Countdown to The Open at
Royal Portrush

All eyes were on Northern Ireland in July 2025, as Royal Portrush swung into action to host The 153rd Open. This tournament wasn't just a wonderful sporting occasion – it was a superb opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland on the global stage. In advance of the tournament, Tourism Ireland teed up the excitement globally, making sure everyone knew that The Open was back where it belongs – at Royal Portrush.

Tourism Ireland rolled out an extensive programme of activity to leverage this prestigious sporting event, to inspire golfers around the world to choose Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland for their next golf holiday.

Special highlights of the programme included:

• Golf’s Greatest Holes, a special six-part series co-produced by Tourism Ireland, on Sky Sports and syndicated around the world.
• This is Open Country, a documentary supported by Tourism Ireland, on the Golf Channel, Sky Sports Golf and NOW.
• A partnership with The Telegraph and rugby legend Rory Best which spotlighted the unmatched golfing experience available here, through video and digital content, to millions in GB.
• Partnerships with international golf tour operators to bring visitors at scale and a presence at major tournaments and events such as the BMW PGA at Wentworth, IGTM (International Golf Travel Market) in Lisbon, the PGA Show in Orlando, IAGTO Asian Golf Tourism Convention in Vietnam, the KLM Open in Amsterdam and more.
• Advertising in GB – with voiceover by Paul McGinley – aired on TV, Connected TV and YouTube from 10th until 21st July, reaching 4.7 million. The ad aired around coverage of The Open and also included premium spots on Sky Sports.
• TV advertising in the United States, with Tourism Ireland’s golf ad airing to millions of viewers around coverage of The Open in nine key cities including Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Nashville and Philadelphia. The ad also aired on Connected TV (CTV) and streaming services from 14th until 23rd July. 
• Lots of positive publicity generated in international media around the world including an article in the Financial Times with the headline ‘Golfing hero Rory McIlroy shines a spotlight on the glens, beaches and fairways of his home’.
• A collaboration with popular Sky Sports presenter and former golf pro Iona Stephen to highlight the Valley course at Royal Portrush (the lesser known sibling of the iconic Dunluce links) and the wider area, which ran on YouTube and social channels in multiple markets and created over 600,000 opportunities to see (reach).