“The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and we will do everything we can to make this year’s Championship at Royal Portrush an outstanding and memorable occasion for everyone involved from fans to players and the millions watching on TV and digital platforms worldwide. “The passion and enthusiasm for golf throughout the island of Ireland is world-renowned and is clearly reflected in the extraordinary demand among fans to be part of this historic occasion. We look forward to welcoming a record crowd to these spectacular links for a true celebration of golf and seeing who emerges from the 156-strong field to become Champion Golfer of the Year,” said Mark Darbon, the Chief Executive at The R&A. The 153rd Open will also be the largest ever sporting event held in Northern Ireland and is expected to generate more than £213 million in total economic benefit for the country according to an independent forecast by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University. It estimates that the economic impact resulting from The 153rd Open will be £63 million, while the destination marketing benefit for Northern Ireland derived from coverage produced via linear television and digital platforms will exceed £150m. “We are grateful to the government and local agencies in Northern Ireland for their investment and support in bringing the Championship back to Royal Portrush after the success of 2019. Their enthusiasm and expertise has been crucial to our planning and we thank them for the work they have contributed towards making this possible,” said Darbon. Aine Kearney, Director of Events at Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “With less than three months to go until The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, excitement is building and all the partners involved in the delivery of the Championship are working in collaboration to make it even bigger and more memorable than 2019. “The Open in 2019 brought huge economic benefits, not just to the North Coast, but to the whole of Northern Ireland and 2025 will be no different. “It is shaping up to be another world-class sporting event which presents us with an invaluable opportunity to further raise Northern Ireland’s profile as a must-see travel and golf destination as well as a fantastic place to invest.”