‘McIlroy Mania’ inspires ticket rush for The Open at Royal Portrush

Rory McIlroy’s historic win at Augusta National has triggered a surge of interest in this summer's Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The world’s leading ticket marketplace viagogo, has reported a dramatic increase in fan demand as golf fans have rushed to secure tickets for his competitive return to Northern Ireland later this year.

Shortly after McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam at the 2025 Masters, online searches for tickets for The Open spiked to record levels on the viagogo platform.

From donning the Green Jacket on Sunday 13 to Wednesday 16 April, daily searches for Open tickets on viagogo averaged over 1,650, representing a 343% increase on the daily average from the start of April.

Rory McIlroy 'mania' inspires ticket rush to The Open at Royal Portrush

The biggest single-day surge was on Monday when searches rocketed to over 2,500, more than 10 times higher than the daily average the week before.

Demand for tickets to see McIlroy play a mere 60 miles from his hometown of Holywood has remained significantly elevated ever since.

Matt Drew, International Business Development Lead at viagogo, said: “Rory McIlroy mania is in full flow.

“His victory at Augusta captivated golf fans around the globe in what was undoubtedly one of the most dramatic and emotional sporting moments in recent memory, and many sports fans are now eager to witness what promises to be a historic homecoming at Royal Portrush this July.

“The surge in demand on viagogo speaks volumes, and it’s clear that The Open is now firmly in the sights of fans who want to be part of what could be another unforgettable moment in Rory’s career.”

The Grand Slam winner returns to action at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside his Ryder Cup teammate and good pal Shane Lowry.

McIlroy and Lowry are defending their title in the PGA Tour's lone team event of the season. 

The Open Championship is set to take place from 17-20 July, with Royal Portrush hosting the event for only the third time in its history.

McIlroy shot a course-record 61 on the Dunluce Links in 2005 aged just 16, and he is the current favourite for the Claret Jug.  

Over 278,000 fans are expected to attend the 153rd Open, which will make it the second largest in the history of the event.

McIlroy is attempting to become the first player in history to win a grand slam in a single calendar year.

The World No.2 will look to win the second leg and a third career US PGA from 15-18 at Quail Hollow Club, a venue he has won on a record four times at the Wells Fargo Championship (now known the Truist Championship) on the PGA Tour. 

GolfMagic's Tom Usher is playing Royal Portrush this month, so keep it locked to GolfMagic Instagram to see our latest coverage from The Open venue. 

Related: Why The Open will make history at Royal Portrush in 2025