; Hill left playing for experience appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The golf around Ireland’s capital city is staggeringly good and packed with variety. From epic trophy links to little-known gems, here’s why you can’t overlook the Dublin area when you plan a golf trip to the Emerald Isle.

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The first thing you have to accept when preparing to tackle an Irish links course is that it can play really, really hard. And by that I mean forget about trying to keep score hard. If you can make peace with this simple truth, you’re ready for a golfing experience like no other. You are indeed ready to play the European Club. This magnificent links on windswept Brittas Bay is designer Pat Ruddy’s home and his masterpiece. Eccentric and brilliant, it’s a fitting reflection of the man himself.

The par 4 10th hole at the European Club looks out over Brittas Bay

I’ve played tough courses that have made me want to give up the game by the fifth hole. The sadistic obsession some private clubs have with thick rough and marble greens can leave you seriously questioning how golf can be considered recreational.

But the European Club isn’t like that. The carnage here is unpredictable, and always enjoyable. It’s not some unrelenting slog featuring one near-impossible hole after another. In fact, if you get into a rhythm, pars and even birdies are not hard to come by. But then all of a sudden you’ll take a nine on an innocuous looking par 4 and wonder what the hell just happened. The only certainty is that you’ll play all 20 holes with a broad grin on your face.

No, that isn’t a misprint. When constructing the course by his own hand, Ruddy believed a mere 18 holes would be an insufficient tribute to the site he bought in County Wicklow, so he built 20 instead.

Rory McIlroy calls the European Club: ‘Unbelievable’

Call it Irish logic. The ‘spare’ holes, 7a and 12a, are two of the best par 3s you will ever play, and since keeping score is unlikely to still be a priority after you’ve made it past the truly terrifying par 4 seventh, there is no excuse to skip them.

On our visit during the week of May’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, we were welcomed by Ruddy’s son, Gerry, who has inherited all of his father’s warmth and humour. “We get guys coming in after a round, scratching their heads and saying, ‘man, that was a real struggle’,” he chuckles. “And I want to say to them: ‘Just out of interest, when was the last time you played golf where it wasn’t a struggle? Have you been shooting 71 at every other course on this trip?’ But of course I just smile and say ‘that’s what happens when the wind blows’.”

Playing into the prevailing wind, the par 4 seventh hole at the European Club is a terrifying prospect from the back tee

The wind is the primary defense of any links course, and indeed some tracks can be rather straightforward on the rare day when it drops to a gentle breeze. This doesn’t apply to the European Club, whose considerable challenge is only magnified by the gusts that whip in off the Irish Sea. Tiger Woods spoke of the ‘optical illusions’ that greet you on many of the tee boxes, and by that he meant most par 4s look like par 5s. Rory McIlroy calls the course ‘unbelievable’.

Don’t be fooled by an innocuous clubhouse and a name that lacks the gravitas of Ballybunion or Royal Portrush. For me, the European Club is among the three or four best courses I have played in my life (including most of the classics in both Ireland and Scotland).

This treasure, an hour south of Dublin, is just one of many compelling reasons why Ireland’s capital city and its surrounding area is worthy of far more than just your passing attention. If it’s your first time in Ireland and you want to squeeze some golf into a broader itinerary, the Dublin area presents arguably the strongest case. If you’re planning a more extensive and dedicated golf trip, don’t overlook it. The European Club is not the only gem on this stretch of coast.

But it is not just the links courses for which Ireland is famed. Our base for the week was the magnificent K Club, host venue for the 2016 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and a layout that is every bit as parkland in style as the European Club is a links. Tournament host Rory McIlroy told us that from 2017, he wants to move this rejuvenated event to an exclusively links rota, but his thrilling victory on the K Club’s Palmer course, not to mention title sponsor Dubai Duty Free’s affinity for the venue, means the future direction the tournament will take remains unclear for now.

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open host Rory McIlroy won his first home title at the K Club in May, but has been an advocate of playing the tournament on a rota of the country’s classic links courses

There is talk that the European Tour might move the DDF Irish Open to a slot in July, directly before the Scottish Open, creating an unprecedented ‘links swing’ that culminates with The Open Championship and serves as a tempting proposition for the PGA Tour’s biggest stars to play more golf in Europe during the build up to the season’s third major. This seems like an excellent idea in theory, given that the likes of Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler already play the Scottish, and there’s no doubt that Ireland’s national open could benefit from some more favourable weather.

