R&A secures 11-year, £11m partnership for staging of The Open
The R&A has inked an 11-year partnership with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland for the staging of The Open in Scotland between 2024 and 2034.
The deal, which also covers the Women’s Open and Senior Open, will see the two parties invest a combined £11m for the hosting of the competitions.
Over the duration of the new agreement, fourteen championships in total will be held in Scotland across various venues.
According to a recent study commissioned by the R&A, this year’s Open at Royal Troon in Ayrshire generated a total economic benefit of £303.3m for Scotland, as well as drawing a record attendance of 258,174 fans.
The R&A says that the Open championships staged in Scotland have delivered a total of £1.36bn since 2005, with more than two million fans attending the competitions over that period.
Earlier this year, the 152nd Open received a cash injection of £43.8m, as fans visited the region to watch the iconic major golf event.
The new partnership will see the continuation of the R&A’s Greenlinks sustainability initiative, which will help the organisation monitor and reduce carbon emissions.
“The partnership with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland ensures continuing support for staging our championships at renowned venues around the country, reinforcing Scotland’s international reputation as the home of golf and for providing a world-class stage for hosting major sporting events,” said Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A.
“Independent studies have proven that major championship golf delivers significant economic benefits to Scotland by driving tourism, showcasing the country to a global audience and generating income for local communities and businesses.
“The results produced by The 152nd Open at Royal Troon reinforce this and we look forward to working with our partners in government over the next 11 years to stage a number of outstanding major championships in Scotland.”
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