Scottish Open bosses open up on event's future venue and Muirfield Open dilemma
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The Renaissance Club looks set to remain as the host venue for the Genesis Scottish Open after the latest edition at the East Lothian venue was given a huge thumbs up by both the fans and the players.
Helped by unprecedented sellouts on both Saturday and Sunday, the event attracted over 85,000 spectators across the week, breaking the record at the Dirleton venue by close to 10,000.
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The Stadium Hole at The Renaissance Club has become a popular feature of the Genesis Scottish Open at its current home |The Rolex Series tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, attracted another stellar field, including the top five in the world rankings and all four current major champions.
It was announced on the eve of the event that Genesis, the premium luxury Korean car brand, had extended its title sponsorship through 2030, which is a massive boost.
The current partnership with The Renaissance Club ends next year but talks are taking place with the American owners about an extension to it as well.
'We're really pleased that we're contracted for next year and we can continue that growth,' Rory Colville, the Genesis Scottish Open championship director, told a small group of journalists on Sunday. 'It's been a fantastic venue for us and we'll continue to discuss the future with the Sarvadis.'
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Before the event was first hosted at The Renaissance Club, it had been moved around Scotland for a spell, with Castle Stuart, Royal Aberdeen and Dundonald Links all staging it.
'One hundred percent,' replied Colville to being asked if the event's recent growth had been down it being established at a home venue. 'The fact that it's seven years in and there's been steady growth with the event, I think the most dramatic growth of the event is actually this year.
'If you look at the crowd numbers and to get to 76,000 last year and we're up to over 85,000 this week, that's a significant growth that we're really proud of, and I think it just goes to confirm our hope that all the fan activations that we work on with Genesis to try and enhance the experience, The Fringe by the Tee – the collaboration we've got with them, obviously a fantastic local music festival, having KT Tunstall on the main stage last night, is a really, really strong message for how this event is an event for all ages and all demographics.'
Genesis came on board as the title sponsor at the start of the co-sanctioning set up in 2022, with Christian Hardy, one of the PGA Tour's senior executives, admitting that the US circuit is delighted to have its brand associated with an event on Scottish soil.
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'We are absolutely thrilled and grateful for Genesis making this possible,' he said. We started this in 2022, with the Strategic Alliance, and this is exactly the kind of week we envisioned. The last two years have been amazing. Rory McIlroy winning a couple of years ago and of course that incredible putt by Robert MacIntyre last year.
'Talking with Rory (Colville) a little bit before, talking about the crowds this week, but hearing there's a little bit of traffic and a lot of sun and an amazing announcement of the Genesis partnership extension, this is exactly what we had in mind.'
It remains to be seen when The Open will be back at Muirfield, having last been held at the Home of the Honourable Company of Golfers in 2013, when Phil Mickelson picked up the Claret Jug.
If the Genesis Scottish Open stays at The Renaissance Club for, say, another five years, is there a possibility of two huge events being held back-to-back at the neighbouring venues if The R&A announces a date for Muirfield in that time?
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'People ask that question and I think it would be very difficult to have them consecutively but obviously we are aligned with the R&A, talking to them about schedules,' said Colville. 'We will absolutely cross that bridge if it happens.'
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