Northern Ireland has not hosted the Championship since 1951, but Darren Clarke’s victory in this year’s tournament at Sandwich in Kent on Sunday was the third by a player from the country in the past six golf Majors. Graeme McDowell won last year’s US Open and Rory McIlroy claimed the US title earlier this year prior to Clarke’s triumph.
“I think we're all very aware of the fact that three winners from Northern Ireland increases the interest level in this,” said Dawson. Asked what is required from a host course of The Open, he said: “The usual mixture of a great course and plenty of infrastructure combined with a prospect of commercial success is what's needed.”
The R&A chief added: “No doubt about the golf course at Portrush, although there might be one or two things one would do, but the other two are what we have to look at. I don't want to start a hare running on this, other than we are going to take a closer look.”
Clarke outlined his dream of playing in The Open at Portrush by saying: “At the moment they (the R&A) can't see a way of having it there, so it's very tough. I wish there was some way around it and I hope at some stage in the future they will find a way around it because the golf course is every bit as good as any of the Open venues. It's good enough to be in the Open rota. Hopefully they will figure a way around the logistics if they possibly can.”
