On Sunday 14th July, The Open returned to the Dunluce Links of Royal Portrush for the first time after 68 years, where some of the biggest names in golf, such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka competed for the treasured Claret Jug. Spectrum was hard at work behind the scenes delivering cleaning services to the oldest and most international major in golf, making sure hospitality areas, bars, shops and toilet facilities were teed up for players, visitors, officials and contractors. With 6,000 staff, 12,000 volunteer marshals and 156 players we were definitely kept busy!
As The Open made its historic return to Northern Ireland the crowds at Royal Portrush enjoyed a spectacular event. Emiliano Grillo produced a magical opening day shot, recording the first hole-in-one of the Championship at the 13th to the delight of the crowds. The shot was the 1st ace since The Open in 2016 when Louis Oosthuizen aced the 14th at Royal Troon.
Whilst the world’s top golfers competed for the Claret Jug, one of the most sought-after prizes in golf, Spectrum were hard at work ensuring the visitors’ and golfers’ experience was excellent. The 148th Open attracted a record-breaking 237,750 spectators over the course of the Championship, making it the second-largest attendance ever and the largest outside of St Andrews. Celebrities and VIPs such as Prince Andrew joined in the action, watching 32-year-old Irishman Shane Lowry compete and win The 148th Open, sealing his triumph with a six-shot victory on 15-under-par. Lowry’s win made him the sixth Irish major champion, making him extremely popular with the home crowd!
It was therefore our job to ensure a clean and safe event for all, with access to clean and fresh facilities. With around 45,000 visitors each day, we ensured that facilities were clean and fresh during the day with a full turnaround overnight of all areas to make sure the event’s facilities were ready for the next day’s visitors. Alongside The R&A, our team worked around the clock to provide cleaning to ensure marquees, shops, players clubhouse, media areas, toilets and onsite offices were in first-class condition.
Spectrum’s experience in golf is undoubtedly becoming extensive. We have worked at a variety of golfing events including the RICOH Women’s British Open, European Golf Team Championships, the British Masters, and the Senior Open Championship to name just a few.
This is an extremely exciting time for Spectrum and we are truly delighted to be working with The R&A at such a highly coveted worldwide event. We’ve already started planning for The Open at Royal St George’s in 2020, with over 70% of tickets already sold for this prestigious Championship.
Working at The 148th Open was a real highlight for our whole team and we are working hard to deliver more successful events throughout the remainder of the year. View a selection of our photos from The Open below.
