McIlroy certain that golf fans would make British Open at Portrush succeed

Rory McIlroy believes that golf fans in Northern Ireland would ensure that a British Open return to Royal Portrush would be a success for the tournament.

After Graeme McDowell, McIlroy and Darren Clarke all won major titles in a little over a year, there has been growing calls for the Open to be staged in their homeland for only the second time in its history.

The Royal and Ancient, which governs the British Open, has pledged to examine the possibility, but has raised concerns whether holding the event in Portrush would be commercially viable and if enough spectators would attend.

But McIlroy says he feels a real momentum building around the region and is sure that the fans will turn out in force.

"The fans always come out here to watch," the U.S. Open champion said. "For us it would be huge if we got it here, we're still keeping our fingers crossed and hopefully the R&A look long and hard at it and if they do, and it does come here, I think it would be a success.

"It's just tough because it's not just the golf course, and the room, but it's economically how it will do here -- there's a lot of different areas that they have to look at,” he explained. "But hopefully if they look at it and they can put a bit of infrastructure in place hopefully it could come back here within the next 10 or 15 years."