As another Open Golf Championship in Liverpool city region draws to a close this latest event at Royal Birkdale offers an estimated £200m boost and a new agreement ensures The Open will return in the coming years. Tony McDonough reports
Around 300,000 people are likely to have attended this year’s Open Golf Championship benefiting an estimated £200m in economic value for Liverpool city region.
And a new agreement between the Combined Authority and the R&A, sport’s governing body, means the event is set to return on multiple occasions over the next few years, further boosting the economic impact of the sport.
When the Open was last held in Merseyside, at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake in 2023, around 260,000 people attended, with many spectators travelling from across the world, especially the US. This generated an estimated £187m in economic value.
It is important to point out that this figure isn’t all direct cash going through the tills of local businesses. Of the £187m around £43m is direct spend while the remainder is broadcast / destination marketing benefits.
This refers to the estimated economic value generated from the global media exposure. The Open is broadcast worldwide (linear TV, digital platforms, online media, etc) to hundreds of millions of viewers across multiple countries.
Independent research (typically by YouGov Sport) calculates an advertising equivalent value – what it would cost to buy similar promotional exposure through paid advertising.
Now the Combined Authority, alongside Sefton and Wirral Councils, has entered into an agreement with The R&A that would see the region stage The Open at least three times by 2050 alongside other R&A championships.
This Memorandum of Understanding replaces a current hosting partnership with Wirral and Sefton which is set to end after The 154th Open this year and prolongs a long-standing relationship between the region and the championship’s organisers.
City region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “The Open is one of the biggest prizes in world sport, so securing it for the Liverpool city region at least three more times is fantastic news.
“It’s a huge vote of confidence in everything our region has to offer – from our world-class courses and spectacular coastline to the warm welcome visitors receive wherever they go.
“With some of the best golf courses in the country on our doorstep, we are undoubtedly the UK’s golf coast and this agreement cements that reputation for decades to come.”
Liverpool city region’s biggest annual sporting event is the Aintree Grand National which generates around £60m each year. However, the National is coming under increasing criticism from those who say the meeting is cruel to the horses that take part. Golf, of course, is free of such controversy.
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Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, chief championships officer at The R&A, added: “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and has a unique ability to showcase a destination to a global audience while delivering significant long-term economic and community benefits.”
Wirral Council leader Paula Basnett and her Sefton counterpart Marion Atkinson also welcomed the new agreement with Cllr Basnett saying The Open “creates a lasting legacy that boosts tourism, drives economic growth and strengthens our international reputation”.