McIlroy mania is set to engulf Royal Portrush this summer with a record-breaking 278,000 fans expected to attend The Open Championship.
The sold-out event will be the largest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, generating an estimated £213 million in economic impact.
Ticket sales have surged following Rory McIlroy's emotional Masters victory earlier this month, with fans eager to see the Northern Irish champion compete on home soil.
The attendance figure will make this summer's Open the largest Championship ever held outside of St Andrews.
Rory McIlroy will be desperate to win The Open as it returns to Royal Portrush for the first time since 2019
Reuters
Over one million people entered the public ballot for tickets to the 153rd Open, demonstrating the extraordinary demand for the championship.
The 278,000 attendance represents an increase of 41,000 compared to when The Open last visited Royal Portrush in 2019.
This figure is second only to the 290,000 spectators who attended the 2022 Open at St Andrews, the home of golf.
"We have huge demand for the Open Championship, something we're very proud of," said Mark Darbon, R&A CEO.
Darbon claimed the new Masters champion has "unfinished business" at his home Major after his disappointing performance in 2019.
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"I think his win is brilliant for the sport of golf, not just our own championship," Darbon remarked.
"It was an amazing emotional win as many of you witnessed and we're delighted to see Rory McIlroy's name in the history books."
"We know he's super excited to return here, he has some unfinished business on this course, so he'll be very focused on performance," added the R&A chief.
The 148th Open returned to Ulster after a 68-year wait in 2019, but McIlroy faced a nightmare start with a quadruple-bogey eight on the first hole.
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Rory McIlroy suffered heartbreak at last year's Open Championship
PA
This led to a heartbreaking missed cut in front of his home crowd.
McIlroy will return to the Antrim coast in July as one of only six men to ever complete the career Grand Slam following his thrilling playoff win at Augusta.
The 35-year-old, who returned home to Belfast last weekend, is back in action this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
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