Latest news with #The148thOpen
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush set for record attendance outside St Andrews
History is set to be made at The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, as The R&A announced a staggering 278,000 golf enthusiasts are expected to flock to the iconic Dunluce links from 13-20 July. This year's Championship promises to be the largest ever conducted outside of St Andrews. The event's return to Northern Ireland's Antrim coast has spurred unparalleled excitement in the wake of the 2019 tournament's triumph. Last year's ticket ballot saw demand soar, with over one million tickets requested. This year's attendance is poised to exceed the record previously set six years ago at the same venue when a crowd of 237,750 celebrated Shane Lowry's emphatic six-shot win over Tommy Fleetwood in The 148th Open. READ MORE: Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll drama forced golfer to make key decision about new romance READ MORE: Rory McIlroy knows Keegan Bradley's opinion after Masters win – 'It's ridiculous' Mark Darbon, Chief Executive at The R&A, expressed his enthusiasm: "The Open is one of the world's great sporting events and we will do everything we can to make this year's Championship at Royal Portrush an outstanding and memorable occasion for everyone involved from fans to players and the millions watching on TV and digital platforms worldwide." He further highlighted the vibrant local passion for golf: "The passion and enthusiasm for golf throughout the island of Ireland is world-renowned and is clearly reflected in the extraordinary demand among fans to be part of this historic occasion. We look forward to welcoming a record crowd to these spectacular links for a true celebration of golf and seeing who emerges from the 156-strong field to become Champion Golfer of the Year." The 153rd Open, set to be the largest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, is projected to generate over £213 million in total economic benefit for the country. This forecast comes from an independent study by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University. The SIRC estimates that the direct economic impact of The 153rd Open will be around £63 million. Additionally, the destination marketing benefit for Northern Ireland, resulting from coverage on linear television and digital platforms, is expected to surpass £150m. "It's clear that staging a major event such as The Open can generate significant economic benefits for the locations in which they are held and this study demonstrates the huge benefit that the Championship brings," said Dabon. Darbon expressed gratitude towards the government and local agencies in Northern Ireland for their investment and support in bringing the Championship back to Royal Portrush after the successful 2019 event. He praised their enthusiasm and expertise as crucial to the planning process. Aine Kearney, Director of Events at Tourism Northern Ireland, shared her excitement with less than three months to go until The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush. She said: "With less than three months to go until The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, excitement is building and all the partners involved in the delivery of the Championship are working in collaboration to make it even bigger and more memorable than 2019. "The Open in 2019 brought huge economic benefits, not just to the North Coast, but to the whole of Northern Ireland and 2025 will be no different. "It is shaping up to be another world-class sporting event which presents us with an invaluable opportunity to further raise Northern Ireland's profile as a must-see travel and golf destination as well as a fantastic place to invest." The Open continues to be one of the most accessible major sporting events for young people thanks to The R&A's long-running Kids Go Free initiative. More than 27,000 tickets are available for those under the age of 16 and there are reduced price tickets for fans under the age of 25. Since Kids Go Free was launched in 1997, 434,000 children have attended The Open for free. A record 89,000 spectators will attend the four sold-out Practice Days of The 153rd Open, exceeding the total of 61,000 fans who attended the equivalent days at Royal Portrush in 2019. The Open Camping Village continues to prove a popular accommodation option among families and young people with 4,600 guests booking a place to stay on-site this year. Almost a third (32%) of those staying at the village are under the age of 25 meaning that 20,000 free bed nights have been provided to this group since the initiative was launched at Royal Troon in 2016. Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox
Belfast Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Epic journey to The Open stops off in Portrush
This free public event will showcase Northern Ireland's growing reputation as a must-visit destination for golfers, while sports fans will have the chance to take photos with the world-famous Claret Jug. Tourism Northern Ireland teed off their Epic Journey at Belfast City Hall on Monday, before the drive to Kerr Street Green in Portrush on Friday (11am until 1pm), and then the short chip shot to Londonderry's Ebrington Square on May 7. It will also feature a stop in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on May 21 at O'Connor Square - the home of the 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry. With record-breaking numbers that year, The 148th Open at Royal Portrush was an overwhelming success story and there's no reason to doubt this summer's return to the famous Dunluce Links course – from July 13 to 20 – will be any different. The action was beamed to more than 100m viewers worldwide in 2019 and the championship generated over £100m in economic benefit for the region. Aine Kearney, Tourism NI director of events, said the championship created a tangible feel-good factor right across Northern Ireland when it last took place here. She said: 'Northern Ireland is ready to extend a giant welcome to thousands of visitors from around the globe for The 153rd Open and to showcase the stunning Causeway Coast, and beyond, to a worldwide television audience. 'Bringing the Claret Jug on this epic journey to The 153rd Open allows us all to get involved in the build-up and the excitement to what promises to be an unforgettable week. 'Northern Ireland is made for golf and hosting The 153rd Open solidifies our reputation as a destination for world-class golf, tourism and hospitality and allows us to showcase our rich culture, natural beauty and warm welcome to visitors from around the world.' The Epic Journey to The 153rd Open will also include a giant #TheOpen letter sculpture, designed by Tourism NI and made out of 4,000 golf balls, which was unveiled by global golfing hero, 2014 Open champion and recent Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy, ahead of the 2019 Championship.
