New qualifying event to be introduced for 154th Open at Royal Birkdale

Aimed at generating drama and excitement for fans, the event on the Monday of Open week will see up to 12 players compete over 18 holes for the final place in the field at the Southport venue.

In addition, a Heroes Classic will also be held on the Tuesday, with past champions and special guests taking part in a short-format challenge.

The two additions, which have come from fans saying they’d like to more opportunities to watch live golf in the early part of Open week, were announced by the St Andrews-based organisation as the ticket ballot for next year’s event opened on Monday.

Mark Darbon, The R&A’s Chief Executive, said: “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and recognised worldwide for the special atmosphere generated by the tens of thousands of fans who attend the Championship each year.

“We have asked them how we can make their experience of attending The Open even more enjoyable and they have been clear – they want more live golf, more opportunities to engage with the traditions of golf’s original championship and more activities onsite to watch, listen and play.

Aim is to ‘elevate The Open for fans’ in early part of week

“As a result, we have introduced new features which we believe will elevate The Open for fans, particularly on the days leading up to the championship, providing a memorable experience of attending Royal Birkdale with friends and family next year.

“The ticket ballot continues to be extremely popular with 1.2 million tickets applied for last year and we are anticipating high demand again. We would encourage all fans wanting to secure their place at The 154th Open to submit their application before the ballot closes on 25 July.”

The ticket ballot is available exclusively to members of One Club, the free-to-join digital membership programme presented by Mastercard, and ticket applications can be submitted from now until 25 July.

Ticket prices for The 154th Open will start from £30 for an adult on the opening Sunday rising throughout the week of the championship to £150 for the final round.

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Free tickets will be available to children through the successful “Kids go Free” programme, while half-price youth tickets are available for 16-24-year-olds. These tickets must also be applied for using the ticket ballot.

Fans should visit TheOpen.com to enter the ticket ballot