The Open Championship returns to Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush for the second time in six years and third time ever. The links delivered a storybook Irish ending last time with Shane Lowry breaking through to claim the Claret Jug. Global Golf Post’s Ron Green Jr., John Hopkins, Lewine Mair, Scott Michaux and John Steinbreder gather for a virtual roundtable to discuss the final major championship of 2025.
Four Irishmen have won five Opens in the past 18 years – Pádraig Harrington (2007, 2008), Darren Clarke (2011), Rory McIlroy (2014) and Shane Lowry (2019). What makes Ireland such a success as a breeding ground for modern Open champions?
Green: First off, the talent of the four Irish winners of the Claret Jug speaks for itself. There is nothing random about their victories and certainly a measure of that comes from their Irish heritage in which golf is part of the culture. And once Harrington broke through, the window seemed to open for the others.
Hopkins: Talent yes undoubtedly. But having such good golf courses on which to play, so many of them links, has helped bring good ball strikers forward. In addition to Portmarnock, Royal Portrush and Royal Co. Down, think of Lahinch, Rosses Point, Baltray. And once one emerges to win the Open, as Harrington did in 2007, then others follow as happened with Seve Ballesteros leading the way for Europe's Big Five in the '80s and '90s. Don't forget that Graeme McDowell, who was born in Portrush, won the 2010 U.S. Open, too.
Mair: The majority of promising Irish golfers will play most of their junior and senior amateur tournaments on links courses where conditions can be perfect one day and the reverse the next. They are also in the right place for getting unfailing support, be it from folk in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland/the South. Never mind the past, the fans are as one when it comes to following golf.
Michaux: Courses and culture are essential, but Ireland simply hit a nice vein of superstars, as Europe did in the 1980s and '90s. The trick will be backing that up with fresh talent, and with prospects like Tom McKibbin taking his talents to the non-meritocracy of LIV Golf the next generation is a step behind.
Steinbreder: So much of it comes down to their growing up with links golf and developing the mental fortitude to deal with the bad bounces and difficult breaks that are so much of that game. It also helps that the Irish seem quite capable of handling whatever weather may arise.
Royal Portrush has been an unqualified success and solidified its place in the Open rota. Where does it rank on your list of favorite rota courses?
Green: The Open Championship at the Old Course is a standalone experience both for the players and the fans. Beyond that, Royal Portrush is probably my favorite Open venue because of its rugged beauty, the demands of the course and the feeling that comes with being there. A toast to Royal Portrush.
Hopkins: There is always an air of excitement around events in Ireland, in part due to the charming character of the Irish. Something always happens and usually it is unforgettable. There will be plenty of unbridled excitement around this year's Open and when added to the majesty and setting of the golf course such excitements make Royal Portrush one of my favourites.
Mair: Royal Portrush may be old but it does what is required of a modern Open venue in posing a series of different and difficult questions. It’s my No. 3 behind St Andrews, which deserves to be at the top of everyone's list for being what it is, and Royal St George’s. Apart from the rough being dotted with asparagus and orchids, Royal St George’s benefits from being within walking distance of Sandwich, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the land. It’s a venue with a character all its own.
Michaux: St. Andrews is always can’t miss when its turn comes up and Muirfield in the midst of all East Lothian has to offer is idyllic. But I must confess a perverse attraction to musty old Carnoustie and the rigorous challenge it presents.
Steinbreder: Portrush is at the top of mine, due in part to how much I have enjoyed the four rounds I have played on the Dunluce over the years but also because of the quaint charm of the region and all the good golf that is available there. And what’s not to love about the Open making regular stops in Northern Ireland after so many decades of it being out of the rota.
Though it has never happened, should an Open – the oldest of the four major championships – be held in the Republic of Ireland?
Green: While there are sure to be traditionalists who might say no and have their reasons to feel that way, bring an Open Championship to the Republic of Ireland. The game is more global than ever and while playing in Ireland isn’t a huge geographic step, an Open at Portmarnock would be a big moment worth celebrating.
