Niall Horan’s golf handicap has slipped a bit after an especially hectic start to 2026, but the internationally‑known singer hopes that his upcoming world tour will finally give him a chance to spend more time on the links. Earlier this week, Horan took centre stage at the pro‑am held at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the traditional host venue for the AIG Women’s Open, appearing live on Sky Sports alongside Solheim Cup competitor Maja Stark, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon and social‑media personality Georgia Ball.
The former One Direction frontman is a passionate golfer who entered the event with a handicap of ten – a figure that has risen from his usual "around eight" when he can play more regularly. Horan expressed genuine excitement at the opportunity to walk the historic fairways of one of the Open’s most revered courses. "I’d never had the privilege of playing this place before and Royal Lytham & St Annes is obviously one of those bucket‑list locations," he told Sky Sports exclusively. "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." His schedule this year has left little room for the sport.
Horan released his fourth studio album, Dinner Party, on June 5, and the ensuing promotional commitments have kept him away from the tee box. "I’ve probably played six rounds this year, which is not a lot for my handicap," he admitted. "The lack of golf means I’ve lost a couple of shots.
I’ve been busy, 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." The "Dinner Party Live On Tour" leg kicks off in Birmingham on September 22 and will travel across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe throughout the autumn. The itinerary then heads down under in February before moving on to a series of North‑American dates from March through May. Horan noted that touring actually provides a more predictable structure for fitting in golf than the erratic nature of promotional work.
"Funnily enough, when you’re on tour, I know what my days look like and it’s all planned out," he said. "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 looking forward to the Australian leg, where the Sandbelt courses offer world‑class challenges. "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 enthused. "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 actively involved in promoting golf more broadly. He founded the brand Modest! Golf and has served as an R&A ambassador since 2021, using his platform to encourage participation at all levels and to highlight the mental and physical benefits the sport can provide.
His advocacy aligns with the rapid growth of the women’s game, a trend he praised while discussing the AIG Women’s Open. The tournament’s prize fund has more than tripled since its last visit to Royal Lytham in 2018, reflecting the surge in popularity and commercial interest. "It’s mad and I think in the last five or six years this event has just gotten huge," Horan 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 expanded coverage that includes a new "Featured Groups" segment and six additional hours of live action compared with previous years. The Featured Groups coverage begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday and Friday on Sky Sports Golf, followed by full tournament coverage from 1 p.m., with live broadcasts of the third and fourth rounds kicking off at midday over the weekend.
Viewers can follow the competition live on Sky Sports Golf or stream the action via the Sky Sports app without a long‑term contract. In summary, while Horan’s busy musical calendar has temporarily nudged his handicap upward, the structure of his forthcoming tour actually creates pockets of free time that he intends to fill with rounds on some of the world’s most celebrated courses. Whether he’s teeing off at Royal Lytham & St Annes, chasing the Sandbelt’s famed greens in Australia, or fitting in a quick round before a U.S.
show, Horan’s message is clear: his love of golf remains strong, and he will continue to seek out the best courses wherever his music takes him.