Portstewart to host Irish Open next year

The Irish Open golf tournament will return to Northern Ireland in 2017 when it will be staged at Portstewart Golf Club.

The event had been due to be held at Lough Erne in Fermanagh following an announcement in April 2014, although in April this year, the Tour decided to switch the venue to a links course.

Royal Portrush, just four miles away, hosted the Irish Open in 2012 – the first time that the event had come to Northern Ireland in 59 years. That club is also now due to host the Open Championship in 2019.

Top local golfer, Rory McIlroy, who is believed to have been instrumental in securing the Open’s return to NI in 2017, said following the announcement:

“Portstewart is an excellent links course and one of Northern Ireland’s hidden gems.”

Mcllroy was the winner of this year’s event, held at the K Club in County Kildare. He donated his prize money from that event to the Rory Foundation, which supports children’s causes and which will be the official host of the Irish Open for the third year in 2017.

Michael Moss, general manager of the Portstewart course, is delighted by news that the Open will be coming to the popular seaside town:

“We have no doubt that the Strand Course will provide nothing less than a worthy test of golf,” he said recently.