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Rory McIlroy missed the cut the last time he played The Open at Royal Portrush - Getty Images/Charles McQuillan
McIlroy mania has given a lift to this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush with a record 278,000 fans expected at the iconic Dunluce links.
The chance to glimpse the new US Masters champion in action in his own backyard has clearly translated into record ticket sales outside of St Andrews for the event, which takes place from July 17-20.
McIlroy’s thrilling Masters victory 10 days ago has led to huge anticipation at what the 35-year-old might achieve now that the famous ‘curse’ has been lifted.
Prior to his win at Augusta, McIlroy had gone 11 years without winning a major. There is now feverish talk of McIlroy potentially going for a ‘calendar grand slam’ on his home patch, although that presupposes that McIlroy wins the US PGA and the US Open between now and then.
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McIlroy celebrates after holing his final putt to end his US Masters jinx earlier this month - Getty Images/Richard Heathcote
Having missed the cut in 2019, when it was last staged in his homeland, the 2014 Open champion will certainly have “unfinished business” at Royal Portrush, in the words of Mark Darbon, chief executive at the R&A.
Darbon, who was appointed R&A chief last summer, added: “We were excited enough as it was, having the Open Championship back here, but I think that [McIlroy’s Masters win] is the icing on the cake and sets us up for a fantastic summer of golf.
“It was an amazing, emotional win, as many of you witnessed. We’re delighted to see Rory etch his name in the history books.
Darbon acknowledged the Rory effect on ticket sales, revealing the championship was “essentially sold out” now, with the R&A receiving 1.1 million applications for tickets in the ballot.
“I don’t think we have to do anything significant in terms of an evolution to our plans. We were confident in the demand, as I’ve already said, for this wonderful championship. We’ve been planning on an increased attendance. So I think it just gives us a great run into our event and the championship season to follow this summer.”
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McIlroy found his last visit to the Dunluce links rough going - AP/Peter Morrison
The 278,000 attendance figure will make this summer’s Open the largest Championship ever held outside of St Andrews, surpassing the previous high mark set at Royal Portrush six years ago when 237,750 fans celebrated Irishman Shane Lowry complete a memorable win in The 148th Open with a six-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood.
St Andrews managed to squeeze in 290,000 when The Open was last held at the home of golf in 2022.
It is expected to generate £213 million of economic impact – the largest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland.
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The best golfers in the world will contest the Claret Jug from July 17-20 - PA/Niall Carson
Darbon, who reaffirmed the R&A’s desire to take the Open outside of the United Kingdom for the first time, to Portmarnock in Dublin, was also asked about the chances of Turnberry returning to The Open rota. He said he would “love” it to return but cautioned that the infrastructure was not yet in place.
The resort which has been given £200 million of improvements since being bought by US president Donald Trump in 2014, last held the Championship in 2009.
“Turnberry is a wonderful golf course, and I think some of the recent improvements there have made it even better,” Darbon said. “It’s a course we’d love to return to at some point.”
Asked whether the ‘Trump factor” or his ongoing trade war might affect Turnberry’s chances, Darbon admitted that the potential for politics to become the story was a consideration.
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Despite £200 million having been spent on Turnberry since its purchase by Donald Trump the course remains off The Open rota - PA/Andrew Milligan
“It’s a brilliant golf course and a wonderful place to tell stories about our game. But where we have some challenges is around logistical and commercial challenges. I think the last time we were there in 2009, we had just over 120,000 people. We just said we’re going to have close to 280,000 here [at Portrush] this summer.
“We’ve got a few challenges at Turnberry. The road, rail, and accommodation infrastructure presents some challenges if we wish to scale our operation there. We’ve got a good dial-up with the ownership group, and we’ll continue to look at feasibility as we move forward. We’d love to return at some stage.
“Of course, when it comes to a championship like this, we also want the focus to be on the golf. So that’s a factor too.”
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