Irish Open Winners and History
Ireland’s national golf championship was first contested in 1927 at Portmarnock golf club. George Duncan of Scotland, who had previously won the 1920 Open Championship, took home the prize.
Since 1927, the Irish Open has been an on-again, off-again sort of affair. It was paused—as were most national championships—for World War II, then not played from 1951-52, and 1954 to 1962. It was replaced by Carroll’s International from 1963 to 1974. Those winners are included in the chart below for continuity.
Finally, the Irish Open returned in 1975, as Carroll’s Irish Open with European Tour sanctioning.
The tournament record aggregate score is held by Colin Montgomerie (2001) and Ross Fisher (2010) at 266. Christy O’Connor, Junior (1975) and Bernhard Langer (1984) set the pace at -21 to par.
A complete list of Irish Open winners follows:
| Year | Winner | Venue | Score | To par | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Duty Free Irish Open | |||||
| 2024 | Rasmus Højgaard | Royal County Down | 275 | -9 | 1 stoke |
| 2023 | Vincent Norman | The K Club | 274 | -14 | 1 stroke |
| 2022 | Adrian Meronk | Mount Juliet | 268 | -20 | 3 strokes |
| 2021 | Lucas Herbert | Mount Juliet | 269 | -19 | 3 strokes |
| 2020 | John Catlin | Galgorm Castle | 270 | -10 | 2 strokes |
| 2019 | John Rahm (2) | Lahinch | 264 | -16 | 2 strokes |
| 2018 | Russell Knox | Ballyliffin | 274 | -14 | playoff |
| 2017 | John Rahm | Portstewart | 264 | -24 | 6 Strokes |
| 2016 | Rory McIlroy | The K Club | 276 | -12 | 3 strokes |
| 2015 | Søren Kjeldsen | Royal County Down | 282 | -2 | Playoff |
| The Irish Open | |||||
| 2014 | Mikko Ilonen | Fota Island | 271 | -13 | 1 stroke |
| 2013 | Paul Casey | Carton House | 274 | -14 | 3 strokes |
| 2012 | Jamie Donaldson | Royal Portrush | 270 | -18 | 4 strokes |
| Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland | |||||
| 2011 | Simon Dyson | Killarney | 269 | -15 | 1 stroke |
| The 3 Irish Open | |||||
| 2010 | Ross Fisher | Killarney | 266 | -18 | 2 strokes |
| 2009 | Shane Lowry (a) | County Louth | 271 | -17 | Playoff |
| Irish Open | |||||
| 2008 | Richard Finch | Adare | 278 | -10 | 2 strokes |
| 2007 | Pádraig Harrington | Adare | 283 | -5 | Playoff |
| Nissan Irish Open | |||||
| 2006 | Thomas Bjørn | Carton House | 283 | -5 | 1 stroke |
| 2005 | Stephen Dodd | Carton House | 279 | -9 | Playoff |
| 2004 | Brett Rumford | County Louth | 274 | -14 | 4 strokes |
| 2003 | Michael Campbell | Portmarnock | 277 | -11 | Playoff |
| Murphy’s Irish Open | |||||
| 2002 | Søren Hansen | Fota Island | 270 | -14 | Playoff |
| 2001 | Colin Montgomerie (3) | Fota Island | 266 | -18 | 5 strokes |
| 2000 | Patrik Sjöland | Ballybunion | 270 | -14 | 2 strokes |
| 1999 | Sergio García | Druids Glen | 268 | -16 | 3 strokes |
| 1998 | David Carter | Druids Glen | 278 | -6 | Playoff |
| 1997 | Colin Montgomerie (2) | Druids Glen | 269 | -15 | 7 strokes |
| 1996 | Colin Montgomerie | Druids Glen | 279 | -5 | 1 stroke |
| 1995 | Sam Torrance (2) | Mount Juliet | 277 | -11 | Playoff |
| 1994 | Bernhard Langer (3) | Mount Juliet | 275 | -13 | 1 stroke |
| Carroll’s Irish Open | |||||
| 1993 | Nick Faldo (3) | Mount Juliet | 276 | -12 | Playoff |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo (2) | Killarney | 274 | -14 | Playoff |
| 1991 | Nick Faldo | Killarney | 283 | -5 | 3 strokes |
| 1990 | José María Olazábal | Portmarnock | 282 | -6 | 3 strokes |
| 1989 | Ian Woosnam (2) | Portmarnock | 278 | -10 | Playoff |
| 1988 | Ian Woosnam | Portmarnock | 278 | -10 | 7 strokes |
| 1987 | Bernhard Langer (2) | Portmarnock | 269 | -19 | 10 strokes |
| 1986 | Seve Ballesteros (3) | Portmarnock | 285 | -3 | 2 strokes |
| 1985 | Seve Ballesteros (2) | Royal Dublin | 278 | -10 | Playoff |
| 1984 | Bernhard Langer | Royal Dublin | 267 | -21 | 4 strokes |
| 1983 | Seve Ballesteros | Royal Dublin | 271 | -17 | 2 strokes |
| 1982 | John O’Leary | Portmarnock | 287 | -1 | 1 stroke |
| 1981 | Sam Torrance | Portmarnock | 276 | -12 | 5 strokes |
| 1980 | Mark James (2) | Portmarnock | 284 | -4 | 1 stroke |
| 1979 | Mark James | Portmarnock | 282 | -6 | 1 stroke |
| 1978 | Ken Brown | Portmarnock | 281 | -7 | 1 stroke |
| 1977 | Hubert Green | Portmarnock | 283 | -5 | 1 stroke |
| 1976 | Ben Crenshaw | Portmarnock | 284 | -4 | 2 strokes |
| 1975 | Christy O’Connor Jnr | Woodbrook | 275 | -21 | 1 stroke |
| 1954 – 1974 No Tournament | |||||
| 1953 | Eric Brown | Belvoir Park | 272 | ? | 1 stroke |
| 1951-52: No tournament | |||||
| 1950 | Ossie Pickworth | Royal Dublin | 287 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1949 | Harry Bradshaw (2) | Belvoir Park | 286 | ? | 1 stroke |
| 1948 | Dai Rees | Portmarnock | 295 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1947 | Harry Bradshaw | Royal Portrush | 290 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1946 | Fred Daly | Portmarnock | 288 | ? | 4 strokes |
| 194 – 1945: No tournament due to World War II | |||||
| 1939 | Arthur Lees | Royal County Down | 287 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1938 | Bobby Locke | Portmarnock | 292 | ? | 1 stroke |
| 1937 | Bert Gadd | Royal Portrush | 284 | ? | 1 stroke |
| 1936 | Reg Whitcombe | Royal Dublin | 281 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1935 | Ernest Whitcombe (2) | Royal County Down | 292 | ? | Playoff |
| 1934 | Syd Easterbrook | Portmarnock | 284 | ? | 7 strokes |
| 1933 | Bob Kenyon (2) | Malone | 286 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1932 | Alf Padgham | Cork | 283 | ? | 1 stroke |
| 1931 | Bob Kenyon | Royal Dublin | 291 | ? | 2 strokes |
| 1930 | Charles Whitcombe | Royal Portrush | 289 | ? | 8 strokes |
| 1929 | Abe Mitchell | Portmarnock | 309 | ? | Playoff |
| 1928 | Ernest Whitcombe | Royal County Down | 288 | ? | 4 strokes |
| 1927 | George Duncan | Portmarnock | 312 | ? | 1 stroke |
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’91-’93 winner. Should it read Faldo?
Actually, there was this guy named Edie Falco. Wait. That was the Sopranos. And He is a She.
Egg on my face. Fixed.