{"id":686152,"date":"2026-07-11T14:44:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T14:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/686152\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T14:44:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T14:44:16","slug":"golf-chiefs-consider-major-open-change-as-ra-to-strictly-enforce-fan-code-of-conduct","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/686152\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf chiefs consider major Open change as R&A to strictly enforce fan code of conduct"},"content":{"rendered":"

Royal Birkdale will host the 154th Open Championship next week and a couple of big details ahead of the event have been confirmed by the R&A\"A<\/p>\n

A view of the Claret Jug on the 18th green at Royal Birkdale (Image: (Oisin Keniry\/R&A\/R&A via Getty Images))<\/p>\n

The Open could finish earlier than normal next week if England are playing in the World Cup final later that day. The best golfers in the world are descending on Southport<\/a> for the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale with the four-day tournament set to get underway on Thursday.<\/p>\n

However, the ECHO understands<\/a> that the final round on Sunday could be brought forward by the R&A if Thomas Tuchel’s side are in the World Cup<\/a> final later that day. The leaders heading into the final day normally commence their rounds at around 2.30pm BST, but that could leave fans scrambling to watch the big match, which is scheduled to get underway at 8pm BST in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

The potential for a clash also increases if there is a leaderboard tie and a play-off is required to determine the winner; the play-off will take place over an initial three holes before becoming sudden death.<\/p>\n

The R&A has been flexible over tee times before, and asked about a possible clash back in April, Mark Darbon, the R&A chief executive, said: \u201cWe\u2019re conscious of other events happening on that date.<\/p>\n

“Some things are out of our control in terms of play-offs and the like, but we will attempt to avoid a clash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans attending next week’s Open<\/a> have also been warned that they will be removed from the course if they step out of line.<\/p>\n

A record crowd of around 300,000 is set to descend on the Southport circuit and a new fan code of conduct is being introduced by The R&A – and serious or repeated breaches may result in offenders being removed from the course.<\/p>\n

‘The Open Commitment\u2019 is built on five principles and encourages everyone attending to play their part in ‘protecting the traditions that make The Open one of the world\u2019s great sporting events’.<\/p>\n

The five principles set out are: 1) Respect the Players. 2) Respect the Links. 3) Respect Each Other. 4) Be Aware. 5) Enjoy Responsibly.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The 154th Open takes place at Royal Birkdale(Image: Chris Condon\/R&A\/R&A\/PGA Tour via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

And in a statement, R&A chief Darbon said: “The atmosphere at The Open is unlike any other major sporting event and one of the things that makes it so unique.<\/p>\n

“It is built on a shared respect for the players, the course, fellow fans and the traditions of the Championship. Every year, our fans play a huge part in creating that experience.<\/p>\n

“The Open Commitment isn\u2019t about changing what makes The Open so special, it is about maintaining its long-standing traditions.<\/p>\n

“By following a few simple principles, everyone can help ensure The Open remains a welcoming, respectful and unforgettable experience for all.”<\/p>\n

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package<\/p>\n

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a>\"Content<\/p>\n

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.<\/p>\n

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Royal Birkdale will host the 154th Open Championship next week and a couple of big details ahead of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":686153,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[5904,101,2626,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-686152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-golf","tag-sports","tag-the-open-championship","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=686152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/686153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=686152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=686152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=686152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}