Double Open Champion Padraig Harrington has joined the chorus praising the decision to take the 2019 Open to Royal Portrush.

And while Harrington will be 47 years at the time, he’s already looking forward to only the second British Open to be staged on Irish soil.

“It’s unbelievable the Open is coming back to Ireland,” he said.

“Well, certainly it as unbelievable three, four years ago as it was then such a long shot.

“But after the success of the Irish Open in 2012 at Portrush the R & A has seen the success, and it really did move it on chances of The Open Championship coming to Ireland.

“So I’m sure that in 2019 it will be one of the greatest Opens ever.    The people that will turn out and the atmosphere will be second only to St. Andrews because there it’s the Home of Golf.

“But the raw atmosphere around an event like The Open Championship at Royal Portrush  will be unbelievable, just phenomenal.”

Padraig Harrington predicting 2019 Open at Royal Portrush will be second in popularity to the Old Course at St. Andrews. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)