No-one really cares about date for 2028 Open - but venue is different matter

Yes, of course, we’ve all become used to the Claret Jug event being played in the middle of July, which used to be before the start of the new football season but not any more.

As a result, it will be a tad strange for the event to be staged in July for the first time since 1936, with 3-6 August having been announced for 2028 by The R&A due to the Olympic golf competitions taking place in LA from 19-29 July.

But, let’s be honest, a fortnight will not make much difference at all, at least for The Open itself because, quite simply, it’s The Open

It would be a different matter, of course, if we were talking about the world’s oldest major moving to April or October because, purely from a logistical point of view, that would be problematic.

That said, The Masters in 2020 was held in November due to the Covid pandemic and, helped by the fact it has a smaller field than the other majors, it went okay even if no fans were in attendance.

As did the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon earlier that year and, as someone who was there in a ‘bubble’, a different date is way better than any big tournament ever taking place again without any fans.

Top players have bought into Olympics

The fact the 2028 Open is moving due to the Olympic Games is a bugbear for some due to the fact golf was only reintroduced in the Olympics in 2016 in Brazil. That might be partly understandable but not totally.

Yes, of course, picking up the Claret Jug will always be a more distinguishing achievement than winning a gold medal and I sincerely hope that never changes.

But, at the same time, there can be no denying that all the game’s top players have bought into the importance of golf being part of the Olympics and Rory McIlroy, for one, will be determined to become a gold medallist at Riviera Country Club.

“We have worked collaboratively with the relevant bodies and our partners to agree alternative dates for staging our major championships in 2028 to accommodate the Olympic golf competitions,” said Mark Darbon, The R&A’s Mark Darbon, chief executive.

“We appreciate the constructive discussions we have had with all of the stakeholders and believe that providing clarity on the dates now will assist with the planning of the global golf calendar in 2028. We can also confirm that The Open will be returning to its normal mid-July dates in 2029.”

Genesis Scottish Open may be hit in 2028

The event most likely to be hit in 2028, of course, is the Genesis Scottish Open because, provided it stays in its traditional pre-Open slot, it’s unlikely that some of the top Americans will make the journey across the Atlantic.

We can surely live with that for one year, though, because the DP World Tour and PGA Tour co-sanctioned event is now established as delivering one of the strongest fields in the game and will do so again in 2029.

As for where the 2028 Open will be held, it hopefully won’t be long before that is announced and there’s a possibility that a first visit to Portmarnock could be on the cards. Or will it be Muirfield, Turnberry or Royal Lytham?