Loch Lomond Whiskies has raised £14,230 for The R&A Foundation through a Golden Ticket campaign staged across The 154th Open and the AIG Women’s Open.
Spectators bought 1,423 tickets at £10 each, with the full purchase price donated to the foundation. The money will support programmes designed to make golf more accessible and use the game to improve wellbeing. Its work also includes creating opportunities for aspiring players around the world.
The campaign began at Royal Birkdale during The 154th Open before continuing at Royal Lytham & St Annes for the AIG Women’s Open. Tickets were available only to spectators attending the two championships.
Each purchase entered the buyer into a draw for a bottle of Loch Lomond 50-Year-Old single malt whisky. Only 100 individually numbered bottles of the release were produced worldwide, with the prize valued at £25,000.
Andrew from Liverpool won the bottle. Both championships were staged in North West England, where the winning ticket was bought.
A 50-year-old prize
Loch Lomond Distillery produced the single malt using its Straight Neck Stills, equipment that forms a distinctive part of its whisky-making process. The spirit was matured for half a century in first-fill Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks.
The £10 entry price gave spectators a way to support The R&A Foundation while attending the championships, with the full ticket price going to the foundation.
Andrew Jack, group marketing director at Loch Lomond Group, said the response reflected the support shown by spectators at both events.
“We have been delighted by the response to The Golden Ticket and the generosity shown by golf fans across both The Open and AIG Women’s Open. Selling 1,423 tickets and raising £14,230 for The R&A Foundation is a fantastic result and demonstrates what can be achieved when we bring together our passion for whisky with our long-standing commitment to golf.”
Supporting golf through The R&A Foundation
The R&A Foundation funds initiatives intended to strengthen communities and improve lives through golf. The proceeds will support projects focused on participation, wellbeing and pathways for emerging talent.
Loch Lomond Whiskies describes itself as The Spirit of The Open and has an established partnership with The R&A. Jack said the campaign was designed to enhance the on-site spectator experience while raising funds for golf development.
“We’re incredibly proud that the funds raised will support The R&A Foundation’s important work, helping to create opportunities and make a lasting difference through golf.”
The £14,230 donation represents the complete proceeds from ticket sales across Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes.
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.