Trump has 2018 Open plan for Doonbeg

Donald Trump yesterday confirmed he has been in touch with the European Tour with a view to staging the Irish Open at his recently acquired links at Doonbeg in West Clare.

But it is unlikely to happen before 2018 as the event has been allocated to Royal Co Down next year and to Lough Erne in 2017 and, as considerable plans on and off the course have to be implemented at Doonbeg, 2016 would almost certainly come a little too early.

However, four years’ time would sit nicely with the billionaire New Yorker’s vision for Doonbeg, now known as Trump International Ireland.