Niall Horan’s golf handicap has slipped a bit after a hectic start to 2026, but the internationally‑renowned singer hopes his upcoming world tour will afford him more opportunities to get back on the links. Earlier this week, Horan headlined the pro‑am at Royal Lytham & St Annes, a pre‑tournament event for the AIG Women’s Open that was broadcast live on Sky Sports.
He shared the fairway with Solheim Cup standout Maja Stark, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon and social‑media personality Georgia Ball. A lifelong golf enthusiast, Horan played the round with a ten‑handicap for the pro‑am, noting that when he can tee off more regularly his handicap hovers around eight.
He expressed genuine excitement at the chance to play one of the most storied courses on the Open circuit. "I’d never had the privilege of playing this place before and Royal Lytham & St Annes is obviously one of those bucket‑list places," Horan told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview. "I loved it.
To come here and play it in tournament condition, ahead of the AIG Women’s Open, was just an incredible experience. It’s a really tough test that is going to make for a good tournament. I played alright, considering the lack of golf in my life at the moment." The timing of the event coincided with the release of Horan’s fourth studio album, Dinner Party, which dropped on June 5.
The record has already secured a No. 1 spot on several charts, and the promotional commitments surrounding its launch have left little room for his usual rounds of golf.
When asked about his recent playing frequency, Horan admitted, "I’ve probably played six rounds this year, which is not a lot for my handicap. The lack of golf means I’ve lost a couple of shots. I’ve been busy this year, so I haven’t played as much as I usually do.
I can either shoot six or seven over, or I can shoot mid‑eights – it’s a tough one for me to get into. Sometimes it feels like I’m picking up a set of sledgehammers after a while out of it, but I’ll get back in the flow over the next few weeks. I’ve got some time off now before I get into rehearsals for the tour, so I might play a bit of golf." Horan’s "Dinner Party Live On Tour" kicks off in Birmingham on September 22 and will travel across the United Kingdom, Ireland and mainland Europe throughout the autumn. The itinerary then swings to Australia in February before moving on to a series of North‑American dates from March through May.
"Funnily enough, when you’re on tour, I know what my days look like and it’s all planned out," he explained. "I can actually get a little bit more golf in than I would when I’m in the middle of a promotional run or something like that. I’ll try and get ahead, now that I know what the schedule looks like, and see if I can tick off a few courses on the way around. I’m excited to get back down to Australia, try and get a couple more on the Sandbelt down there.
I played Royal Melbourne the last time, so Kingston Heath or something would be lovely down there. Then in the States, I’ll have to have a proper think.
On the tour, the days off are based on where there’s good golf – it’s the truth!" Beyond his personal love of the game, Horan is also the founder of Modest! Golf and has served as an R&A ambassador since 2021. He frequently champions the sport’s inclusive nature, emphasizing how golf can benefit people of all ages and backgrounds.
The AIG Women’s Open itself has seen dramatic growth in recent years. Since its last visit to Royal Lytham in 2018, the tournament’s prize fund has more than tripled, offering a record‑breaking purse for this year’s edition. Horan praised the expansion, saying, "It’s mad and I think in the last five or six years this event has just gotten huge.
It’s just massive and rightly so, because the quality of golf has never been better in the women’s game, in my opinion. We’ve got the best in the world here this week at a great test of golf, but it’s what they deserve. The quality of golf has translated to a huge event with many massive sponsors and the girls are getting the reward." Sky Sports continues to be the exclusive broadcaster of the AIG Women’s Open across the UK and Ireland, offering a new "Featured Groups" segment that starts at 9 a.m.
on Thursday and Friday on Sky Sports Golf, followed by full coverage at 1 p.m. The weekend rounds will be shown live from midday, adding six additional hours of broadcast compared with previous years. Fans eager to see who will lift the trophy can follow the action throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf, or stream the coverage via the Sky Sports platform without a long‑term contract.
Horan’s dual role as a touring musician and passionate golfer underscores how he balances two demanding careers, using his tour schedule to carve out moments for the sport he loves. As his tour progresses, he plans to chase down more iconic courses, turning each day off into a chance to play on some of the world’s finest fairways.