Niall Horan’s golf handicap has slipped a bit after a hectic start to 2026, but the internationally‑famous singer is optimistic that his upcoming world tour will grant him more opportunities to return to the fairways. Earlier this week Horan served as the headline act for the pro‑am at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the traditional venue for the AIG Women’s Open, a match that was broadcast live on Sky Sports.
He teed off alongside Solheim Cup standout Maja Stark, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon and social‑media influencer Georgia Ball, giving fans a rare glimpse of the pop star’s golfing side. Although Horan is best known for his music, he is also a dedicated golfer. For the Royal Lytham pro‑am he played off a ten‑handicap, a rise from the "around eight" he usually posts when he can swing the club more regularly.
He admitted that the chance to walk the historic links of one of the Open’s most storied courses was a bucket‑list experience. "I’d never had the privilege of playing this place before and Royal Lytham & St Annes is obviously one of those bucket‑list places," he told Sky Sports. "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 could not have been more challenging. Horan released his fourth studio album, Dinner Party, on June 5, and the promotional cycle for the record has left him with very little free time to practice his swing.
He has only managed six rounds of golf this year, a figure he describes as "not a lot for my handicap." The scarcity of rounds has caused a few strokes to slip from his game. "The lack of golf means I’ve lost a couple of shots," he explained.
"I can either shoot six or seven over, or I can shoot mid‑eighty’s – it’s a tough one for me to get into." Horan likens his recent return to the course to picking up a set of sledgehammers after a period of inactivity. He remains confident that, with a little downtime before rehearsals for his tour begin, he can regain his rhythm.
"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 of it 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," he said. The "Dinner Party Live On Tour" schedule launches in Birmingham on September 22 and will sweep across the United Kingdom, Ireland and mainland Europe throughout the autumn.
The itinerary then heads to Australia in February before crossing the Atlantic for a North‑American leg that runs from March through May. Horan notes that the structure of a touring schedule actually lends itself to more golf than a typical promotional sprint. "Funnily enough, when you’re on tour, I know what my days look like and it’s all planned out," he laughed. "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." He is especially eager to return to Australia’s famed Sandbelt region. "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," Horan said. When it comes to the United States, he admits he will need to plan carefully.
"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 playing ambitions, Horan is deeply involved in the sport’s growth. He founded Modest!
Golf, a brand that aims to make the game more approachable, and has served as an R&A ambassador since 2021. In that role he regularly champions the benefits of golf for mental health, community building and physical fitness, encouraging people of all ages to pick up a club.
The AIG Women’s Open itself has undergone a dramatic transformation since it was last held at Royal Lytham in 2018. The prize fund has more than tripled, reflecting the rapid rise in popularity and commercial interest in women’s golf. Horan expressed admiration for the tournament’s evolution.
"It’s mad and I think in the last five or six years, this event [AIG Women’s Open] has just gotten huge," he observed. "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 in the UK and Ireland, offering an expanded "Featured Groups" coverage slot for the first time.
The new schedule adds six extra hours of live action, with early morning group play on Thursday and Friday followed by full coverage from 1 p.m., and live rounds three and four streamed from midday over the weekend. Golf enthusiasts can follow the tournament live on Sky Sports Golf or stream via the provider’s contract‑free service. In summary, while Horan’s handicap may have suffered from a busy music calendar, his passion for golf remains undiminished. He looks forward to using the structure of his world tour to squeeze in rounds at some of the world’s most celebrated courses, from the historic links of Royal Lytham to the rolling fairways of Australia’s Sandbelt and the storied clubs of the United States.
His dual role as a touring artist and a vocal advocate for the sport underscores his belief that golf can coexist with a demanding career, provided one plans wisely and embraces the occasional day off on a great course.