The clubhouse at Portmarnock Golf Club
LUKE WALKER. R&A VIA GETTY IMAGES
The R&A is “getting pretty close” to an agreement to bring a future Open to Portmarnock Golf Club near Dublin, Ireland, marking the first time the championship would be held outside of the United Kingdom, chief executive Mark Darbon said during his pre-championship news conference last Wednesday at Royal Birkdale.
“We’ve undertaken a big feasibility study. That work is pretty much done. We’ve confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there,” Darbon said.
“What we’re looking to do is build a model that opens up opportunities for the AIG Women’s Open and the Open for many, many years to come. So that’s the dialogue we’re in right now with the Irish government, and we’re optimistic that those discussions are heading in the right direction.”
Darbon acknowledged that the process has taken longer than expected but said the R&A hopes to have a clear idea of the time frame for an Open at Portmarnock by the end of the year. The earliest it could be staged would be 2029, following championships at St. Andrews (2027) and Royal Lytham & St. Annes (2028).
Meanwhile, the R&A has been in discussion with officials at Turnberry about staging a fifth Open Championship at the Scottish links owned by President Donald Trump but remains undecided about the prospect, Darbon told Front Office Sports. READ MORE
“I don’t always love the word ‘emotional.’ I’m definitely more intense and passionate than a lot of the players out here, especially at work. ... If I try to alter who I am too much, it might cost me a little bit on the course. But [I] certainly shouldn’t have moments like the one on 15. I get it.”
Jon Rahm, after the R&A issued him a code-of-conduct warning for throwing a club after a poor tee shot on the par-3 15th hole at Royal Birkdale during the second round of the Open Championship
PEDRO SALADO, GETTY IMAGES
Early last Monday morning, 12 men stepped to the first tee at Royal Birkdale with ambitions of returning there on Thursday.
The Open Championship’s new Last-Chance Qualifier had a touch of Roald Dahl about it because the dozen golfers had won golden tickets to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. And the winner was pure Charlie Bucket given his completely ordinary background.
Joe Dean, a 32-year-old Englishman who spent four years working as a supermarket delivery driver earlier this decade while playing on minor tours, shot 68 to earn an Open berth by one stroke and was in no doubt that the Monday galleries were more engaged with meaningful action than they otherwise might have been.
“They seemed to love it and I even saw Matt Fitzpatrick’s dad out there following my group,” he said. “It was great to play 18 with packed grandstands and a significant prize up for grabs.”
The victory presented one problem, however – Dean and his fiancée, Emily Lyle, were to be married the Tuesday after the Open. “I think the next few days are going to be quite busy,” Lyle said with admirable understatement.
With rounds of 72-72, Dean missed the cut at the Open, affording the couple the consolation of last-minute planning time on the weekend. READ MORE
Expect to see Henrik Stenson as a full-time PGA Tour Champions competitor starting next month.
Stenson, the 2016 Open Championship winner who was relegated from LIV Golf at the end of last season, reapplied for PGA Tour membership and has been serving a one-year suspension since his last LIV event.
“Yeah, so from end of August, they remove my ankle bracelet, and I’ll be out of that one-year probation,” Stenson said after shooting an opening 68 in last week’s Open at Royal Birkdale before missing the cut.
Since turning 50 in April, the Swede has competed in two senior majors not run by the PGA Tour – the Senior PGA Championship (where he finished T47) and the U.S. Senior Open (T11). He plans to play five to seven more PGA Tour Champions events this year once he becomes eligible, he said. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
The Open Championship increased its purse to $17.75 million for 2026, the R&A announced last Tuesday. Despite a $750,000 increase over last year, the Open purse was the lowest among this year’s major championships, behind the Masters ($22.5 million), U.S. Open ($22.5 million) and PGA Championship ($20.5 million). READ MORE
The second installment of “Chasing Sunday,” a documentary series produced by PGA Tour Studios in collaboration with NFL Films, will debut Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. on PGATour.com and the PGA Tour’s YouTube channel. The episode will offer viewers behind-the-scenes access to the BMW Championship and insights from players competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity
