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Darren Clarke is adamant The 148th Open will be a great success at Royal Portrush this July. The R&A made the decision to take the championship to Northern Ireland for just the second time in the tournament’s history, with Max Faulkner’s victory in 1951 the only previous occasion Royal Portrush has hosted the event.
Bringing the Open back to County Antrim proved to be a popular choice, with tickets for the four days of competition selling out in record time, and 2011 champion Clarke is confident everyone involved will enjoy themselves. “The Open Championship coming up is a massive event,” he told Sky Sports.
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“And to have it at Portrush, the Irish people are even more excited because it is right there on their doorstep. “I think Royal Portrush was always a well-known golf course and a destination for many foreign visitors to come and play – one of the bucket-list golf courses – but I think that’s even more so now.
“The views that are going to be broadcast around the world, people to see how good the golf course actually is, to see how fair it is, to see how enjoyable it is to play, experience what it is like, and maybe have a couple of liquid libations in the evening to enjoy themselves I think they will have a great time.”
