Scotch whisky firm becomes official sponsor of The Open

The Open is famous for its legendary Claret Jug trophy, but it will be tied to a Scots whisky for the next few years.

Independent distiller the Loch Lomond Group, has agreed a prestigious, five-year partnership with The Open, golf’s original championship, which will now carry its Loch Lomond Whiskies brand.

The partnership with The R&A also includes support of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and will showcase globally the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, left, with Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A

The firm say it means their innovative and exciting range of single malts will become ‘The Spirit of The Open’.

The Open is the most international of the major championships with qualifying events across five continents.

The Championship is also broadcast to 600 million households in almost 200 countries around the world.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said: ‘We are extremely proud to have agreed this prestigious partnership and association with The R&A for The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

‘There is an incredibly strong alignment between the worlds of whisky and golf, two of Scotland’s most iconic gifts to the world. There is also a great fit between those who follow golf and whisky, with research showing clearly that many golfers across the world enjoy a regular dram.

‘Our partnership with The R&A is the perfect means for Loch Lomond Whiskies to use the fabulous platforms of both championships to grow further, both in the UK and internationally, and it also demonstrates our strong commitment and ambition to becoming a premium global brand.’

Some of the Loch Lomond Group’s whiskies, with the Claret Jug

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, added: ‘Loch Lomond Whiskies has a strong international reputation for achieving the highest standards of excellence and was a natural choice to become a new partner of The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

‘We will be working closely with Loch Lomond Whiskies over the duration of this partnership to introduce an inspiring range of activities which demonstrate The R&A’s shared desire to offer golf fans the very best experience at our championships.’

Founded in 1814, Loch Lomond Whiskies can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on the banks of Loch Lomond, were built in the 1960s and are among only a few in the industry to maintain an onsite cooperage.

The malt distillery at Alexandria also features a unique combination of traditional swan neck and distinctive straight-necked pot stills, enabling it to produce a diverse range of flavour profiles.

Loch Lomond Whiskies’ partnership with The Open is effective immediately and runs until 2022. The five-year period includes the playing of the landmark 150th Open in 2021 at St Andrews, the home of golf. The 147th Open takes place at Carnoustie from 15-22 July.

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