R&A optimistic of full crowd for Open Championship at Sandwich in 2021

• Ticket sales are due to resume early in new year
• Our overall priority is to stage the Open safely'

Hopes of a typical British sporting summer in 2021 have been boosted by the R&A, which is cautiously optimistic" of welcoming a full attendance well in excess of 100,000 to the Open at Royal St George's. The R&A plans to resume ticket sales for the 149th staging of the event early in the new year.

In an interview in late October, the R&A's chief executive, Martin Slumbers, said there were three scenarios in play for next year's Open, postponed for 12 months in July because of the Covid pandemic. They were a full event, a reduced-capacity Open and a closed-door staging of the major.