DP World Tour confirms Doonbeg for Amegen Irish Open as 2026 schedule is released
Donald Trump returns the four iron McIlroy threw in a lake at Trump Doral in Miami.
President Donald Trump’s Doonbeg resort will host the 2026 Amgen Irish Open and while it has yet to be confirmed crowds are likely to be limited at the Co Clare venue when it stages the event from September 10-13.
The DP World Tour released the 2026 schedule today and announced that the championship will be played at President Trump’s Co Clare venue the week after Lahinch stages the 51st Walker Cup just 30 km further north.
Given the footprint of Doonbeg and the nature of the links, and the desire to offer fans the most enjoyable experience possible, it’s understood that crowds will likely be limited, just as they were on the undulating dunes of Royal County Down last year.
It’s not out of the question that President Trump will be there.
He will attend the first day’s play at the Ryder Cup in New York later this month and Taoiseach Michael Martin said today that “there was no question that President Trump will be welcome to Ireland” given the economic, cultural and familial links between Ireland and the US.
“These are very significant events and the relationship with the United States underpins thousands and thousands of jobs in this country,” Mr Martin told reporters.
The awarding of the Irish Open to Doonbeg means it will be the sixth links staging of the event in 12 years after Royal County Down (2015, 2024), Portstewart (2017), Ballyliffin (2018) and Lahinch (2019).
It could also mean the return of Spain’s Jon Rahm to seek a third Irish Open title after a six-year absence following his wins in 2017 and 2019.
“Whenever it fits on the schedule, I'm going to be here," he said at this week's BMW PGA at Wentworth, where he will play with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry for the first two days.
"Same with the Irish Open. If the schedule changed and had been there every year, I'd go back, but I think I'm ready to make another appearance at the Irish Open because it's a country that I love and a tournament that I love, and I've done really well.”
Players like McIlroy and Pádraig Harrington said at The K Club that they had no problem with the Irish Open going to Doonbeg.
“I've never played Doonbeg,” said McIlroy, who skipped the 2019 IrishOpen at Lahinch. “I went there for dinner once at some point…. but if it were to go there, I would have no problem.
“The Scottish Championship was played at a Trump property near Aberdeen there a few weeks ago, looked like it was great event. We're going back to Doral next year on the PGA TOUR.
“If that's back on a links course, I'm not sure how Doonbeg stacks up against other links courses in the country, but I would be absolutely happy to go there.”
Harrington played an exhibition against Greg Norman, who designed the original course, at the official opening in 2002 and while the links has since been redesigned by Dr Martin Hawtree, removing some of the quirkier design features, he spoke highly of the resort.
“I was there for a wedding the last time I was there, so I have played it a few times since Greg and myself opened it up back in the day,” Harrington said at The K Club.
“What a job he did on that. I remember looking at it and going, you'd have to be somebody of Greg Norman's stature to be able to do a design like that, a real traditional funky links golf course.”
He added: “I know they've softened it since then and made it a little bit more orthodox or a little bit more conforming, but it was a great -- when I played it in that opening, I was very impressed with it.”
Asked if he’d have a problem playing an Irish Open at Doonbeg, he said: “I’m always happy to go play links golf. Great part of the world down there when you get down there and you play Ballybunion, Lahinch, Doonbeg, go across the water -- there's great golf.
"It's all great golf. From my experiences, Doonbeg, the hotel, accommodation, the whole thing, it's top class.”
As for the DP World Tour schedule and set-up, there are some significant changes for the 2026 season.
The new Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship will take place at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona from May 7-10 following the announcement earlier this summer that the 2031 Ryder Cup will be played at Denis O’Brien’s Camiral in Catalunya.
El Prat will host a DP World Tour event for the first time since the 2015 Open de España.
The DP World Tour also announced changes to its membership structure which will come into effect from the start of the 2026 season.
The cut-off to retain a full card through the 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings (for the 2027 season) will be reduced from the top 110 to the top 100.
Players finishing in positions 101–110 on the 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings will be eligible for Category 18 (conditional card) and will be initially ranked below the Qualifying School graduates (for the 2027 season).
The number of cards available to top finishers on the HotelPlanner Tour will be reduced from 20 to 15 while the number of cards available at the 2026 Qualifying School will be reduced from the top 20 and ties to the top 15 and ties.
In addition to the ISCO Championship from July 9-12, DP World Tour members will also have access to the PGA TOUR’s Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic from July 16-19.
The Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club will once again be co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR.
It will be one of five Rolex Series events on the 2026 global schedule, along with: the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 22-25), the BMW PGA Championship (September 17-20) and the two Play-Off events, the Abu Dhabi Championship (November 5-8) and DP World Tour Championship (November 12-15).
