In much the same way as the County Card scheme, those eligible are able to book a tee time at 14 days’ notice under the following conditions:

The Club occupies a unique place in the history of golf, for it was at the Sandwich venue in 1894, that the Open Championship was first played outside Scotland.

In all there have been 15 Open Championships played at St George’s, more than any course in England.

Collin Morikawa was crowned ‘The Champion Golfer of the Year’ in July 2021, winning his first Open and second major championship since turning professional in 2019.

April to October
£175* per person

Monday & Thursday, 2-ball golf
Tee times from 12pm – 12:57pm in 8-minute intervals

Tuesday, 4-ball golf
Tee times from 12pm – 2:30pm in 10-minute intervals

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The Northern Irishman shot an even-par 70 on the final day in Sandwich to hold off the challenges of American duo Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, who had both produced strong showings on their front nine.

Clarke kept his cool to finish on five under par at the Kent course and clinch a first-ever major victory, having held the lead since the second day.

Success at the Iberdrola Open two months earlier, his first European Tour win in three years, had raised hopes of a good showing from the Portrush resident.

A solid opening-round 68 saw Clarke well placed in a tie of sixth before another two-under score saw him earn a share of the lead at the end of day two.

BIG NAMES MISS THE CUT

With England’s Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, the world number one and two at the time, missing the cut along with countryman Graeme McDowell, the veteran was able to move to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 69 by the close of the third day.

And an even-par 70 was enough to earn Clarke a maiden major win with rivals Mickelson and Johnson unable to sustain their fast starts on the back nine.

It was an emotional victory and occurred five years after the loss of his wife Heather to breast cancer, with their two sons watching on at home across the Irish sea.

Clarke said: “I’ve been writing this speech for 20 years now and it’s been a long bumpy road.

“This means a lot to me and my family and as you may know there is someone up there looking down on me as well.”

It was the third win for a North Irishman at a major in the space of 13 months after McDowell’s 2010 US Open success and Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2011 edition at Congression Country Club, Maryland a month earlier.

Clarke’s celebrations went long into the night with plenty of the “black stuff” enjoyed by the Ulsterman, who was the oldest Open champion since Roberto De Vicenzo’s triumph in 1967 at the age of 44.

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Harry Ellis was victorious when The Amateur Championship was last held at Royal St George’s in 2017, while nearby Royal Cinque Ports, which hosted the championship in 2013, has been chosen to host the pre-qualifying event on June 13.

The Sandwich-based club, which will host the The 130th Amateur Championship from June 16-21, 2025, has also hosted the Open Championship 16 times, most recently in 2021, and stretching all the way back to 1894.

The world’s leading women amateurs will head for the Highlands in Scotland as Nairn – the venue for The Amateur in 2021 – welcomes The 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship from 9–14 June.

Broadcaster Maureen Madill took the title when Nairn last hosted the Championship in 1979.

The Walker Cup, the biennial encounter between leading male amateurs from GB&I and the USA, takes place at Cypress Point in California from 6–7 September 2025 with Dean Robertson captaining the visitors.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “It is important to reinforce The R&A’s amateur championships and international matches as pinnacle events in global elite amateur golf.

We want to attract the best players from around the globe to compete and, as such, it is fitting to have our championships and international matches hosted at some of the world’s finest venues in 2025.”

OTHER TOURNAMENT VENUES

The R&A Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur championships will be held at Conwy and County Louth respectively in August, with the R&A Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship taking place at Gog Magog in April.

The R&A Women’s and Men’s Senior Amateur championships will be played concurrently at Walton Heath in July.

A number of other international matches contested between GB&I and the Continent of Europe will also take place. The St Andrews Trophy will be staged at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Spain in July, while Royal Hague Golf & Country Club in the Netherlands will welcome the Vagliano and Junior Vagliano trophies for women and girls a month earlier.

The boys’ equivalent match for the Jacques Léglise Trophy will be played in August at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium.

The Walker Cup and St Andrews Trophy being played in the same year is part of a realignment, which will see the Walker Cup move to even years from 2026 and the St Andrews Trophy move to odd years from 2025.

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A destination marketing study undertaken by YouGov Sport also calculated that Kent gained £94 million in gross advertising value thanks to over 5,400 hours of dedicated global television coverage, traditional TV and online news coverage, digital streaming and social media content.

