Royal Portrush

In 2019 The Open will move to an all-ticket event for the first time in it’s history with sell-out crowds anticipated at Royal Portrush.

The Championship is returning to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951 - the only occasion The Open has been played there.

Organisers The R&A are launching hospitality packages and online ticket sales earlier than ever before to meet the expected demand. A no readmission condition of sale will also be in place to protect fans from falling victim to ticket and hospitality fraud.

The Open to the Northern Ireland visitor economy next year will be £10m greater than predicted in 2015 when The R&A revealed that The Open would return to Portrush.

The Open is set to deliver £80 million of economic benefit for Northern Ireland with the Executive Director of Championships at The R&A saying, “the independent economic impact and market-sizing analysis confirms that The Open at Royal Portrush will be the largest sport event to be staged in Northern Ireland.”

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton added: “Moving to all-ticket system for the first time will help us to manage the anticipated crowds effectively so we can deliver the outstanding spectator experience fans expect of one of the world’s great sporting events.

The long-lasting legacy of staging the Championship will spur new growth in the golf tourism market in Ireland for decades to come.”

The new independent forecast from the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University estimates a total economic impact for Northern Ireland from The Open of £33.4m while a separate study by Kantar Media calculates the destination marketing benefit from exposure on global television to be worth a further £50.9 million to the visitor economy.

The economic impact study estimates that £17.5 million will be spent off course during the week of The Open in local hotels, shops, restaurants and bars in the Causeway Coast and Glens council area.

The agreement to stage The Open at Royal Portrush extends to three Championships through to 2040 and enhanced local infrastructure will enable events including The Senior Open and The Women's British Open Championship to consider Royal Portrush as a future venue.

The Boys Amateur Championship will be staged at Royal Portrush in August, which follows the successful staging of The Amateur Championship there in 2014 and the Ladies British Amateur Championship in 2011.

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