Millions in Britain and the US to watch ‘This is Open Country’ supported by Tourism Ireland

As the biggest names in world golf descend on Royal Portrush this week, Tourism Ireland has announced the upcoming release of ‘This is Open Country’ – a one-hour feature documentary produced for Golf Channel in association with the R&A and in partnership with Tourism Ireland – that charts the island of Ireland’s incredible success at The Open Championship.

Produced by award-winning Irish filmmakers Ross Whitaker and Bob Caldwell, the documentary records Ireland’s amazing recent achievements at The Open ahead of its return to Royal Portrush next week. It will air to British audiences on Sky Sports Golf and streaming service NOW at 7pm on Thursday July 10.

Featuring interviews with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, the one-hour programme journeys across the island of Ireland to understand what transformed these four golfers from young boys on the golf course to the top of The Open leaderboard. It also includes contributions from golfing experts and competitors such as Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and Major winner Graeme McDowell.

Aidan Power, Tourism Ireland’s director of marketing, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to support the filming of ‘This is Open Country’ through our International Programming Ireland Fund. As an island, we have had incredible success when it comes to The Open Championship and we hope our luck continues at Royal Portrush next week!

“Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes – the combination of our world-class golf and our unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting golfers from around the world.”

Director Ross Whitaker said: “We set out in hope rather than expectation that we could get all four of Ireland’s recent Open Championship winners to come together in one documentary and talk about this incredible run of success we’ve had, so it’s incredibly exciting to be able to present this story as told by them. It’s a privilege to be able to present their experiences and also to show some of the stunning locations and courses around Ireland where they learned to become some of the best golfers in the world.”

For more information on playing golf in the island of Ireland, please visit www.ireland.com/golf

ENDS

Further media information:

Notes to Editors:

• Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.
• In 2024, overseas visitor spend grew by more than ten per cent, bringing an estimated €7 billion to the island of Ireland.
• Tourism Ireland’s international website is www.ireland.com, with 21 market sites available in 18 different countries, as well as one international site, in seven language versions around the world.