Portmarnock Golf Club in Ireland has been chosen to step in to host the 2024 Women’s Amateur Championship after the tournament’s initial host venue, Royal Birkdale, had to give up the event due to course development work being planned at the Southport venue.
It will mark the second time that Portmarnock has hosted the Women’s Amateur Championship having previously held it in 1931. It also staged The Amateur Championship in 1949 and 2019, the Walker Cup in 1991 and the international matches for the St Andrews and Jacques Leglise trophies in 2012.
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said: “It became clear that the course work being planned for Royal Birkdale could impact on the championship next year and so we have moved quickly to find an alternative venue. It remains very much our intention to stage the championship at Royal Birkdale in the near future and we are grateful to the members and staff of Portmarnock for agreeing to assist us at short notice. Portmarnock has a rich history of staging world class championship golf and we look forward to returning to the iconic links next year to stage the Women’s Amateur.
Niall Goulding, Captain of Portmarnock Golf Club, said, “This is a significant honour for our club and is a reflection of the esteem in which our club and, in particular, our links are held. I have no doubt but that our experience of hosting the 2019 Amateur Championship will stand us in good stead as we embark on this exciting journey culminating in the delivery of an outstanding Women’s Amateur Championship in 2024, which will, I have little doubt, attract record numbers of knowledgeable and enthusiastic spectators.”
In 2019, thousands of local fans lined the fairways of Portmarnock to see Irishman James Sugrue defeat Euan Walker by two holes to win the 36-hole Final of The Amateur Championship. The Dublin venue was the stage for the first ever playing of the Irish Open in 1927 and has hosted the event on 18 occasions. In 1960, American duo Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer sealed a win in the Canada Cup held there, while it was also a venue for the Dunlop Masters on two occasions in 1959 and 1965.
