Open Tee Times 'tweaked' Because Of Band Parade In Portrush

The commencement of The Open Championship successful Portrush connected Saturday is being brought guardant owed to a set parade successful nan town.

More than 70 bands and astir 2,000 group are owed to beryllium progressive successful nan arena which has been organised by Portrush Sons of Ulster connected Saturday evening, arsenic nan play tourney finishes for nan time nearby.

The main executive of nan Royal & Ancient (R&A), Mark Darbon, said location would beryllium "marginal adjustments" of astir 15 minutes to nan play tee-times connected Saturday to effort to guarantee some events could return spot successful a "seamless" way.

Mr Darbon said, arsenic organisers, they are "guests successful nan community".

More than 275,000 spectators are expected to descend connected Portrush complete nan coming days, making it the largest sporting arena held successful Northern Ireland.

The Open was first played astatine Portrush successful 1951 and was last hosted successful nan municipality successful 2019.

Organisers opportunity The Open generates much than 5,000 hours of world tv coverage, pinch nan title beamed into 500 cardinal homes.

It is estimated that nan 153rd Open will boost nan Northern Ireland system by much than £200m.

"We recognise that erstwhile we bring The Open Championship to town, we are a impermanent successful nan organization successful which we operate," Mr Darbon said, astatine a property conference.

"On galore occasions, location are concurrent events that return spot astir nan action that we are very focused connected here, wrong nan rules of nan venue.

"So, recognising nan events that are taking spot connected Saturday, we person worked collaboratively pinch nan organisers and crossed multi-agency groups to ensure, primarily, some events tin tally arsenic seamlessly arsenic possible.

"We are making a flimsy tweak to tee times to effort and decorativeness - it's not dramatic, possibly 15 minutes aliases truthful earlier.

"At nan aforesaid time, this is an outdoor sport; nan upwind tin play a large role.

"It's very difficult to beryllium precise connected finishing times, but we are looking astatine immoderate marginal adjustments."

Asked astir reports that nan organisers of nan set parade had been offered £20,000 to postpone their event, Mr Darbon did not reply nan mobility directly.

He said nan R&A had contributed "incremental costs" to nan logistical cognition progressive connected Saturday evening.

The Open usually finishes aft 19:00 GMT connected a Saturday.

No nonstop times are ever known owed to upwind and playing conditions connected nan day.

The set parade is owed to statesman astatine astir 20:30, according to nan Parades Commission website.

More than 77 bands are scheduled to return portion and it is expected to decorativeness astatine astir 23:00 GMT.

In a station connected societal media connected Wednesday, Portrush Sons Of Ulster said nan set has made it clear from nan commencement of meetings that "we were having our parade and that hasn't changed".

"It has taken a superior magnitude of activity for america to get wherever we are astatine today," they said successful their station connected Facebook.

They urged group attending nan arena to scheme up "due to nan measurement of golfers and parade goers" successful nan municipality connected nan aforesaid day.

"As is good known, our parade already draws a monolithic crowd but this twelvemonth we expect it will beryllium moreover bigger owed to nan publicity it has received," they said.

"We inquire each spectators to dispersed themselves retired passim nan municipality and not to beryllium each gathering astatine nan 1 point."