Record breaking crowds expected for 146th Open

A record crowd of more than 225,000 spectators are expected to attend The 146^th Open at Royal Birkdale this week making it one of the best ever attended in the history of the Championship.

Royal Birkdale saw crowds of 201,500 in 2008, but strong pre-sales have seen this year's Open as the fastest selling history. And with thousands of fans expected to buy tickets at the gate throughout the week, this year’s Championship could be propelled into one of the four largest attendances in The Open’s history.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “The record number of spectators expected to attend Royal Birkdale this week underpins The Open’s reputation as one of the world’s great sporting events. We very much look forward to welcoming fans from all over the globe to Royal Birkdale to join us for a true celebration of world–class sport.”

The R&A's attempt to attract a younger audience also seem to be paying off, with more than 20,000 young people aged under 25 attending the Championship. Over 10,000 Youth Tickets have been sold in advance, while over 10,000 juniors aged 16 years will attend the Championship free of charge as part of the R&A's Kids Go Free initiative.

Southport should be an ideal Open venue, as it has the infrastructure that courses like Royal St George's, Carnousite and Turnberry so evidently lack. With the whole of the North West, and its legions of knowledgable golfers, on the doorstep, there is no reason why this Open should not be breaking records. 

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