Royal Troon Open teed up £110 million for Scotland

The 145th Open championship at Royal Troon delivered more than £110 million worth of benefit to Scotland, an independent study has found.

Henrik Stenson hits a tee shot during the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty

The prestigious tournament, one of four golf majors, attracted 173,000 spectators to the Ayrshire coastline in 2016.

It delivered an economic impact of more than £64 million, according to the study compiled by Sheffield Hallam University’s sport industry research centre.

There was an additional £46 million in destination marketing benefit thanks to the exposure afforded to Scotland from the Championship, which was broadcast on television in 193 territories to more than 600 million households worldwide.

The research, commissioned by The R&A, VisitScotland and South Ayrshire Council, concluded Ayrshire alone benefited from spending by event specific visitors and on event infrastructure amounting to £23 million in economic impact.

Almost half of the spectators who attended The OpeN, travelled from outwith Scotland, while two-thirds of Scots spectators came from outside Ayrshire.

The Open is the world’s oldest professional golf championship and is held in Scotland more than any other country, on average three out of every five years.

The 2016 Championship was seen as something of a homecoming for The Open, having first been played at Prestwick Golf Club in 1860, just a few miles from Royal Troon.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who attended the Championship in July last year, welcomed the report.

“Hosting The Open is a chance to see one of the world’s most popular sports return to the country where it all started, so these are brilliant figures which highlight the huge economic benefit that bringing home such a prestigious championship has for Scotland,” she said.

“Troon is a fantastic course enjoyed by players and spectators alike, both for the quality and challenge of the course. However, it’s much more wide-ranging than that - it showcases Scotland’s ability to host world class events, it has benefits for local businesses and hotels and inspires the next generation of players.

“We look forward to welcoming the world to Carnoustie in 2018 for the 147th Open.”