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The DP World Tour, The R&A and the Ladies European Tour have witnessed a surge in ticket sales and spectators across the biggest golf tournaments in Great Britain and Ireland.
New data released by the organisers has shown that the DP World Tour has enjoyed a 43% increase in its revenues for general admission and premium hospitality tickets for its tournaments in 2023, compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Across Great Britain and Ireland, the BMW PGA Championship in Surrey saw general admission and premium hospitality ticket revenues increase by 41% in 2023, compared to 2019. A total number of 109,635 spectators attended the event this year, a 22% increase on 2022.
The Genesis Scottish Open saw general admission and premium hospitality ticket revenues increase by 117% in 2023 compared to 2019. Some 72,517 spectators attended the tournament in 2023, a 5% rise on last year’s total.
Across the Irish Sea, the Horizon Irish Open saw general admission and premium hospitality ticket revenues increase by 98% in 2023 in comparison to 2019, with a total of 70,672 spectators in attendance – an increase of 13% on 2022.
The Betfred British Masters saw general admission and premium hospitality ticket revenues witness a boost of 8% this year compared to 2019. However, there was a slight drop in attendance, with 47,073 guests this year compared to 49,787 in 2022.
All four tournaments saw 299,897 guests attend this year, an 11% increase on 2022.
The Open, organised by The R&A, has set record attendances at each host venue since 2017, with all Championship days sold out since 2019. A total of 261,180 spectators attended The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool this year, which is the second highest attendance on record. It is also a 30% increase on 2014, when the venue last hosted the Championship.
A ballot for general admission tickets was introduced in 2022 to help manage the growing demand.
Elsewhere, the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath saw similar success with a total of 51,000 fans in attendance during the week. This equated to a 53% increase on the 33,303 that attended the year previously.
The Ladies European Tour also saw increased spectator numbers for its events in Great Britain and Ireland. The KPMG Irish Open saw a 20% increase in spectator numbers this year compared to 2022, while the Aramco Team Series in London saw a 12% increase this year compared to last year. The FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open witnessed spectator numbers reach 10,000 this year, comparable to 2022.
“Golf is booming in popularity and attracting a more diverse following,” said Keith Pelley, chief executive of the DP World Tour. “The numbers back this up and the DP World Tour’s biggest events in GB&I have never been more popular. We have also enjoyed a similar trend for our historic national Opens across Europe.
“Golf’s outdoor nature meant people tried the sport in record numbers in 2020, and the DP World Tour is now benefiting from this. Golfers of all ages want to see the best players in the world showcase their skills and we are focused on making sure that our spectator experience matches their expectations.”
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, added: “The Open and AIG Women’s Open are major global sporting events and we are seeing people attend our championships in greater numbers than ever before. This is the result of a more targeted approach to marketing and ticketing which has enabled us to deepen the relationship with our fans and speak to them directly through appealing membership initiatives like The One Club.
“We continually look at ways to enhance the staging of our championships so that they appeal to people of all ages, particularly families and young people, and provide entertainment and value for money. People travel here from all over the world to see the best golfers in the world compete for the sport’s greatest championships and we place great importance on ensuring that fans leave The Open and AIG Women’s Open with memories that will last for a lifetime.”
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