Portrush to welcome record-breaking crowd for Open outside of St Andrews

This week’s 148th Open at Royal Portrush is officially the most attended Championship staged outside St Andrews with the R&A announcing on Wednesday that there will be a record-breaking crowd of 237,750 for the tournament starting on Thursday.

The R&A’s decision to bring The Open back to Northern Ireland and Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951 has been vindicated by the record sales, which surpasses the 235,000 who attended Royal Birkdale in 2017 and makes this year’s event the second largest Open ever, 239,000 having attended the 2000 tournament at St Andrews.

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers announced the figures at Royal Portrush on Wednesday during the governing body’s annual pre-championship press conference, also confirming there has been a record-breaking 61,000 fans attending official Practice Days this week, which surpasses the previous high of 52,000 set in 2006 at Hoylake.

“This is a huge week not just for The Open but for golf as well,” Slumbers said. “We are making history with a record attendance for a Championship staged outside of St Andrews and the levels of excitement among fans this week have been phenomenal.

“I said last year that big-time sport needs big-time crowds and we certainly have that at Royal Portrush as we stage the biggest sporting event ever to be held in Northern Ireland. The eyes of the sporting world are firmly set on Royal Portrush.”

Portrush resident and 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke will get the 148th Open up and running on Thursday at 6:35am having been given the honour of striking the opening tee shot of the first round, in a group also featuring American Charley Hoffman and recently crowned Amateur Champion James Sugrue, from Mallow, Co. Cork.

Tournament favourite and Royal Portrush course-record holder Rory McIlroy tees off at 10:09 alongside US Open champion Gary Woodland and England’s Paul Casey with Masters champion Tiger Woods among the afternoon starters at 3:10pm.