R AND A TO TAKE A LOOK AT ROYAL PORTRUSH'S OPEN CLAIMS

They'll have to change the Portrush welcome sign -- Darren Clarke also lives in the Northern Ireland town.

FROM THE PGA E-BULLETIN
Calls to take the Open Championship back to Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland have intensified after Darren Clarke's victory at Sandwich.
Royal Portrush staged The Open won by Max Faulkner in 1951 - the only time so far in the tournament's long history that it has been held outside England or Scotland.
The R and A have long claimed that the course on the North Antrim coast, whilst undoubtedly up to standard as a test of golf, does not currently have the infrastructure to rejoin the Open rota.
However, in light of Clarke's win which follows on the heels of major successes for Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy, R and A chief executive Peter Dawson has admitted the organisation will revisit the issue.
"I think we're all very aware of the fact that three winners from Northern Ireland increases the interest level in this," stated Dawson.
Asked what Portrush needs that it does not currently have he replied: "I don't know yet until we've had another look at it, to be honest.
"The usual mixture of a great course and plenty of infrastructure, combined with a prospect of commercial success, is what's needed.
"No doubt about the golf course at Portrush, although there might be one or two things one would do, but the other two are what we have to look at.
"I don't want to start a hare running on this, other than we are going to take a closer look."
New Open champion Clarke, who grew up playing Royal Portrush, added: "At the moment they (the R and A) can't see a way of having it there, so it's very tough.
"I wish there was some way around it and I hope at some stage in the future they will find a way around it because the golf course is every bit as good as any of the Open venues.
"It's good enough to be in the Open rota. Hopefully they will figure a way around the logistics if they possibly can."

+Royal Portrush staged the British women's open amateur championship in June this year. It is about an hour's drive from Belfast to that part of Northern Ireland.