Pádraig Harrington has predicted that the Open Championship’s return to Irish shores this week is the first step of tournament organisers the R&A taking golf’s oldest major around the world, ideally with Portmarnock as the launchpad. “I think this is the beginning of the Open taking its place as the Open and moving around the world, yes,” Harrington, an R&A ambassador, told RTÉ Radio. Yes, Portmarnock would seem the logical first step but in my lifetime it is possible to see it being played in the Netherlands — they have great links golf courses there — or maybe Australia. “I think they would always want to stay on a links golf course but who knows in a hundred years? Portmarnock is obviously a great championship venue, they obviously have their own issues.

Source: Irish Examiner July 17, 2019 10:18 UTC