Open Championship set to bring £100m plus boost to economy
The action begins at the Royal Liverpool on Thursday 20 July
Last updated 19th Jul 2023
The 151st Open Championship in Hoylake is set to boost the local economy by more than £100million.
That's according to Mark Camborne, who has been the lead officer at Wirral Council for planning the tournament.
From the start of this week until the tournament's conclusion, more than 260,000 people are expected in the area.
Some of the world's top stars will be in action - including Rory McIlroy, who won The Open when it was last held in Hoylake in 2014.
It gets underway tomorrow (20 July), with Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot.
Mr Camborne said:
"In 2014 the R&A, who are the event organisers, commissioned independent economic benefit analysis research done by Sheffield Hallam University and they estimated that an Open Championship coming into Royal Liverpool in 2014 provided an economic benefit of somewhere around £75million.
"It's certainly going to be over £100million this time when they do that research.
"All of that spend isn't just into businesses and into the Wirral, it's the wider city region and a lot of it is that advertising space in terms of the media, that truly international reach in that space as well.
"Without a doubt there have been contractors working here and living here for 12 months who will have been spending locally, the crowd size arriving in and out, we have 150/200 volunteers who are helping them go to local supermarkets and shops.
"For the first time ever on Wirral, which we're really pleased about for an Open Championship, we have a camping village in the middle of Hoylake - 2,500 bed spaces of spectators who've come from all far corners of the globe who will be going out into West Kirby, Hoylake and farther afield experiencing not just the golf, but also what we've got to offer."