Hopkins: There have been two [British] Amateur Championships held in the Republic of Ireland – at Portmarnock in 1949 and 2019. Why shouldn’t an Open be held there, too. Ireland is one country that can bring off what some might deem an eccentricity and the sooner the Open goes to Portmarnock the better.
Mair: An old Irish friend of mine suggests that there might be a bit of a rumpus when it comes to the Republic of Ireland rather than the North being the beneficiary of Open loot. But, that apart, he cannot see why the Open shouldn’t be held at Portmarnock before too long. He reckons that you’d get much the same packed crowd there as at Royal Portrush, with plenty of American fans in the mix.
Michaux: The partnership of “Great Britain and Ireland” has served golf well in Walker Cups and and other international friendlies, and it’s fair to say much of the golf world beyond the reach of politics already considers them a matched set of isles bedazzled with links gems. And since they’re so set on branding it as the Open without the “British” qualifier, then why not?
Steinbreder: There should absolutely be an Open in the Republic of Ireland, and the Portmarnock Golf Club, with its rich history and highly regarded layout, would be the perfect venue. To be sure, there are logistical challenges given the village of that same name being so small. But those can certainly be overcome due to its location a mere 10 miles north of Dublin, one of the great cities in the world.
Will the success of the Opens at Royal Portrush help or hinder Portmarnock’s chances of getting an Open soon?
Green: The immediate success of Royal Portrush in 2019 led to a return visit this year and demonstrated what golf means there. If infrastructure issues around Portmarnock can be resolved, there's no reason it and Portrush can’t both be part of the Open rota, especially if Royal Lytham & St. Annes is questionable in the future as is Turnberry, at least for now.
Hopkins: The issues surrounding Portmarnock hosting the Open are nothing to do with Royal Portrush. The success of the 2019 Open made a return to Ireland, whether north or south, a must. Portmarnock's issues are more to do with ingress and egress for vehicles and spectators. Talks are underway, the Irish Government is keen to help and 2029 is the hoped-for date.
Mair: Other countries might think that Royal Portrush is enough of a success story on its own. The Irish, on the other hand, would want a second Open on the list of venues ASAP. They can never get too much golf.
Michaux: The R&A cares about turnstile counts and revenues and those things would be in abundance on the doorstep of Dublin.
Steinbreder: The success of the 2019 Open Championship has already helped Portmarnock by demonstrating how wise it is to bring a new venue – and what is technically a new nation – into the fold. Another good showing at Portrush would just about seal the deal.
Who are the three men with the best prospects of winning the Claret Jug this week?
Green: Tyrrell Hatton, Scottie Scheffler (some things are obvious) and Viktor Hovland.
Hopkins: Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.
Mair: Shane Lowry, Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood. Lowry should get enough crowd support to set against the non-stop “are you going to win again?” questions, and so forth, which could have prompted his recent bouts of irritation. As for Rory McIlroy, he was on the way back to being at the top of my list after his fans at the Scottish Open showed that they have forgotten his very public blasting of a media contingent who were only doing their job in wanting to speak to him after good rounds and bad. For some weeks, when they pictured him in the mind’s eye, they were still seeing that surly look – the one which was all over the papers and TV channels – instead of that much-loved and familiar old smile. An amusing “media-coping” example from Tony Jacklin, then the U.S. Open champion, when he spoke to the press after getting a heart-breaking 5-and-4 hammering from Jack Nicklaus in the 1970 World Match Play championship: “Fire away – and use real bullets!”
Michaux: Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry for obvious reasons. They’ll need to protect the homeland from Jon Rahm.
Steinbreder: No sane soul would leave Scottie Scheffler off his list of favorites. But I am using less sound judgment when I give Tommy Fleetwood the nod as well, the thinking being that he will bounce back nicely from his Travelers meltdown and break through with his biggest win ever. Then, there is Rory. Selecting him seems a no-brainer, as he is one of the best ever to have played the game and certainly appreciates the vagaries of the links game. But I wonder about his ability to prevail given how poorly he played the last time it was staged in his home country at Portrush, and how erratically he has behaved on and off the golf course since finally completing the career Grand Slam with his Masters win in April. Who will show this week? Good Rory or Bad Rory? I have no idea.