Open Championship at Royal Portrush delivered €300m benefit to north

More than half of attendees travelled to the Antrim coast from outside Northern Ireland, with almost 80% of those attending The Open for the first time

CROWDS: Local hero Rory McIlroy acknowledges the crowd at the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Antrim. Pic:  Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Staging The Open golf championship at Royal Portrush in Antrim generated more than €318m (£280m) of economic benefit to Northern Ireland, studies have shown.

Research by Sheffield Hallam University found that The Open provided just under €100m (£89m) to Northern Ireland's economy, with just under €50m (£43.7m) generated within the Causeway Coast and Glens council area.