Sports Journalism students experienced working at the highest level of sport when they covered The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
BA Sports Journalism students Alfie Bugg and Lewis Jones, and MA Sports Journalism’s Ross Parry provided coverage over the four days that saw New Zealand’s Ryan Fox named the 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year at the 154th British Open.
The students were granted full media accreditation by the R&A, enabling them to work alongside professional journalists at one of the most prestigious events on the global sports calendar.
With exclusive access to the media tent, interview room and mixed zone, they spoke to some of the biggest names in golf while producing content for JMU Journalism’s student-led Mersey Sport Live digital platforms.
Alfie said the opportunity to work at golf’s oldest and most revered major championship was “an experience like no other” as he was able to put to the test skills taught over his three years on the programme.
Former R&A referee backs “clear breach” Bryson DeChambeau ruling, writes Ross Parry at Royal Birkdale >>> https://t.co/cq4BqL07IN #TheOpen #RoyalBirkdale
— MerseySportLive (@merseysportlive) July 18, 2026
Alfie said: “My favourite moment of the week without doubt was speaking to Rory McIlroy, one of the best known sports stars in the world and an icon of the game.
“The unprecedented access I got through being a journalist with Mersey Sport Live meant I could interview golfers like McIlroy and incorporate their quotes into articles with a Merseyside angle.
“This not only played a vital role in our coverage of the Championship but also gave me content to go into my individual portfolio as I look for a full-time job in journalism.”
The students produced a range of content across web and socials from quotes-led press conference and mixed zonepieces to live blogging on X, to visual storytelling on Instagram and more.
Lewis said: “It was a great experience being able to cover The Open for Mersey Sport Live as it showed me how professional journalists work at the top level of sport.
“Also, being able to get so close to the golfers in mixed zones and press conferences gave me an insight into the types of questions sports journalists ask and how they handle elite people in sport.”
Alfie added: “I’m very grateful to my tutors who got Mersey Sport Live access to this historic tournament, and their guidance and sub-editing allowed us to produce the best content possible.”
You can see Mersey Sport Live’s Open Championship coverage at the links below: