MIKE WOODCOCK: Good morning, everyone. We'll make a start. Welcome to the R&A press conference at the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. I'm joined this morning by the R&A's chief executive Mark Darbon.
MARK DARBON: Good morning, everyone. Welcome. Thank you for joining us today. I'm sure you're as excited as I am to be here on the eve of the 154th Open and are looking forward to four days of world-class golf. As we return for the 11th staging of the Open Championship here, there's no doubt that Royal Birkdale is a magnificent venue. The club and the greenskeeping team in particular should be extremely proud of the condition of the course and its readiness for the championship.
It's going to play fast and firm and offer a true links test to our incredible field. I'd like to thank everyone at Birkdale for their efforts.
The R&A's purpose is to open golf to the world, and in support of that ambition, one of our key strategic priorities is to stage truly inspirational championships. We know what happens out on the links this week will inspire and excite millions of people all around the world, helping create or further deepen their connection with the sport.
The unique appeal of The Open is based on many things, but one of them is the way in which it continues to evolve while still maintaining the traditions that it is so renowned for.
This year we've significantly enhanced the fan experience, including adding new layers to our offering on the pre-championship days. You've already seen that in action with the staging of the Last-Chance Qualifier on Monday that saw Joe Dean secure the final place in the championship.
Yesterday it was the Heroes Classic, which saw our reigning Open champions Scottie Scheffler and Miyu Yamashita, joined by an array of other champions and personalities to compete in a three-hole scramble. We're delighted by how those events have been received, both here onsite by the spectators present and across our channels more broadly.
We've also introduced a raft of digital and broadcast innovations, including the redesigned official app, the all-new fantasy game, as well as enhanced live streaming, dedicated player coverage, and expanded global TV coverage.
Another addition this year, which I'd like to announce this morning, is the R&A Spirit of Golf award. This new award is designed to recognise an individual who demonstrates the spirit of the game on a global scale and exemplifies the values, behaviours, and traditions of golf.
I'm delighted to announce the first recipient of the award will be Adam Scott. Adam is a fantastic ambassador for the sport who has made a significant positive impact on golf all around the world. He's the ultimate professional and has consistently displayed integrity, respect, and passion for the game. We'll share the full details of the award following this press conference.
Demands to be part of the Open Championship continues to increase year on year. Whilst we are pleased to be welcoming a record attendance of more than 300,000 fans this week, I'm perhaps most pleased that we again received comfortably more than 1 million applications for tickets.
The ballot for the 155th Open Championship at St Andrews opened last week, and we're seeing that demand continue to grow. We've already had approaching three-quarters of a million applications for tickets in just the first nine days of that process.
We're determined to ensure that The Open remains just that, open and accessible to all, and so we continue with our kids-go-free program, which sets us apart from just about every other major sporting event in the UK and across the world with free tickets being made available to children under the age of 16. Nearly half a million youngsters have received free entry to The Open since that program was launched.
The last thing I'd like to touch on before we open for questions is the hugely beneficial impact that The Open has on the regions where it is staged and how we're looking to consolidate that impact here in the northwest of England. The 154th Open at Birkdale is forecast to deliver an economic benefit of more than £200 million. The Open creates jobs, brings money into local services and shines a global spotlight on the region, which can supercharge local tourism. It's transformative to the host region's economy, and we're proud of that just as much as we are what happens inside the venue.
The championship enjoys a very special connection with the northwest, so we're looking forward to returning to Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2028. I'm pleased to announce we've just agreed an MOU with the Liverpool City region and Sefton and Wirral councils to stage at least three Opens in the region by 2050. We will also stage other R&A championships in that period.
This is an important step for the R&A and supports the region's ambitions to promote its global golf offering.
I will close by simply thanking all of you for the wonderful coverage you provide of our great championship. We simply cannot tell the stories that emerge from this historic championship without your support, and for that, we are extremely grateful.
I wish you well for a great week. With that, I'm happy to take some questions.
Q. Obviously a pretty important football match tonight. There's been some reporting maybe if England is in the final, that will alter some plans, maybe tee times for Sunday. What will be the plan if England goes through to the final?
MARK DARBON: I'm an England football fan, so it would be a great problem to have. But I guess also, because I'm an England football fan, we should also wait to see how the semifinal goes before we get too far ahead.
Of course in the background, we've been doing a lot of thinking about this. Our final putt is currently scheduled for around 6:40 on Sunday. We think that, even if we go to a three-hole playoff, we've got time to complete the championship. So at this stage, no plans to alter anything, but we'll maintain that under review and finalise our position after the semifinal.
Q. You're implementing a new code of conduct for fans this week. Is that something that you've been working on for a while, or is that a direct result of some of the behaviour we've seen at golf events over the last couple years?
MARK DARBON: I'm just pausing because I was going to fall off my chair that you didn't start with Muirfield.
It's something that we've been thinking about for a while. I've worked in other sports; we've had codes of conduct at venues I've operated before. We're very proud of the way our spectators behave at The Open Championship. We think it's a great reflection of both passion and support for the world's best players but also respect for traditions of the game.
We thought by codifying some of what we expect, it will help and support this championship moving forward.
Q. You've teed it up for me. Any news on Muirfield?
(Laughter.)
MARK DARBON: As I've said to you many times, we've got a great dialogue with Muirfield. We've just staged a really successful Amateur Championship there for the women. We're excited to return an Open Championship to that venue in the future.
It requires a few tweaks both around the golf course and across the site more broadly, but it's a good dialogue with the club and one that we'll maintain.
Q. Just following up on that and Muirfield in particular, but there's a growing perception that The Open rota venues need to architecturally change to accommodate the fan experience, and that's not always well-received. Do you understand that perception, and what do you say to those who are critical of changing sometimes time-tested courses like Muirfield?
MARK DARBON: I think what I would say, first and foremost, is that these are all members' clubs. So a lot of the decision-making is driven by the members themselves. I think where we are this week is a brilliant example of that. The changes to the golf course have been driven by the members.
Given the strength of partnership that we have with our host venues, of course we're part of some of those discussions, and where there are things that we can do together that also help us operationally, they often make sense to do to help with the staging of the championship.
But I think it would be wrong to say that all of the changes are driven by a need to accommodate spectators. They're ultimately decisions for the clubs and their members.
Q. Are any of those changes distance related, and can you discuss what's happened since we've last seen you and the USGA and the PGA TOUR's announcement?
MARK DARBON: I think, again, as it related to course changes, in general have we seen a lengthening of some of these golf courses over time? We have; the stats show that. Here specifically, I don't think we're playing the course at a dramatically elevated length than the last time we were here in 2017. So it's clearly not all about distance, but of course that's a consideration.
More broadly on the distance topic, there's been a lot of discussion and debate, certainly since we were sat here last year. I guess a couple of things have happened specifically.
Firstly, we as the governing bodies went out to the industry and asked for their perspectives on the dates under which we implement the new ODS standard, and specifically we asked a question around whether the industry would prefer a model that saw a single-dated implementation in 2030 versus the dates that were part of the original implementation, which included elite game in '28 and the rest of the game in '30.
The feedback was pretty clear. It wasn't unanimous, but there was a clear majority, a preference for the move to 2030. So we've confirmed that back to the industry.
I think the other thing that's happened is there's been a lot of, I'd say, really transparent and collaborative dialogue with other stakeholders, the tours, and more recently with a number of players themselves. It's of no surprise to anyone that not everyone is aligned behind the decision that was made in December 2023, and having heard the feedback from the industry, I think it would be remiss of us not to take some time to explore some of the other alternatives that may exist, particularly given that there's clearly been a bit of change in the position of the PGA TOUR and its players, an openness to look at some model local rules.
We're going to take that window, and we're going to work really collaboratively with the industry, manufacturers and other stakeholders, to ensure we've got the right solution moving forward.
Q. Can I just talk about the prize money. It wasn't a great leap, and it seems that you're making a bit of a stand. Is that a fair assumption?
MARK DARBON: That's a fair assumption. No, we've increased our prize money this year up by three-quarters of a million up to $17.75 million. We are big believers in recognising and rewarding the players. They're the icons of our sport. They have a disproportionate impact on the status and standing of the game.
We look at prize money as part of a broader package that we offer here at The Open Championship. We've also increased and continued to increase our investment into the player experience, and we're very proud of the fact that we consistently get told by the players that the experience - the facilities, the services, the support - that we offer during Open Championship week sets the benchmark for the rest of golf. We're intent on ensuring that that continues to remain the case.
So prize money is but one component of that comparison. At the same time, we're trying to find a model that gets the balance right. We have a relatively unique model at the R&A. We invest the proceeds that we generate from this Open Championship back into the sport. That's really important for us, and we think we're finding the right balance.
Q. Most people would agree with the code of conduct. Can you talk a little bit about how much teeth it will have? Will you have people following high-risk groups to make sure those players aren't being abused. And what do you make of Faldo saying this week we need to have fines, and he talked about $10,000 fines for hecklers. Would the R&A have been looking at that as well?
MARK DARBON: Sorry, just to be clear, you're talking about the player code of conduct?
Q. The fans' code of conduct. What will you do to make sure that fans aren't -- will you have security guards following high-risk groups? And what do you think of the idea of imposing fines for the worst offenders?
MARK DARBON: We've got a great staffing model across our venue that involves R&A staff, volunteers, marshals, officials. Those people are briefed on keeping an eye on this behaviour in line with our code of conduct, so we're very confident in our ability to identify any folks that step over the line that we've drawn, and we'll monitor that through the week.
I think we feel that it's within our gift, if someone does step over the line, to ask them to leave the venue, and I think that's a pretty powerful display. That's the mechanism that we'll use rather than fining a spectator.
Q. My question is about handicapping. In your 2025 review, you indicated that handicap manipulation is potentially a big issue in GB&I. I wondered what scale that would need to reach in order for you to act and change the terms of WHS rather than continue down an education route?
MARK DARBON: We believe that the World Handicap System is a really positive thing for the game of golf on a global basis. There's definitely some noise around it within the UK specifically. More so, in fact, than in many other markets. So we've got a very tight dialogue with national federations of the home unions that we work with.
We believe that education at the moment is the right method. People need to understand the system, and we'd ask them to display integrity when using the handicap system. We're confident that we're making progress, so that's our plan at the moment.
Q. In the dialogue with national governing bodies like England Golf, England Golf have changed the terms of their entry to championships where you can only submit four general play scores and information taken into account. Is that the direction of travel, where we might see a two-speed system? And are you supportive of the changes England Golf have made?
MARK DARBON: Ultimately those decisions around their own championship are for their own federations their own market. We of course have a great dialogue with them. We're supportive of what England Golf have done, and we'll continue to monitor it moving forward.
Q. You're not exactly completely new in this, but you have only been in it a relatively short time, and I'm intrigued to know what your feeling is about the reality of the job you've taken on compared with what you thought it was going to be like in that golden period when you actually got the job and before you actually got your feet under the desk. And a follow up, if I may, and I hope you won't duck this: How do you think you've done in that time? Please don't say ask other people how you've done because I have asked other people. What I'm interested in knowing is, if I may the second part, how do you think you've done? Two-part question.
MARK DARBON: What did the people you asked say? And then I'll guide my answer.
Q. Well, they said nice things, so that should make you feel good.
MARK DARBON: Let me try to break that down into a few constituent parts. I think certainly there was a golden period, that moment between when you were offered the job and when you start. I actually had some time to play golf, so that was enjoyable.
Look, I'm loving the role. I think I expected this job with the R&A to pull you in lots of different directions. We have a really broad remit across the sport, and I think it's fair to say that that's in line with expectations, but when you're living and breathing it day in and day out, it's hard. It's forlorn. But I'm enjoying the challenge that comes with that breadth.
I think one of the things that I probably hadn't appreciated as much as I maybe should have done before I started was quite how fragmented this sport is. I used to think that the sport I was working in previously, in rugby, was fragmented at different levels of the game, but golf takes that to another level, whether it's the breadth of organisations involved in the elite professional game or the way we're structured through the pathway on a global basis and on an individual country basis beyond that.
So given our role, there's such breadth in terms of the stakeholder relationships that you have, and navigating that is a challenge. One of my hopes for the future of our sport is that we can move through some of the duplication and tension that exists across many of those organisations because I think one of the powerful things is a lot of those organisations have shared objectives to ensure the future health of this sport. Sometimes tension and duplication can get in the way of that, and we've got a role to play to help break some of that down.
In terms of how I think I'm doing, I hope I haven't built a career on marking my own homework, but I think it's going well. I'm pleased with the start. Why do I say that? I guess a few reasons. I think in this role, in this organisation, the relationships that you build are really critical. I just talked about the number of organisations that we work with, and I'm really pleased with the relationships that I've built so far across different stakeholders -- not just for the sake of having a relationship, but I think to open up some really good dialogue around some of the issues and opportunities that exist for our sport. So that's part of it.
I'm really pleased with the progress we're making with The Open Championship, our showcase event. Is all of that my work? No, of course not, but I think you'll see us continue to evolve and innovate with this championship whilst being really respectful of its origins. And that's required because this is our commercial engine. Getting this right helps us have great impact on the sport more broadly.
Finally, I'm pleased with a bunch of internal stuff we've done. This is not the stuff that will engage or excite all of you, but there was an opportunity, I think, to bring a bit more precision to the R&A strategy to allocate our resources a bit more smartly, to improve and bring some efficiency to our governance model, and we're not all the way through that work, but I think we're making good progress. That's important because I think it will give us a platform for success into the future.
Q. You talked about innovating and things like that. We all know that the way media are covering competitions is changing rapidly. Few sports have really seen such a YouTube boom as much as golf has. We all know about Bryson, but beyond that, kind of content creation and things like that, I just wondered, in your bid to try and innovate and evolve, have you tried to tap into that as a way of getting more eyeballs on the sport? Have you invited prominent YouTubers or TikTokkers or whatever to come here and create their content to try to get that? Is that something you're looking to try to embrace actively, or are you hoping passively they turn up and do videos themselves? I was wondering if you're actively inviting them along.
MARK DARBON: I certainly don't think we're a passive organisation. So we are proactively focused on how do we grow our audience for this great championship and other championships that we stage too.
I'd say a few things, though. I think the activities we want to undertake at our Open Championship specifically have to remain true to their heritage and standing of this great event. We could, I guess, have chosen to stage a creator classic at the start of this week. We didn't do that. We proactively sought to stage an event -- in this case, the Last-Chance Qualifier -- that was entirely aligned with the roots that we have for qualification into our event more broadly.
Do we want to be really proactive and innovative around the way we present that to our audience to build interest and intrigue? Absolutely. But the actual proposition itself is very true to what the rest of this great event stands for.
I think that's where the sweet spot lies for us. We will engage with different audiences through a range of channels, where we'll use influencers and content creators to help us on that journey, but we will never do anything to undermine the standing, heritage, and platform that our championship has built and will continue to stand for.
Q. At the U.S. Open this year, Joaquín Niemann received a two-shot penalty for an incident that none of us have seen, but yet we had to live with what the USGA said it was. No transparency, no proactivity. Where would you stand in regards to something like that going forward?
MARK DARBON: Look, it's up to the U.S. Open to determine how they deal with their own incidents. For us, I feel very confident that we've got a good process that we've built off the back of introducing this player code of conduct for their on-course behaviour.
So we have a clear decision-making process around that. We've obviously rehearsed and talked through a number of scenarios that could play out in that space. So I think we're well set to deal with any issues if they come up on that front. We believe that we have a responsibility to play a leadership role to ensure that fans watching all around the world see appropriate behaviour from the world's best players as they participate in our championship, and that's why we've got the code of conduct in place.
Q. Just to confirm, if in fact there was video and you had it and you had given someone a two-shot penalty, would we see it?
MARK DARBON: I think you'll get a clear explanation from us around why we may distribute penalties or warnings, yes.
Q. That didn't answer if we'd see the video or not.
MARK DARBON: I think it would depend on the context, but I think what's important is that we have clear rationale and explanation for any choices that we make under the umbrella of that policy.
Q. On The Open rota for the moment, there's only one venue in the south, Royal St George's. The last year or so, you heard the odd rumour and whisper about Prince's. It's getting the Walker Cup soon. In 2032 will be the 100 years since Gene Sarazen won The Open there. Is there any consideration for Prince's perhaps one day being on The Open rota?
MARK DARBON: It's not under consideration at the moment. As you mentioned, we're taking the Walker Cup there. The work they've done in recent years down at Prince's has been spectacular, but we're really happy with the rotation that we've got at the moment. As you know, and it's been well-documented, we are in discussion with Portmarnock around the potential for an Open Championship in the future. No plans beyond that at this stage.
Q. I want to revisit the idea of adding a new hole to a century-old links. When you talk about the members driving the change, did they want the change, or did they want it because the R&A couldn't guarantee they'd come back if they didn't?
MARK DARBON: The decisions were made before my time, but at no stage would we threaten a non-return to a venue on that basis. We've held -- this is our most visited venue outside of St Andrews, so we've found a way to work with this venue operationally really seamlessly in the past. So there would certainly be no threats on that front.
As the members considered some changes to their golf course, as I said earlier, they invited us into that process. It's a process that we would be very keen to be part of. I think we've struck the right balance with evolving this golf course, and the feedback that we hear from the membership base is very, very positive indeed.
Q. In this movement for bigness, which has been several years now, has there been any consideration to have a smaller footprint once every odd years just because it's the right place to go?
MARK DARBON: I would push back certainly on the terminology, a movement for bigness.
Q. Couldn't think of a better word.
MARK DARBON: I'd say a couple of things. I'd say we are delighted by the demand we have for The Open Championship. It's an event that's clearly resonating with people all around the world, including those that want to attend and watch this wonderful championship live.
So if we're able to facilitate spectator volumes onsite, we'll always consider that, but it's not the primary driver for us. And I'll give you an example. We're going back to Lytham in a couple years time. Lytham has a much smaller footprint. There's absolutely no way we'll be near the volume of spectators at Lytham that we have here this week.
So our choices, first and foremost, start with the underlying principle for us, which is we want to take The Open Championship to venues that will offer a true test of links golf. We're not taking venues off the rotation because they're smaller than others, but there's a balance to be struck too, and we think we're getting that right.
Q. Can I just ask about Portmarnock? What sort of needs to happen? Do you have a realistic timeline on it now?
MARK DARBON: I think we're getting pretty close. It's a complicated venue because of the scale of The Open Championship. So there's been a lot of great feasibility work with the golf club themselves, with the local authority, with government. We've undertaken a big feasibility study. That work is pretty much done. We've confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there.
What we're looking to do is build a model that opens up opportunities for the AIG Women's Open and The Open for many, many years to come. So that's the dialogue we're in right now with the Irish government, and we're optimistic that those discussions are heading in the right direction.
Time frame -- look, in the spirit of transparency, it's taken a bit longer than I think I and we thought it may, but it's complicated doing all of that feasibility work. We're hoping to have a pretty clear view by the end of the year for sure.
Q. We spoke about a lot of venues, et cetera. I come from the world's most populous country of India. The R&A has been doing a great job in terms of supporting various programmes, including Women in Leadership in recent times. But the Indian Open at just more than 60 years old has never been even seen as a possibility for an Open qualifier. There's so many other countries in Asia and elsewhere in the world. Is there any chance the world's most populous country's national open becoming a part of The Open as an Open qualifier?
MARK DARBON: Great question. We're really proud of the Open qualification model and specifically The Open qualifying series. We will reassess the championships and events that form part of that series each year. There are a number of things we think about. We're obviously very focused on building a strong field here at the championship, but we also want to represent global golf. We feel particularly passionate about some of the historic national opens. They're a big part of our thinking.
We don't have an immediate plan in India, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out for the future.
MIKE WOODCOCK: Thank you everyone for joining us, and thank you, Mark.
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