The Open.com Case Study: How We Created a New Digital Platform for Golf’s Most Iconic Championship

A new platform for golf's most iconic major championship

Briefed to deliver The Open into the digital 21st century, Delete has taken The R&A team through it’s full digital transformation programme to create both a reimagined, mobile first, digital experience for fans of this prestigious tournament, and a powerful marketing tool for the brand. The R&A, organisers of The Open, wanted to re-engage existing fans and capture new ones, with a refreshed website that pushes the The Open to the forefront as one of the world’s leading sporting events.

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Crafting a fan first experience.

With upwards of 100m people from around the world engaging with The Open across the calendar year, the website has never been a more important brand touch point and hub for wider fan interest. With a specific goal to broaden interest outside the tournament week, our initial site launch for The Open is focused on boosting engagement in the build up to the live event. The aims and ambitions of the new website are to give fans the best experience of The Open, whether they are attending the Championship or following it online.

Platform Features 

1. Enhanced player profiles

To showcase and celebrate both current stars and past legends.

2. ‘The Road to The Open’

A new feature on the site, which is designed to build up and create stories of the different players’ pathways to The Open through their respective qualification events.

3. A new multi-event approach

The new site allows The R&A to move away from a single event focus, and instead seamlessly promote the next three Open events all at the same time. In turn, building anticipation and demand ahead of each tournament with rich timelines and content for each.

4. An enhanced media experience

Enabling fans to enjoy multiple ways in which to consume rich content - including: news, player stories and a range of video content from The Open's archive which spans over 100 years.

5. A new streamlined ticketing journey

Delivering a new and improved customer experience around the ticket buying journey for both Championship days and hospitality. As mobile interaction is now the key fan touchpoint for The Open, the website has been crafted to deliver a truly mobile first experience.

The Open Tournament Mode

In July 2019 a new ‘live tournament mode’ will be released to coincide with the 148th Championship getting underway at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. This new event takeover state for the website will deliver a best-in-class digital fan experience for the tournament, and will better convey all the shot-by-shot drama and excitement of The Open. 

Stay tuned for this next release in the weeks leading up the tournament.

While heritage and tradition are core to The Open's standing as one of the world's most revered sporting events, it's also vital that innovation enables the Championship to grow it's worldwide following. We are delighted with the new platform Delete have developed that will enable us to provide an immersive, enriched, year-round experience.

Kevin McQuillan, Head of Marketing at The R&A