Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland has added a special touch to its historic layout by naming two of its golf holes after a duo of the country’s most successful golfers, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke.

McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion and three-time Ryder Cup winner, has been part of the LIV Golf circuit since its inception in 2022 and is now based in Florida, while Clarke resides at the Abaco Club in The Bahamas.

Graeme McDowell Smash GC - LIV-Golf-Nashville

Graeme McDowell – Smash GC – LIV Golf Nashville

The connection between McDowell and Royal Portrush will always run deep, and this bond was strengthened when a hole on the club’s Valley Links course was named after him. As reported by BBC Sport Northern Ireland, McDowell shared his delight about the announcement.

“When one of the committee (members) at Royal Portrush reached out to me, and said they would like to name a hole after me, obviously it was a great honour and I was very proud,” McDowell said.

“It definitely means a lot to me and I look forward to getting back over to there this summer and have a look.

“The piece of turf that is now the new 7th hole on The Valley course, I used to spend many of my young days walking up and down that piece of turf practising, hitting a lot of balls. What they’ve done there, it looks amazing and it’s going to be a spectacular hole. Very proud to have it named after me and my family, and I look forward to playing it.”

Graeme McDowell at Royal Portrush in 2019

McDowell, as of yet, isn’t in the field for this year’s Open Championship. But the 45-year-old is focusing on securing his place at the men’s final major of the year through various qualifying tournaments, starting with the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau next month. An event that offers three qualifying spots for the Open.

“It’s extremely important to me [to qualify],” said McDowell, whose last professional win came in February 2020 at the Saudi International on the DP World Tour in Saudi Arabia.

“I’ve got a busy enough six months coming up but the major championships remain the most important events in the world.

“I’ve done all I can in the past three or four years to qualify for the Open and the US Open via the different routes and with the Open being at Portrush this year, it cranks up the intensity a little bit higher for me.

“I’m looking all over the world to see where there might be an opportunity and trying to go that extra mile to try and get into that tournament.”

Darren Clarke kisses the claret jug following his victory at the 2011 Open at Royal St. George’s – Streeter Lecka

As for Clarke, the 2011 Open champion, he expressed his pride in joining an elite group of golfers with holes named after them at Royal Portrush, “To join such a distinguished list is very very special.

“To be able to have my name on one of the holes going forward is just an amazing honour.”

Main Image: Charles McQuillan/R&A