Golf’s original and most international major makes a return to Royal Portrush Golf Club on County Antrim’s famous Causeway Coast in July, nearly 70 years since it was last played there.
With the clock ticking towards Northern Ireland’s summer showpiece, excitement continues to rise alongside an unprecedented demand for tickets.
Following the fastest sell-out of the original ticket allocation in Open history last August, the R&A managed to boost the overall attendance across the four days of Championship golf with an extra 15,000 tickets – 3,750 for each tournament day.
Released on 15 April and on sale through the R&A’s exclusive membership system The One Club (www.theopen.com), the new allocation again sold out immediately.
However there are still tickets available for all four practice days leading up to the tournament. A limited number of Championship day tickets may also become available to members of The One Club on the ticket waiting list.
An R&A spokesman said: “The level of excitement has reached a completely new level. Tickets for The Open are almost becoming priceless.”
The record-breaking ticket sales reveals the strength of the welcome that will be waiting when the Championship makes its return to Northern Ireland.
The event, which is being staged from July 18–21, will be one of the biggest sporting events ever hosted on the island of Ireland as over 200,000 golf fans from across the world flock to the celebrated Causeway Coast to follow every drive, chip and putt.
Star names such as recent Masters winner Tiger Woods, defending champion Francesco Molinari and World No.1 Dustin Johnson will all compete against local favourite Rory McIlroy for the coveted Claret Jug on the Dunluce Links course.
As the golf titans descend on Portrush, it will be well worth soaking up the electric atmosphere by combining a trip to The Open with a short break.
Famous attractions such as the Giants Causeway, the Old Bushmills Distillery and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Walled City of Derry~Londonderry are all close to the course.
And for golf fans who hope to play a few rounds in the home of golfing greats, there is a long list of exceptional links and parkland gems along the Causeway Coast and throughout all areas of Northern Ireland.
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