The Open set for record attendance at St Andrews

The British Open will draw a record attendance of 290,000 people at St Andrews in Scotland this year, organisers said on Tuesday.

The attendance will break the previous record set in 2000 when Tiger Woods won the tournament in front of 239,000 spectators.

"The news that this will be the largest Championship ever staged is a phenomenal feat and reminds us of the enduring appeal of golf," said Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland.

Organisers said they received more than 1.3 million applications in the ticket ballot which led to the highest number of tickets being issued to fans.

The 150th edition of The Open, one of golf's major championships, will take place from July 10-17 at the Old Course.