Irish golf chiefs hoping for Sky Open deal boost

The Open Championship deal between the R&A and Sky Sports has been welcomed by the Golfing Union of Ireland. 

The governing body announced yesterday that the satellite giant had secured the exclusive rights in a five-year deal from 2017, taking over from the BBC, which has had a 60-year partnership with golf’s oldest major.

However Irish golf chiefs are confident they will benefit financially from the controversial agreement which is understood to be worth £75m (€100m).