R&A Plans to Create a 'British Golf Major' Season, Combining The Open and AIG Women's Open as a Whole

Last weekend, The Open was successfully held at Royal Birkdale. Next week, the LPGA major AIG Women's Open will take place at nearby Royal Lytham & St Annes.

According to Forbes, R&A plans to promote these two back-to-back men's and women's major championships as a single package to create greater impact.

R&A aims to attract 22 million people to golf by 2034, and the major championships play a dual role—both as top-tier sporting events and as gateways to ignite global participation. Since its founding in 1860, The Open, as the oldest major in golf, has accumulated a unique charm that few tournaments can match. After each year's event concludes, R&A wants to shift the spotlight to the AIG Women's Open, just a 30-minute drive away, making it the 'second half' of the major season.

R&A CEO Mark Darbon said: 'From a commercial perspective and for our fans, this creates a longer attention cycle for both championships, enhancing storytelling opportunities and providing additional value for stakeholders. The future is not just about accommodating more people on-site—it's about creating more value and meaningful connections for audiences wherever they are.'

While ticket access has not yet reached the scarcity of The Masters, this year's Open received over one million ticket ballot applications, with only about 300,000 tickets available.

Darbon said that R&A recently launched a new fan initiative for the 'other 99%'—those who follow The Open through TV and digital platforms rather than attending in person: 'Our focus is on making that experience richer, more immersive, and more personalized. Whether through live content, behind-the-scenes access, enhanced statistics, social media storytelling, or new digital products, our opportunity is to bring fans closer to the championship than ever before.'

| Source: Forbes

| Image credit: The Open Instagram