SOUTHPORT, England – The 146th Open Championship set an attendance record for a major in England.
More than 235,000 fans attended this week’s event at Royal Birkdale, surpassing the mark of 230,000 at Royal Liverpool in 2006, when Tiger Woods won the title.
This week’s Open represents a 17 percent increase over 2008, when Padraig Harrington won, and is the largest crowd for a non-St. Andrews Open.
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“One of the main reasons why The Open is so highly regarded as a world-class sporting event is the hundreds of thousands of spectators who generate a very special atmosphere for the players and millions of viewers watching around the world,” said R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers. “A record-breaking crowd has enjoyed a week of thrilling golf, and we thank every single person who has attended Royal Birkdale over the last eight days for making this a very special championship.”
St. Andrews still holds the record for the most-attended Opens, with 239,000 fans in 2000 and 237,000 in 2015.
Next year’s Open will be held at Carnoustie, on July 19-22.
Source: Internet
