Carnoustie is still set for the Open in 2018 as no existing venues will be taken off the championship rota as a result of Royal Portrush returning by the end of this decade.
As had been widely expected, the R&A has confirmed the course on the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland, which held Ireland’s only Open in 1951, will return at a date to be confirmed.
Course changes and infrastructure alterations requiring planning permission mean the earliest the Open can return is 2019, with 2020 thereby breaking the five-yearly cycle where the Old Course at St Andrews hosts the championship also a live possibility.
However, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson alleviated any fears that existing Scottish venues on the rota, most notably Carnoustie, Turnberry and Muirfield, would be “squeezed” by the return of Portrush.
“Nothing is coming off the rota, absolutely not. We are very happy with all our Open venues,” he said.
“I’ve emailed them all today, informing them that Royal Portrush is an addition, not a substitution, and that they all are firmly in our plans for the future.”
The announcement of the 2017 and 2018 venues for the Open is “going to be quite soon”, said Dawson, without giving firm indications of the impending decision.
However, with St Andrews in 2015 and Royal Troon in 2016 already confirmed to follow Hoylake this year, it’s likely that Royal Birkdale will be host course in 2017 to prevent the Open being in Scotland in three successive years.
Carnoustie is likely to follow in 2018, meaning that either Portrush or Turnberry, recently purchased by property magnate Donald Trump, will host in 2019.
“Interesting things will be going on at Turnberry in the next few months and years, I’m sure,” continued Dawson.
“(Trump) is committed to keeping close to us before any changes (to the Ailsa Course) are made,” said Dawson.
“It’s good to see a businessman of his stature investing in a golf resort. It’s very encouraging. I’ve seen the odd plan for the Ailsa, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The recent tradition of going to the Old Course every five years is not guaranteed, he added, with the chance the R&A might seek to celebrate a notable milestone at St Andrews in 2021.
“It’s never been written in stone,” he continued.
“There was 1984, then the five-year cycle started in 1990, so it hasn’t been in place all that long.
“It is the 150th playing of the Open Championship in 2021, and that’s a factor in the mix to think about. But I’m not in a position say, it’s up to the championship committee to decide.”
The Royal Portrush situation is complicated by the need to get approval from both members of the club and the local authorities for changes needed to bring the course up to major championship standards, he added.
“The members have the right to say no,” he said.
“It’s a democracy, it’s in their consititution. They are the guardians of the course and have the right to say yea or nay, and that’s a good thing I would think.”