Latest news with #PortrushSonsofUlster
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Open tee times look set to change over concern around band parade in Portrush
The R&A are said to be weighing up a decision to move the third round tee times at the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush. The Portrush Sons of Ulster are holding a parade in the seaside town on the Saturday evening with over 60 bands due to take part with the march scheduled to begin shortly after close of play when thousands of golf fans will be heading home. Advertisement Discussions had taken place in recent months to try and find a solution however requests to postpone the parade were rejected. READ MORE: Rory McIlroy sports fresh look ahead of the Open as he makes one young fan's day READ MORE: Sarah Montgomery funeral hears tributes to "best mummy" who had "everything to live for" The R&A's concerns centre on the logistical challenges presented with large crowds due to attend both events with close of play at the Open usually scheduled for 8pm and the parade set to get underway some 15 minutes later. As a result The Guardian reports the R&A are considering bringing the start times for play on Saturday week forward meaning an earlier finish on the links course. Advertisement In a statement the R&A said: 'We are working on plans to minimise disruption for our fans leaving the championship due to the event taking place in Portrush.' One possible stumbling block however could be the live American television coverage with it unclear how even a slightly earlier start on the north coast would impact that. The 153rd Open is set to get underway at Royal Portrush on July 17 with a record crowd set to gather at the iconic Dunluce links. The R&A has confirmed that 278,000 fans will descend on the north coast for what is set to be the biggest sporting event to take place in Northern Ireland. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Major gulf of opinion in Portrush over clash between band parade and Open
Views divided on whether organisers of loyalist event should have taken £20k offer to alter plans to avoid congestion A band parade in Portrush on the penultimate evening of The Open Golf Championship has divided opinion in the town. Portrush Sons of Ulster 'snubbed' an offer of £20,000 from organisers to avoid a clash with the tournament next Saturday amid concerns about congestion.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Loyalist band snubs €23k offer to postpone parade that clashes with Open at Portrush
The R&A considers changing the tee times amid congestion fears Liam Tunney and Adam McKendry A loyalist band whose annual parade clashes with the 153rd Open Golf Championship in Portrush was offered, and rejected, £20,000 (€23,000) to postpone its event. More than 60 bands and 2,000 people are expected to march through the town as part of a Portrush Sons of Ulster parade on Saturday July 19, which would coincide with the day's golfing action coming to a close.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Loyalist band snubs £20k offer to postpone parade that clashes with Open
More than 60 bands and 2,000 people are expected to march through the town as part of a Portrush Sons of Ulster parade on Saturday July 19, which would coincide with the day's golfing action coming to a close. Tens of thousands of fans coming out of the Dunluce Links and back to the Co Antrim seaside town could merge with large crowds gathered for the parade, posing logistical problems. The Royal & Ancient (R&A), which organises the tournament, is understood to be preparing to amend tee times to ease the congestion. It has now emerged that the band was offered in the region of £20,000 by organisers to postpone their parade — which they refused. PUP councillor Russell Watton said the situation should have been dealt with long ago, with the R&A's offer coming late in the day. 'They (the R&A) are only doing it because of the traffic problem. There are 64 bands booked to go to this parade,' he told this newspaper. 'They came in and did a presentation to the council six months ago, but they should have been at that long ago, not at the last minute. 'There are people there getting paid to run the thing. They knew the parade was always on that Saturday after the Twelfth. They knew it and everybody else knew it. 'About three or four weeks ago, they offered them about £20,000.' The R&A has been contacted for comment. Mr Watton said the weekend marked one of the most lucrative in the Portrush calendar, with bands coming from all over Northern Ireland to attend. 'This is booked solid, and they come from Markethill, Kilkeel, south Fermanagh and they stay for the weekend,' he said. 'They do their own Twelfth and then come down here. The caravan parks are jam-packed. It's almost the biggest economic weekend in Portrush. The Open will be dead and gone next year, it'll not be there after next weekend. 'It will go all right, though. The golf course is a good three quarters of a mile from the main street. 'The band has my full support; I'm just hoping it works out.' Behind the scenes at Royal Portrush: The changes to The Open course Just under 50,000 spectators are expected to flock to Royal Portrush for the sold-out Open tournament each day. The parade is scheduled to begin at 8.15pm, with the third round of The Open typically finishing at around 8pm. A significant number of fans are set to travel by public transport, which would require them to return to the centre of the town to catch either a bus or a train. In a statement to The Guardian, a spokesperson for the R&A said: 'We are working on plans to minimise disruption for our fans leaving the championship due to the event taking place in Portrush on the Saturday evening.' It is not believed that there is much wriggle room for the R&A as the tee times have to align with broadcast windows in the United States, meaning that while the start of the day's play could be moved forward, it will not be by a considerable amount. With 278,000 fans heading to Royal Portrush over the course of the week, the 153rd Open is set to be the biggest sporting event in Northern Irish history.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Open 2025: Portrush tee times could be changed due to Orange Order Parade
The RandA are reportedly deliberating whether to adjust the tee-off times for the third round of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush. This comes as the Portrush Sons of Ulster plan their parade in the coastal town on the Saturday evening. Over 60 bands are expected to participate, with the procession set to kick off just after play ends, coinciding with the exit of countless golf enthusiasts. Months of negotiation to resolve this clash haven't led to any change as requests to delay the parade were turned down. The RandA's worries revolve around the logistical headache of accommodating the influx of spectators for the two simultaneous events, with the Open traditionally wrapping up by 8pm and the parade slated to begin a mere quarter of an hour later. According to The Guardian, the RandA is contemplating an earlier commencement of Saturday's play at the prestigious tournament, resulting in an earlier conclusion on the legendary links course, reports Belfast Live. In a press release, the RandA stated: "We are working on plans to minimise disruption for our fans leaving the championship due to the event taking place in Portrush." However, one potential hiccup could be the live US television broadcast, which might be affected if even a minor tweak is made to the start time along the North Antrim coast. Royal Portrush is poised to host the 153rd Open starting July 17, with an unprecedented number of spectators expected to converge on the famous Dunluce links. The RandA has confirmed that a staggering 278,000 spectators are set to swarm the north coast for what is shaping up to be the largest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland.
