Clarke makes case for Portrush

It is now 58 years since the North staged its one and only Open Championship, but Darren Clarke believes Royal Portrush deserves to be considered as a venue again.

"As good a links course on the planet," says Clarke, back in the Open this year after failing to qualify for Royal Birkdale.

"With the new tees it's magnificent and the players would relish it. I can't see a reason why it shouldn't go back there."

In 2007 Royal and Ancient Club championship secretary David Hill, himself from Portrush, said: "I looked at it in great detail about five or six years ago.

"It would be a fantastic venue, but only for about 15,000 people a day.

"There would have to be an amazing investment to consider taking it back to Ireland. The Seniors Open was at Portrush and with 6,000 people we were struggling. It's jammed with normal holiday-makers as it is."

Britain's Max Faulkner was the winner there in 1951 by two strokes from Argentina's Antonio Cerda.