Where will the 2029 Open land?
R&A might have to break precedent; Open disappointments; Money and playoffs talk
Carnoustie last held the Open in 2018 when Francesco Molinari won (Richard Heathcote/R&A via Getty Images)
While again pondering the notion that nearly nine months will pass before the next major championship is played at the Masters, there are still a few items to address in the aftermath of the Open Championship
One of them is where the tournament will be played in future years.
Unlike the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, which have venues locked well into the future (it is reassuring to know that the U.S. Open will be played at Merion in 2050), the Open Championship only has the next two announced.
The 2027 Open will return to the Old Course at St. Andrews for the 31st time. A year later, it heads to Royal Lytham & St. Annes for the first time since 2012 and 12th time overall.
After that? We can at least take some educated guesses about the next open date in 2029.
Also in today’s DD …
Players who disappointed the most at Royal Birkdale
Purses grow, but the majors should mean more than money
PGA Tour focus turns toward playoff and exemption thresholds
The R&A rarely goes to England for two Opens in consecutive years. The last — and only — time it did so was in 2011 and 2012 when it went to Royal St George’s and Royal Lytham in consecutive years. It typically goes to Scotland at least every other year.
So … with the 2028 Open scheduled for Royal Lytham in England, that suggests Scotland would be next.
But first, a couple of possible detours. Could the R&A go back to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland? The venue has proven to be very popular in 2019 and 2025 visits, with massive crowds and a course that is lauded by players and fans. It is contracted to go back at least once more and it’s clear there will likely be many more returns than that. But four years after the last visit seems too soon.
Could Royal Portrush welcome back Scottie Scheffler just four years later? (Stuart Franklin/R&A via Getty Images)
What about Portmarnock in the Republic of Ireland? The R&A is seriously considering going to the Irish venue outside of Dublin — and leaving the UK for the first time in its history — with CEO Mark Darbon saying “it’s been well-documented, we are in discussion with Portmarnock around the potential for an Open Championship in the future.”
So Portmarnock is possible. But that union seems further away than three years from now.
Which brings us back to Scotland and its five Open rota venues. The Old Course would be out as it won’t host twice in three years. Royal Troon, which had the 2024 Open won by Xander Schauffele, would also seemingly be a longshot just five years later.
Which leaves Muirfield, Turnberry and Carnoustie, all of which have issues.