The 149th Open was initially due to have 210,000 fans attend in 2020 before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The attendance last year was restricted to 128,300 fans – a total agreed with the UK Government as part of the Championship’s inclusion in the Events Research Programme.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “The Open’s return to Royal St George’s delivered a substantial economic benefit for Kent and projected this beautiful region to a global audience. Tens of thousands of fans visited Kent and enjoyed all that the region had to offer, benefiting local businesses.

“The Championship was also viewed by more than 100 million people on television around the world and many of them will have been inspired to visit in years to come. I would like to thank everyone in Kent who played their part in making The Open such a great success despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Mike Hill, Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, said, “It was a great honour for Kent to host The Open at Royal St George’s once again. This splendid event was very successful, despite the reduction in the number of spectators allowed because of the pandemic, and we are delighted to discover that it had such a beneficial effect on the county’s economy. We look forward to hosting The Open at Sandwich again in the future.”

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, leader of Dover District Council, said, “Hosting The 149th Open last year was just the boost the district needed following the Covid-19 pandemic. This research underlines the significant economic benefit that The Open brings to the district and the wider region. With some of the world’s finest links golf here in the district we want to build on this success, working with courses and the wider hospitality sector to continue to deliver new investment and an outstanding experience on Kent’s Golf Coast.”

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Boasting beautiful countryside, charming coastal towns, captivating castles, unspoiled villages, vibrant vineyards and bursting with history and culture, Kent offers the perfect escape to any eager explorer.

Whether you’re searching to tantalise your taste buds with a new cuisine, spend some quality time on a fun-filled family break, laze around on a luxurious retreat, or tackle some of the UK’s most challenging links courses, Kent is sure to have something for you.

With great motorway links and only a 38-minute train journey from London, Kent is also home to the fastest domestic and international rail links in England.

Kent has a range of world-class golf courses across the county, including three Open championship hosts in White Cliffs Country – Royal St George’s, Royal Cinque Ports and Prince’s. The east Kent coast also offers incredible links experiences atop chalky white cliffs with views across the Channel.

By contrast, inland Kent with its rich, rolling countryside, is the perfect backdrop to its heathland and parkland courses. Golfers can also immerse themselves in the county’s rich history playing on the estates of both Leeds Castle and Hever Castle.

The Golf in Kent partnership, co-ordinated by Visit Kent, brings together 10 leading golf courses across the county, including both London Golf Club and Royal St George’s, to promote the county as one of the UK’s top golf destinations.

WHITE CLIFFS COUNTRY – THE HOME OF KENT’S GOLF COAST

Connecting the vibrant, world famous town of Dover and its iconic, ruggedly beautiful White Cliffs, with the quaint coastal dwelling and former smuggling haunt of Deal, and the perfectly preserved medieval Cinque Port of Sandwich, White Cliffs Country is a unique destination.
Here, striking coastline meets quintessential countryside, ancient history meets modern convenience, and peace and tranquillity meet action and adventure. Home to Kent’s Golf Coast, White Cliffs Country played proud host to The Open Championship for the 18th time last month, when golf fans were treated to four days of high-class action from the world’s best players over Royal St George’s revered fairways.

Easily reached from London by the Highspeed line, home to a major international cruise port, and offering the UK’s shortest ferry crossing from Europe, White Cliffs Country is one of Britain’s most accessible golfing destinations. It enjoys one of the warmest and driest climates in the UK.

1 / ROYAL ST GEORGE’S GOLF CLUB
The widely acclaimed Royal St Georges – regularly voted the number one course in England – has hosted The Open Championship 14 times and in 2021 once again staged golf’s oldest major. Sandwich, as it is also known, is not a traditional out-and-back links layout, with each nine set out in a loose figure of eight that blends beautifully into the surroundings of wildflowers, orchids, dune grasses and the sweet song of the sky lark with views over Pegwell Bay and the iconic White Cliffs.

2 / LONDON GOLF CLUB
As a European Tour Destination and part of the IMG Prestige network, London Golf Club provides an oasis of golfing tranquillity in 700 acres of idyllic Kent countryside, just 20 miles from London. The Heritage Course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that bears all the hallmarks of the 18-time Major Champion. Host to the 2008 and 2009 European Open, the course provides an exhilarating test for golfers of all abilities. The International course is pure downland and the quick undulating fairways force a links-style approach.

3 / PRINCE’S GOLF CLUB
Prince’s Golf Club boasts 27 holes of championship links in three 9-hole loops – The Shore, The Dunes and The Himalayas. Each loop has its own unique characteristics that have recently benefited from substantial investment and redevelopment which has seen the course start to rise up the Top 100 lists. An impressive array of 97 revetted bunkers, including the now-famous Sarazen Bunker, rolling greens and seaside breezes make for challenging golf. Prince’s also offers well-appointed apartment accommodation at The Lodge at Prince’s and a contemporary restaurant, Brasserie on the Bay, offering stunning views over Sandwich Bay, surrounding golf courses and beyond.

4 / ROYAL CINQUE PORTS GOLF CLUB
Royal Cinque Ports’ 18-hole Championship course is widely regarded as one of the finest links layouts in the world. The club also has excellent practice facilities, including a driving range, putting green, chipping green and pitching greens. The club has hosted many top-level events, no higher than the two Open Championships it staged back in 1909 and 1920.

For more details about booking a golf break to Kent, visit www.golfinkent.co.uk, www.visitkent.co.uk or www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk.

 GOLF IN KENT 2021 MAGAZINE
Ready to start planning your next golf escape to the Garden of England? Golf in Kent magazine tells the story of the history of The Open in Kent, as well as sharing ideas of golf breaks in the county, highlighting places to play and stay, and 18 tips for other holiday activities. To view a digital version, visit https://bit.ly/36xFkYS.

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Morikawa, who won his first major on his PGA Championship debut last year, becomes the first Open debutant to win since Ben Curtis did so at this course in 2003. He also becomes the first player to win both majors at the first attempt. 

Morikawa admitted he had little experience of links golf – and recorded his worst result as a professional when finishing joint 71st at last week’s Scottish Open – so the benign conditions perhaps suited the Californian, who is regarded as of one of the game’s finest iron players. Amid the searing heat on Sunday, the world no.4 also showed he has the temperament to add further to his major tally.

As three successive birdies dropped for Morikawa he suddenly found himself with a four-shot lead as he hit the turn, with Oosthuizen stuttering in the final pairing alongside him. But the first flicker of emotion from the American came at the 10th when he made a superb up-and-down from the back of the green to save par, fist-pumping in celebration.

By this point the Spieth charge was alive, but Morikawa birdied 14 to keep his compatriot at arm’s length and saved par again at 15. From there it was a case of keeping his nerve as the anticipation grew among the fans, but that was no trouble for Morikawa, who took a two-shot lead down the last and strode on the 18th green to huge applause. He two-putted for a final par to see out the victory and then clapped the fans packing out the 18th grandstand.

“I tell everyone I am not the biggest history guy, but I want to add myself to history and make memories for myself,” said Morikawa. “Everything about this week was very special, to cap it on my caddie’s birthday, makes it even more special. I’ve had belief in myself since turning pro that I can do it. When it’s coming to these tournaments, courses and styles that I have never played, I do my homework Monday to Wednesday to know what I need to do.”

Oosthuizen failed to find the spark that saw him break the record for the lowest opening 36 holes, with a closing one-over-par 71 seeing the South African drop into a share of third place on -11 with US Open champion Jon Rahm, who birdied four of his last six holes to card a 66.

Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson were other players who left themselves with too much ground to make up on the final day. Koepka’s 65 lifted him to joint sixth on eight under, but he admitted it was a “back-door top 10” after a 72 on Saturday took him out of contention. World No.1 Johnson had a similarly poor third round, with his closing 67 lifting him to seven under and a share of eight place with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who finished as the top British player after a final day 67. He finished two shots ahead of Paul Casey at five under, who tied for 15th to lead what was a disappointing showing from the English contingent. 

For the final scores from St George’s, visit www.theopen.com/leaderboard

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On a day of low scoring at a sunny Royal St George’s, Oosthuizen pulled three clear with an eagle at the par-five 14th, but his first bogey of tournament at the 15th, followed by three pars saw his lead cut to two strokes by the close of play.

It gives him a 36-hole total of 129, which is the lowest in Open history, beating the total of 130 by Nick Faldo at Muirfield in 1992 and Brandt Snedeker 20 years later at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The world number 13 now needs to convert his advantage into a second major victory, having posted six runners-up finishes, including at the 2015 Open, since he lifted the Claret Jug 11 years ago.

Oosthuizen is being hunted down by a high-class field, including 2020 PGA Champion Collin Morikawa, who set the early target of nine under in round two after scooting round the Kent links in just 64 strokes in glorious conditions on Friday morning. Fellow American Jordan Spieth’s 67 could have been several shots better if a hatful of putts hadn’t lipped out, but the champion of 2017 sits a further shot behind at eight under par.

There are a number of players waiting to make their move on Saturday, edging into contention when the wind dropped at the Sandwich venue and scoring conditions improved. World number one Dustin Johnson is one of those, lurking at seven under after a composed 65 late on day two that included seven birdies.

Andy Sullivan and Paul Casey are also among the chasing pack of home-grown challengers after shooting 67s and sit right in the mix at six and five under par respectively.

Reigning US Open champion Jon Rahm climbed to five under after the Spaniard posted the joint-best score of the day, his 64 matching Morikawa and Argentine Emiliano Grillo, who sits at six under. Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka is also at five under, while Ireland’s defending champion Shane Lowry posted a five-under 65 to reach four under.

Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, is looking to improve on his joint-best Open finish of tied sixth in 2019 and is currently four under par, with Justin Rose a stroke further back after making an eagle at the par-five 14th.

A host of big English names sit on two under par – Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, Matt Wallace and Ian Poulter. But they are also joined by Jack Senior, who has never previously made the cut at an Open, and Jonathan Thomson, the tallest man to play at golf’s oldest major at 6’9″.

Thomson, who overcame lymphoblastic leukaemia when he was a child to realise his dream of playing professional golf, made an ace at the par-three 16th and then birdied the 17th to finish two under and prolong his major debut into the weekend.

“It’s just phenomenal. Like the roar, the shot, everything about that hole, it’s indescribable really,” he said. “I just couldn’t seem to get anything going properly then that happened and it was just awesome. What an experience. You dream about playing in The Open as a kid and then you come here, have a hole in one and make the cut, and it’s just like, ‘wow’.”

Further down the leaderboard, Rory McIlroy scraped into the weekend with a second consecutive error-strewn 70, although at 11 shots off the lead his hopes of adding to his major tally look once again out of reach.

Bryson DeChambeau also headed to the 18th hole not knowing whether he had done enough to make the weekend, but a scrambling par saw him post a 70 that included four birdies and as many bogeys to remain on one over.

For the very latest scores from St George’s, visit www.theopen.com/leaderboard

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Matsuyama tested positive for Covid-19 in the US on July 2, but he has showed no symptoms and retained hope of travelling to England. The return of further positive PCR tests, however, and an inability to break free from isolation means Matsuyama will miss the fourth and final major of the year, a tournament already affected by player withdrawals.

“I’m feeling fine, but haven’t been able to practise in preparation for the Open,” Matsuyama said. “Combining that with the difficult travel to the UK, my team and I have decided it’s best to withdraw to ensure everyone’s safety. I feel badly missing the Open and look forward to playing again at St Andrews next year. I’d like to thank the many golf fans for their continued concern and support as I strive to return to the game I love as soon as possible.”

Watson said that he had had “direct exposure” to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, which ruled out a trip the UK for the season’s final major. “While I am vaccinated and have passed the required pre-travel Covid test, not enough time has passed for me to comfortably join the charter flight [from the US] and risk exposure to the other players and personnel on board,” he said. Brendan Steele, from California, has stepped from the reserve list to take Watson’s spot.

England’s Adam Long and Sam Horsfield and South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli have all earned a late call up for the championship after other withdrawals due to Covid. Long replaces America’s Ryan Moore who is recovering from a back injury and is not taking up the exemption earned at the John Deere Classic. Horsfield replaces 2015 Open Champion Zach Johnson and Frittelli replaces Louis de Jager, after both players tested positive for the virus.

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