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Scottie Scheffler’s win at the 2025 Open Championship not only cemented his place as the world’s top golfer but also helped bring in a fresh audience to the tournament. The R&A revealed that 62 percent of the fans at Royal Portrush were attending The Open for the first time.

Scheffler dominated the week, finishing at 17 under par to win The 153rd Open, four shots ahead of fellow American Harris English. The victory gave Scheffler his second major title of the year after the PGA Championship in May and his fourth overall, adding to his two Masters wins. The only major left for him to complete a career Grand Slam is the U.S. Open.

The championship also brought a major boost to Northern Ireland’s economy. Independent research commissioned by The R&A and Tourism Northern Ireland put the total economic benefit at over £280 million. Of that, £89.2 million came from direct economic impact, with £43.7 million specifically benefiting the Causeway Coast and Glens area.

Global coverage across television, digital platforms and online media added another £191 million in destination marketing value for Northern Ireland, according to research by YouGov. Royal Portrush saw record crowds of 278,000, making it the largest Open held outside St Andrews and the biggest sporting event ever in Northern Ireland.

The 2025 Open Championship generated almost double the economic impact compared to the last time it was held at Royal Portrush in 2019, which brought in £45 million for Northern Ireland and £26.2 million for the Causeway Coast and Glens.

Most fans traveled from outside Northern Ireland, with 17.3 percent coming from England, 16.7 percent from the Republic of Ireland and 12.3 percent from the U.S. Among those visiting from outside Northern Ireland, 77 percent were attending The Open for the first time.

The Open Championship to shift to August for 2028

The R&A has announced that the Open Championship will move from its usual mid-July dates to early August for 2028. The change comes to avoid a clash with the Los Angeles Olympics, which take place from July 19 to 29.

Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said,

“We have worked with the relevant bodies and our partners to agree new dates for our major championships in 2028 to accommodate the Olympic golf competitions. We can also confirm that The Open will return to its normal mid-July slot in 2029.” (via Golf.com)

This will be the first time in modern history that The Open Championship is not played in July. The last edition outside July was at Royal Liverpool in 1936, ending a 92-year run of July tournaments.