The Athenaeum Forum

PINEHURST, N.C. -- For only the second time, golfs oldest major championship will be played in Northern Ireland when the British Open returns to Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2019. Media reports from Ireland and the United Kingdom said the Royal & Ancient, golfs governing body outside the United States and Mexico, will make the formal announcement Monday. The R&A denied reports about a return to Portrush last summer, saying the course was championship-calibre but questioning whether the infrastructure could accommodate the events big galleries. There was speculation that R&A officials may have changed their minds after Ted Bishop, president of the PGA of America, said last November that his group was interested in Portrush as a venue for the PGA Championship if the event was to be held outside the United States. The earliest date that might happen would be 2020. Major champions and Northern Irishmen Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell had been lobbying on Portrushs behalf. "Ive been kind of hesitant to comment because I really didnt want to take anything away from the official announcement," said McDowell, who was three shots off the lead Thursday after the opening round of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. "So Im very proud of where I grew up. Im very proud of the tradition and history there, and to bring an Open Championship back to Northern Ireland is very special. It speaks volumes about how far the country has come." The only time the Open was only played outside England and Scotland was 1951, when Max Faulkner won at Portrush. The 2012 Irish Open was played at Portrush, with more than 100,000 fans attending the event. Thomas Vermaelen Jersey . He had spent 16 days on the disabled list before being activated Thursday. He was batting just .203 when he came to bat in the 11th inning on Sunday. Antonio Rudiger Jersey . 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Alessandro Florenzi Jersey .com) - The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are ready to put all the talk and hype surrounding their meeting at Dodger Stadium behind them.CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Victor Matfield will return to top-level rugby in this years Super 15 and make himself available again for the Springboks, it is being widely reported in South Africa. Numerous reports say the 2007 World Cup-winning lock, who has played 110 tests for South Africa, will end his two-year retirement to again represent the Pretoria-based Bulls in Super Rugby from next month. He will be 37 in May. Matfield may also be considered for the Springboks, with national coach Heyneke Meyer a former coach of Matfield at domestic level with the Bulls and a big fan of the second-rower. Neither the Bulls nor the South African Rugby Union are commenting on a possible return for Matfield but he has been photographed training with the Bulls playing squad at a preseason camp, strengthening speculation over a comeback which was first rumoured in 2012, when Meyer indicated that Matfields return would be welcome. Meyer has also recently shown his willingness to recall veteran players to the national team, although none as old as Matfield, who is a member of the Bulls coaching staff. While Matfields ability as one of the best lineout forwards to play was still undisputed when he retired at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, he is risking diminishing his legacy as a great if hes unable to match those towering standards when he returns to the highest levels of the physically demanding sport after a long absence. "If (Victor) can play as he has in the past, it will be good news for Southh African rugby, but at his age it just gets harder and harder to compete at the same level," former South Africa lock Mark Andrews, a 1995 World Cup winner, told Die Burger newspaper.dddddddddddd "And the 2015 Rugby World Cup is a long way away." Matfield could surpass Johan Ackermann as the oldest Springbok in the modern era if he plays for South Africa in the southern hemispheres Rugby Championship, which starts in August. Ackermann, the coach of the Johannesburg-based Lions, was also 37 when he played his last test in 2007. Ackermann backed Matfields return, even for the next World Cup in Britain, when Matfield would be 38. "Matfield is fit, athletic and his experience will add great value to the Springboks," Ackermann told the Afrikaans-language Die Burger. "I believe he is definitely still in Heyneke Meyers Springbok plans. He offers Heyneke security going into next years World Cup and is an ideal player to fall back on." Yet there was also a warning from Ackermann that Matfield shouldnt hold up younger players, something that led to criticism of the national team and former coach Peter de Villiers when former captain John Smit was picked at hooker at the end of his career ahead of Bismarck du Plessis, who was widely considered to be a better player at the time. Some argue that the Springboks should be developing a partnership between young locks Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit for the World Cup rather than gambling on Matfield. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '