Opening Golf to the World
Championships
Road To The Opens Trophy Tour inspires young people across the North West
03 Jun 26
4 mins
The Road To The Opens Trophy Tour has completed its impact journey around the North West of England, as part of a landmark collaboration between The R&A, Golf Foundation, England Golf and The PGA.
The Trophy Tour was the opening chapter of a multi-month initiative designed to inspire young people, grow the game and create a legacy around this summer’s major championships. Launched at Royal Lytham & St Annes, host venue for the 50th AIG Women’s Open, the wider Road To The Opens programme will now continue throughout the summer. To kickstart the initiative, the Golf Foundation and England Golf took the trophies from the iconic host venue and brought them on an 18-day tour of schools, communities and golf clubs in the local area. The Trophy Tour visited 19 venues, reaching more than 600 young people. By taking the trophies directly into local settings, the tour built early excitement while connecting young people to real opportunities to get into golf. Designed to inspire the next generation, the tour combined hands-on golf experiences with the rare opportunity to see the trophies up close - creating lasting memories while showcasing a clear pathway into the sport. “Seeing these iconic trophies out in communities, schools and clubs is a powerful way to inspire young people and connect them to the excitement of The Open and the AIG Women’s Open," said Kevin Barker, Director, Golf Development - GB&I and Africa at The R&A. “This tour is just the start of a wider journey that will engage thousands more young people in the months ahead.”
The tour didn’t just introduce golf either – it also helped to demonstrate how young people can progress through the sport, thanks to the Junior Journey that England Golf and the Golf Foundation deliver across the country.
From first touchpoints in schools and community settings, where children build confidence and learn fundamental skills, the journey continues into local golf clubs, where they can develop further through structured coaching and playing formats.
By connecting these stages, the Road To The Opens is using the showcase of two major tournaments in the local area to inspire young people to start golf, and to then stay in it, progress, and enjoy it for life.
Community
The Trophy Tour visited a number of community projects across the three weeks, including events at Prairie Sports Village, a Forget-Me-Not dementia event at Heysham Golf Club, and events with both Everton In The Community and the Liverpool FC Foundation. The latter joined the Golf Foundation team at Anfield Sports and Community Centre, where former England and Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was on hand to help introduce young people to the game. “You can see how much they’re enjoying it,” Kirkland said. “You can see how much they’re laughing." “It feels proper good, because kids have never seen golf trophies like this and it’s actually brilliant,” said one youngster from the Liverpool Foundation. “It would be a dream to go and see the AIG Women’s Open.”Club
There is no shortage of golf clubs within a few Rory McIlroy strikes of The Open and AIG Women’s Open this year, and 39 clubs engaged with the Trophy Tour over the three-week period - including Royal Lytham & St Annes, who helped to launch the initiative, as well as hosting a daughters' and granddaughters’ day to help their members inspire the next generation of girls.
Chorley Golf Club, meanwhile, saw the Trophy Tour arrive just in time to help launch the 2026 GolfSixes League season, celebrating the start of another successful campaign for the junior, team-based format from the Golf Foundation and The R&A. More than 9,000 young people played GolfSixes League in 2025 across 743 clubs, and 2026 is expected to see even greater numbers.
With more experienced junior golfers present on the day, the visit showcased how first experiences can quickly turn into regular participation in a club setting and really drove home the excitement of the two big events being so nearby.
“Having The Open here in the area is great”, said Aaron O’Berg, Junior Captain at Chorley Golf Club. “It gives us all the opportunity to go watch a high level of golf, and it’s inspiration to do better. It’s great for the area.”