R&A announces record Open attendance at Royal Portrush

The R&A has announced that the 153rd Open, held at Royal Portrush in July, will make history.

The governing body has today revealed that 278,000 fans will gather at the showpiece event in Northern Ireland, the largest attendance for an Open held outside of St Andrews.

It’s set to surpass the previous record at the iconic Dunluce links set six years ago, when 237,750 fans celebrated Shane Lowry’s triumph.

Applications for more than one million tickets were submitted in last year’s ballot, which saw unprecedented demand.

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“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,” said Mark Darbon, Chief Executive at The R&A.

“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.”

A record 89,000 spectators will also attend the four sold-out Practice Days ahead of the 153rd Open, exceeding the total of 61,000 fans who attended the equivalent days at Royal Portrush in 2019.

Meanwhile, this year’s tournament will be the largest ever sporting event held in Northern Ireland. According to an independent forecast by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University, it’s expected to generate more than £213 million in total economic benefit for the country.

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“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 Darbon.

“We are grateful to the government and local agencies in Northern Ireland for their investment and support in bringing the Championship back to Royal Portrush after the success of 2019.

“Their enthusiasm and expertise have been crucial to our planning, and we thank them for the work they have contributed towards making this possible.”

The record Open attendance is held by the 2022 championship at the Old Course, which was attended by 290,000 fans.

Xander Schauffele will defend the Claret Jug this year from July 17-20.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.