The Open Championship at Royal Portrush will adjust its Saturday tee times to accommodate a loyalist band parade taking place in the Northern Irish town. The Portrush Sons of Ulster are holding their event on the same evening as the golf tournament continues at the nearby course.
Some 77 marching bands and 2,000 people are expected to attend the parade from 8.30pm to 11pm around Portrush town centre on Saturday night. Meanwhile, an estimated 280,000 people - a record attendance for The Open outside St Andrew's - are in town for the tournament at Royal Portrush Golf Club.
Golf times shifted by 15 minutes
Mark Darbon, chief executive of the Royal & Ancient (R&A), said there will be "marginal adjustments" of about 15 minutes to the golf tee-times on Saturday. The changes aim to ensure both events can take place in a "seamless" way.
"We recognise that when we bring The Open Championship to town, we are a guest in the community in which we operate," he said. "On many occasions, there are concurrent events that take place around the action that we are very focused on here, within the walls of the venue."
Collaborative approach to scheduling
Darbon explained that organisers have worked "really collaboratively" with parade organisers and multi-agency groups to ensure both events can run smoothly. "We are making a slight tweak to tee times to try and finish - it's not dramatic, maybe 15 minutes or so earlier," he said.
He acknowledged that weather could affect precise finishing times, describing the adjustments as "marginal". "At the same time, this is an outdoor sport; the weather can play a big role. It's very difficult to be precise on finishing times," Darbon added.
Financial support for dual events
When asked about reports that parade organisers had been offered £20,000 to postpone their event - which was rejected - Darbon confirmed the R&A is contributing to "some incremental costs". The funding supports the "seamless operation of both events", he said at Wednesday's press conference.
"We try and be good citizens in the communities in which we operate when we come to town," Darbon added. The approach reflects the tournament's commitment to working alongside local community events rather than displacing them.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
