The idea of the British Open, or the Open Championship, being played outside the United Kingdom is a suggestion one of the PGA Tour’s most outspoken players can’t fathom.
Earlier this year, two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington made a seemingly off-the-wall suggestion. The Ireland native in an interview with Bunkered wondered aloud about the possibility of the Open leaving the UK.
“I’m not saying now, but who knows in 100 years, we could be down in the sand belt in Australia. Even 20 years. Why not? There’s also great links golf courses in the Netherlands. France have great links courses. I don’t think it should ever go off a links course. But who says we shouldn’t go down to the great links in New Zealand?”
That would certainly put those who call it the “British Open” in a tough spot.
PGA Tour veteran Billy Horschel, who is never afraid to sound off when given a chance, recently appeared with Andy Johnson on “The Fried Egg Golf Podcast” as part of TFE’s Open Championship preview ahead of the 2025 tournament at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Billy Horschel Rips Idea of British Open Moving Out of UK
Asked about the general idea of the Open moving, Horschel went off.
“The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard. I’m happy if that goes viral,” Horschel said on the podcast.
Horschel recalled the U.S. Open at 2015 when he called the greens at Chambers Bay the worst he’d seen and said he lost respect for the USGA. He eventually smoothed things over with then-president Mike Davis, but he insisted the USGA couldn’t get away from what made the U.S. Open the U.S. Open.
He hopes the R&A does the same when it comes to the rota.
“If you’re going to move the Open Championship away from links-style courses, you know, if you play them on links style courses — maybe links styles courses in other countries — it’s not the same,” he said. “I’m OK going to Ireland, to Portmarnock. I think that’s an awesome course.
” … (But) to take it outside the UK, I can’t think of a course outside the UK that would fit the feel and everything that is the Open Championship. It’s asinine. I hope it doesn’t happen. I’m old school. I want to see it always played in the UK.”
Moving British Open Might Remove Some of Tournament’s Charm
Horschel also agreed with Johnson, who pointed out moving the Open to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand in what would be their winter could take away some of the charm that makes the Open the Open — like every player going off the same tee over the course of 12 hours. He also pointed out the geography of GBI makes it unique and adds the traditional Open weather.
“In certain instances,” Horschel added, “You’ve gotta stay within your framework, your parameters, in your little niche and what works and what’s been successful. What that particular championship or tournament is about. Going to Portmarnock in 2019 (for the Amateur Championship) was obviously a first step. I think that’s great.
“We could maybe go to Royal County Down. Why not go somewhere in Ireland? Let’s just stay in the British Isles, OK? Let’s not go to any other land masses, because you’d lose a lot of the charm that is the Open Championship.”
With the 2025 tournament at Royal Portrush, the next two sites after 2025 are already set in the rota. The Open will go to Royal Birkdale in England next year before returning to the famed Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland for 2027.
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