The Open is golf’s oldest and most prestigious tournament and I am proud that NTT DATA has worked in close partnership with The R&A as patron and official IT provider of The Open since 2013 to help them to drive data further. Each year we’ve pioneered in-venue fan technology and innovated to find new ways to keep fans informed and engaged with every twist and turn as play progresses along the course.
In 2019, The Open Championship was hosted at The Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland where almost a quarter of a million fans experienced the NTT DATA Wall, a 19 metre by 5.5 metre screen located in the heart of the Spectator Village and displaying data, statistics, facts, and live action from around the course.
The system crunches over 8 billion data points across the four-day event, presenting fans with graphics and statistics including player data, hole rankings, and putting averages - not to mention showing the latest action from across the 18 holes. Over the years, our partnership has grown from strength to strength and in 2020, when The Open was cancelled, we continued our support of The R&A by collaborating with them on The Open for the Ages. This was only feasible due to the strong working relationship that had been forged over the past 8 years and it resulted in a unique viewing experience that pitted the best golfers to ever play the game against each other.
Innovation at The Open
This year, as The Open travels to its next venue at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Kent for The 149th Open, we wanted to build upon the success of The Open for The Ages and create an even better experience for fans. So, we asked the question: What if there was a way every spectator could have their own, personalised version of The NTT DATA Wall that they could access anywhere, not just on the course?
This year, fans will be able to enjoy their own personal data experience. By taking the technology behind The Wall and applying it virtually, fans will have access to a personalised newsfeed where they will receive real-time updates on the progress of their favourite golfers along the par 70, 7,204 yard course. Whether fans are at the championship, at home, or out and about they’ll be able to keep up-to-date through NTT DATA’s unique data feed delivered via The Open app and the official Open website.
For the first time, fans will get the information they are interested in, all delivered through their own miniature version of The NTT DATA Wall delivering live shot-by-shot information based on what they want to know about the tournament.
A partnership built on solid foundations
Our partnership with The Open is built on NTT DATA’s foundation in sports technology innovation. By leveraging the latest technological advancements in areas from video AI to data analytics, we are pushing boundaries and delivering unprecedented experiences for our clients and partners.
Such innovation cannot emerge out of thin air. It is the result of commitment, ingenuity and a shared set of values – and an incredibly hard-working team. This is what is allowing us to drive data further, and I look forward to sharing it with you in July.
The Open runs from the 15th – 18th July, be sure to visit TheOpen.com and to follow NTT DATA’s social channels to get all the latest developments from Royal St George’s this year.