They talk about having all four seasons in a day here, but May is an even more temperamental month, and during my trip, the appropriate time frame for this curiously Irish phenomenon felt more like 15 minutes. Following Rafael Cabrera Bello’s group down the 10th hole on Sunday’s final round, I had just peeled off my sweater for about the 12th time that afternoon when the sky abruptly turned black and from nowhere, hail stones the size of ball markers were thundering down on stranded spectators who shuffled hurriedly beneath a bobbing mass of umbrellas towards the safety of the spectator village. Rain, wind, sun, thunder, lightning, and now hail. We’d had it all in the time it takes to walk from tee box to green.    

I am a diehard fan of links golf, so was not expecting to love the K Club, but our stay here quickly put paid to that false assumption. The hotel is simply stunning, with an extraordinary level of service that is as attentive as it is cheerful. The lawns that overlook the peaceful River Liffey show there is more to Ireland’s natural beauty than its rugged coastline. The river is a prominent feature of the Palmer golf course, particularly on the 16th and 17th holes. You might recall McIlroy’s amazing 3-wood from 270 yards that found the green on 16 and turned the tide in the World No.4’s favour. Well, having dumped my own approach shot into the Liffey with just a wedge in my hands, I have a new appreciation for what will surely rank as one of the shots of the year.

The location of the K Club in County Kildare is a big part of its appeal. It’s only 40 minutes from Dublin’s city centre, but occupies a vast estate of rolling countryside that feels tranquil even in the presence of 25,000 Irish golf fans. It’s much easier to get around in the Dublin area than it is in the more remote parts of the country (like the southwest and far north) and most of your prime golfing targets can be reached in less than an hour by car.

Our first stop was Portmarnock Golf Club, Dublin’s most famous links course situated on an exposed peninsula just a short drive north of the city. A crumpled piece of land dotted with numerous clumps of yellow gorse, the championship course here is revered, and for good reason. Padraig Harrington calls it ‘the fairest links in Ireland’, and sure enough, this is a course for the purist. Hidden trickery is an accepted part of most links golf, but the challenges of Portmarnock unfold in clear view, leaving you in no doubt as to the varied demands of each and every shot. It’s firm and boy is it tough.

The short par 3 12th on Portmarnock’s championship course nevertheless demands a precise tee shot

The par 5 fifth hole at Portmarnock features the subtle terrain for which this classic links is famed

There are three nines at the club, but it’s the red and blue nines that comprise the championship links. When you’re not used to this style of course, the first thing you must do is recalibrate your distances. The greens here are firm, and they’re quick, which means you have to get used to landing the ball short and bouncing it in. Skilled links players will seldom play a full shot, instead opting for a variety of punches, bunts, three-quarter swings and low stingers. It takes some getting used to, but this is golf at its most creative and most fun.

Portmarnock is one of the most famous historical clubs in the world, but our next port of call fell firmly into the hidden gem category. The Island Golf Club, just a few kilometres north of its acclaimed neighbour, is not a regular on Ireland’s must-play list. But here’s the thing: it should be. As well as taking in the classics, a golf trip to Ireland should also be a journey of discovery, and this charming club near the small town of Malahide fits that bill.   

Quirky and bursting with character, the course weaves amongst impressive sand dunes dressed in fescue, its fairways and greens peppered with well-placed sand traps. The Island is one of the country’s oldest clubs, but its reputation as a world class links has been growing of late. Ranked 13th on Golf Digest Ireland’s Top 100 list this year, the club plays host to regional qualifying for The Open Championship.

The Island Golf Club just north of the Malahide features fast-running turf and dramatic sand dunes

Killeen Castle is a picturesque Jack Nicklaus designed parkland course that hosted the 2011 Solheim Cup

The final course we visited is also no stranger to hosting big events. Killeen Castle is a parkland course designed by Jack Nicklaus and set in the grounds of a wooded country estate in County Meath, 40 minutes northwest of Dublin. Best known for staging the Solheim Cup in 2011, it’s a young course in a historic setting and if you need a break from the links, this picturesque estate is the place to head. Ireland and its capital city truly is the golf destination that has it all.

www.kclub.ie
www.ireland.com
www.visitdublin.com

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