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For the first time in more than 60 years, the British Open is headed across the Irish Sea. The R&A announced Monday that golfs oldest championship will return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for the first time since Max Faulkner won in 1951. That was the only time it was held outside Scotland or England since the Open began in 1860. "We have every confidence Royal Portrush will prove to be an excellent venue in every way," R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said. "There is passionate support in Northern Ireland and we expect there will be huge interest." Dawson said it was the "worst-kept secret," although one mystery remains -- the year. To bring the links course up to modern standards of a major championship, the R&A has recommended using the golf architecture firm Mackenzie & Ebert to create new 17th and 18th holes. Royal Portrush club members would have to sign off on the proposal, though that is likely to be a formality. The next available date is 2019. Dawson said it could be "a year or two longer than that." "It has been more than 60 years since the Open was played here, and its been too long," Dawson said. "And were very excited to be coming back." For years, there has been a quiet push to bring the Open back to Portrush and the movement picked up momentum with the success of three players from Northern Ireland. Graeme McDowell won the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Darren Clarke captured the British Open a year later at Royal St. Georges. Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open in 2011 and then the PGA Championship in 2012. Throw in Padraig Harrington, and Irish golfers won seven of 22 majors during one stretch. What really caught Dawsons attention was when Royal Portrush staged a wildly successful Irish Open in 2012, which attracted some 130,000 fans for the week. And then Martin Ebert suggested the right changes to the links course to make it all work. More than just a golf course, the Open now requires room for such amenities as a television compound and a tented village. Dawson said the R&A would be investing several million pounds (dollars), without giving a more detailed estimate. "No Open venue is immune from the march of time," he said. "They all move and they all have to keep up. This isnt any different from that, except that it hasnt had an Open for a long time." Portrush also has held the Senior British Open six times, and is hosting the British Amateur this week. The British Open this year is being played at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, which had gone 39 years until it returned to the rotation in 2006 with a popular win by Tiger Woods. Turnberry off the Ayrshire coast in Scotland went 17 years without an Open, despite a history that include the famous "Duel in the Sun" between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. That required work on the roads to alleviate traffic. Dawson said the work involved to get Royal Portrush in shape for an Open "is a little bit more." "That perhaps reflects the time gap," he said. "Its over 60 years since the championship has been here. The requirements of a modern championship are very different from what they were then. But its something thats manageable." Atlanta Braves Gear . After falling 5-0 on home ice in a game that could have tied them for second in the wild card standings, Washington head coach Adam Oates had some strong words for Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. Francisco Cervelli Braves Jersey . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. https://www.cheapbraves.com/ . 8 Sergio Parisse for its penultimate Six Nations match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Grant Dayton Braves Jersey . Though the 26-year-old said he was able to participate, coach Dwane Casey kept Johnson out as a precaution. Atlanta Braves Shirts . Mired in an offensive slump, Lowry - the NBAs leader in taking charges this season - did what he has learned to do best, standing his ground and drawing a crucial offensive foul on the Cavaliers all-star point guard. Fast forward 30 seconds to the Cavs next possession, with the home team still trailing by three, Spencer Hawes - one of the leagues best passing big men - threw an interception, intended for Tyler Zeller and picked off by DeMar DeRozan.Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - O.J. Mayo had 20 points and the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 101-86 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday in a game that wasnt as close as the final score. The Bucks scored the first 10 points of the third quarter after leading by 14 at halftime and went ahead by as many as 30 in the frame. Things were even worse than that for the Pistons, who lost point guard Brandon Jennings near the end of the third to what the team called a left leg injury. Jennings was guarding Brandon Knight on an inbounds pass and didnt appear to make much contact with the Bucks guard before going down. He was helped off the court and into a wheelchair behind the basket. Khris Middleton added 16 points and Knight had 14 for the Bucks, who snapped a two-game losing streak and ended 2-2 on a four-game homestand. Jennings led Detroit with 16 points despite leaving the game with 1:03 left in the third quarter.dddddddddddd. The Pistons lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 games. They have dropped two consecutive road games on the heels of winning seven in a row. They led by as many as seven in the first quarter but were blown out in the second. Mayo made three consecutive 3-pointers to cap an 18-2 Bucks run that gave them a 54-40 lead. Detroit was only within single digits briefly after that and never after halftime. The Bucks led by 30 three times in the third quarter and took a 91-67 lead into the fourth. The went 3-1 against the Pistons this season. Game Notes Milwaukee shot 50.6 percent in the game and 11-of-17 on 3-pointers, with Mayo going 4-for-5 ... The Bucks start a three-game road trip on Sunday in San Antonio ... The Pistons play in Toronto on Sunday. ' ' '