History is set to be made at The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush after The R&A revealed some 278,000 fans will gather for the largest Championship to be held outside of St Andrews.
The golf competition will be held at the Dunluce links on the Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland, from July 13-20.
There was unprecedented demand for tickets in the ballot last year, with applications for more than one million tickets. The 152nd Open also saw a 50% increase on tickets sold in 2016, and The R&A renewed its focus on ticketing and premium experiences by announcing a new partnership with Two Circles.
General admission tickets for this year’s edition were snapped up in record time. The final round of premium experiences are now available while the ticket resale platform has been opened to all One Club members.
Should all ticket-holders make it to Royal Portrush in July, the total attendance will beat the 237,750 fans that watched the action six years ago.
“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 of 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.”
There is a continued focus on attracting younger generations, with The R&A’s long-running Kids Go Free initiative allowing more than 434,000 children to attend The Open for free since its launch in 1997. The R&A also offers reduced price tickets for fans under the age of 25.
Additionally, a record 89,000 spectators are expected to attend the four sold-out Practice Days of The 153rd Open, exceeding the 61,000 fans that attended the equivalent days at Royal Portrush in 2019.