- 10-year partnership will cover services across ticketing, premium experiences, and fan experience propositions at The Open.
- Partnership will help unlock new growth, allowing The R&A to continue investing and growing the sport at all levels.
- Announcement follows a new attendance record at The Open’s host venue for the seventh Championship in a row.
The R&A and global sports marketing agency Two Circles have agreed a new, expanded, long-term relationship, working together to drive growth across ticketing, premium experiences and fan experience propositions at The Open, with planning for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale in 2026 already well underway.
The announcement follows a record-breaking number of spectators for The Open at Royal Troon in July with 258,174 fans lining the course to witness Xander Schauffele’s successful pursuit of the famous Claret Jug, as he became Champion Golfer of the Year for the first time.
The 152nd Open saw a 50% increase on tickets sold in 2016, the last time The Open was held at Royal Troon, with fans purchasing premium experiences more than doubling.
The new agreement extends an already successful partnership which has seen the last seven Championships (excluding the pandemic restrictions in 2021) set new attendance records for the respective host venues.
The partnership will combine Two Circles’ and The R&A’s commercial expertise to drive event day growth at The Open through product innovation, ticket and premium experience (PE) marketing and sales and operational execution.
Gareth Balch, Chief Executive & Co-Founder, Two Circles, said: “We are incredibly excited to continue delivering growth with The R&A, driven by more fan-first insight than ever. Over the past seven years working together, we have seen significant increases in attendance and – just as importantly – brilliant fan engagement and experiences. This expanded partnership will allow us to build on that success even further.
“By leveraging our combined expertise, we aim to continue expanding golf’s audience further while enhancing the experience for fans year-on-year. This partnership is a testament to our shared vision for the future of golf and our commitment to providing unparalleled experiences for all attendees.”
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, added: “The partnership with Two Circles will enable us to unlock new growth and enhance The R&A’s ability to invest in developing golf around the world. This innovative long-term collaboration will help to ensure that The Open remains at the forefront of global sporting events and enable us to harness this success to ensure golf is thriving for many years to come.”
-ENDS-
About Two Circles
Two Circles grows revenue for the world’s leading sports rights-holders, using data to create strategies, deliver proprietary technology solutions, package and sell sponsorships, and design and market compelling, tailored content.
From nine international offices (Bern, Cologne, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Miami, New York, Paris), Two Circles manages billions of fan data interactions on behalf of over 400 clients around the globe, with more insight into fan behaviour and desire than any other organisation.
About The R&A
The R&A group of companies was formed in 2004 to take on The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ responsibilities for governing the Rules of Golf, staging The Open, golf’s original championship, and developing the sport. The R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews is part of The R&A group.
Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 61 million golfers in 146 countries and with the consent of 165 organisations from amateur and professional golf.
The R&A has responsibility for running a series of world class amateur events and international matches in women’s and girls’ as well as men’s and boys’ golf. The R&A stages the AIG Women’s Open and works with the DP World Tour to stage the Senior Open presented by Rolex.
The R&A is committed to investing £200 million over ten years in developing golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. For more information, visit www.randa.org.
Further information:
Two Circles
Jason White, Head of Marketing
The R&A Communications
+44 (0)1334 460000
