Why The Open will make history at Royal Portrush in 2025
The R&A has announced a record attendance is expected when golf's oldest major heads to Royal Portrush for the 153rd Open Championship.
The R&A has announced the 153rd Open will make history with a record attendance expected.
Golf's oldest major heads to Royal Portrush over 17-20 July.
The governing body has today revealed there was unprecedented demand for tickets with more than one million applications lodged through the ballot.
Shane Lowry triumphed at the Dunluce links the last time the major was played at Portrush in 2019.
On that occasion, 237,850 fans walked through the gates in Northern Ireland.
Applications for more than one million tickets were submitted in last year's ballot.
Mark Darbon, the chief executive of the R&A, said: "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.
"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."
The 153rd Open will be the largest sporting event held in Northern Ireland and is expected to generate more than £213m in total economic benefit to the country, according to an independent forecast by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.
Meanwhile, a record 89,000 spectators will attend the four practice days ahead of the major, exceeding the 61,000 that attended the equivalent days in 2019.
The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush will be played in front of 278,000 fans - the Championship's largest crowd outside of St Andrews.
— The Open (@TheOpen) April 22, 2025
The attendance will surpass the previous high mark set at Royal Portrush six years ago when 237,750 spectators attended The 148th Open. pic.twitter.com/u7CH1vujs7
Darbon added: "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.
"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."
Xander Schauffele is the reigning Open champion.
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