On the day before the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open gets under way at Woburn, the R&A has announced that Royal Porthcawl in Wales is to host the 2021 renewal, following on from Royal Troon, which makes its debut on the Championship roster in 2020.
Royal Porthcawl is no stranger to hosting top-class events, with the famous links having hosted The Senior Open in 2014 and 2017, as well as the Amateur Championship, Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, European Team Championship, Men’s Home Internationals, Vagliano Trophy, Women’s Amateur Championship, the Dunlop Masters, The Penfold, the Ladies European Tour and the Coral Classic.
As South Wales’s first 18-hole course, Royal Porthcawl was awarded the privilege of the prefix ‘Royal’ in 1909, only the second course in Wales and one of only 66 clubs around the world to have that distinction.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director for Championships at the R&A, said: “We are very much looking forward to taking the AIG Women’s British Open to Royal Porthcawl for the first time in 2021. We have a very exciting couple of years ahead with the championship also making its debut at Royal Troon in 2020. Both courses will present outstanding tests for the world’s best women’s golfers.”
Speaking on behalf of the Welsh Government, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “We are delighted with today’s news and look forward to the honour of welcoming the AIG Women’s British Open Golf to Wales in 2021. Wales has built its reputation as an outstanding destination for major international events and the AIG Women’s British Open event will help to maintain this momentum and highlights our commitment to bringing world class women’s sport to Wales. We are committing funding to work with the R&A, Wales Golf and clubs and schools across Wales to use the event and the Curtis Cup in Conwy in June next year to inspire more women and girls to take part in golf. Having these two great events in successive years at two fantastic venues like Conwy and Royal Porthcawl is a great boost for golf in Wales in general and women’s golf in particular.”
Royal Porthcawl Club Captain, Rhys James, added: “We are thrilled that the AIG Women’s British Open will be coming to Royal Porthcawl in 2021. Hosting our first women’s Major is a tremendous honour for the Club and we cannot wait to welcome the world’s best golfers to Wales. Being here at Woburn this week and seeing the impressive scale and quality of the Championship makes us look forward to it all the more and to seeing how these fantastic players handle all the challenges our course in two years’ time.”