The Open

DRIVING DATA FURTHER

What's new

UPDATE

August 5, 2024: The video "Inside The NTT DATA Wall at The 152nd Open"

August 5, 2024: The video "NTT DATA’s Sustainability Initiatives at The 152nd Open"

August 5, 2024: The video "Interview at The Open with CEO of NTT DATA Group and CEO of NTT DATA, Inc."

Driving Data Further: NTT DATA at The 152nd Open

NTT DATA has proudly powered The Open as its official IT provider since 2013, transforming the world’s most historic golf tournament with cutting-edge technology.

From the launch of the NTT DATA Wall in 2014 - an instant fan favourite - to the introduction of ShotView, our digital-twin powered data intelligence platform, and Lottie, our GenAI-driven digital guide, we have consistently enhanced the spectator experience. Each Championship has been a showcase of innovation.

As The Open returns to Royal Troon for its tenth time this year, NTT DATA is set to elevate the experience even further.

Celebrate over a decade of transformation with us as we tee off another unforgettable Open Championship, driving the sport of golf into the future with each swing.

You can see how NTT DATA's technology innovations enhance the global golf fan experience.

NTT DATA Brings Unparalleled Data Insights to The 152nd Open（0:52）

NTT DATA Wall

Inside The NTT DATA Wall at The 152nd Open (3:57)

The NTT DATA Wall is a 20-metre-wide LED screen in the spectator village showcasing real-time broadcasts following the best players in the world, captivating statistics and engaging data visualisations.

Since its creation in 2014, the NTT DATA Wall has evolved significantly, featuring advancements in capability and design to present real-time data and insights more effectively.

This year's enhancements are all about pushing the boundaries of real-time interaction and immersive fan experiences. The 2024 upgrades feature a step change in photo-realistic, real-time graphical rendering of the Old Course mapped to centimetre accuracy, and a new AI prioritisation algorithm to ensure the most important shots are shown the instant they occur on the course. Along with better synchronisation to the broadcast feed, leading to a vastly improved experience.

Digital Human

Lottie is a GenAI powered digital human, creating an interactive and engaging offering which combines the best of digital and human interactions.

This year, Lottie, showcases significant enhancements. Upgrades include a much-improved user interface now unified into a single conversational mode using advanced Gen AI technologies. These improvements allow Lottie to provide on-the-spot insights, blending static data such as golf rules with dynamic, real-time updates from the golf course. Moreover, Lottie's visual representation has been dramatically enhanced ensuring more human-like movements and a physically accurate avatar, enhancing the realism of interactions.

Lottie represents the future of spectator and customer service, capable of delivering real-time data analysis and historical insights, enhancing educational and entertainment value.

Read more about Digital Human technology use cases.

How AI-Powered Digital Humans are Revolutionising Customer Experience

Private 5G network

This year, NTT DATA is introducing a private 5G network at The Open, marking a significant technological advancement in network infrastructure at the event.

Fast becoming a fundamental enabler for the next generation of technology driven transformation, NTT DATA, along with strategic technology partners, are creating a world-leading, enterprise-grade private 5G network at The Open. In addition to providing high bandwidth, reliability, and security, the 5G showcase will demonstrate use cases requiring low latency edge compute and networking.

Private 5G networks will form the backbone of many businesses’ technology estate, providing step change in performance, resiliency and security as well as enabling connections to millions of sensors and other devices.

ShotView

ShotView 2.0 - being launched at The Open 2024 - is a significant advancement in golf analytics. Designed with input from previous iterations, it showcases a more intuitive user interface and enhanced statistical models to cater to both casual viewers and dedicated golf enthusiasts. ShotView simplifies navigation for those seeking straightforward information while providing deeper data access for analysts, capturing every shot in real-time and offering insights like never before.

ShotView 2.0 leverages advanced digital twin technology, transforming how fans engage with the sport by enabling them to explore nuanced aspects of play and player strategies with unparalleled clarity and depth.

Digital Twin technologies are set to transform every industry, with the ability to derive deep insights from real-time data. Increasing efficiency, productivity and identifying new opportunities.

The 152nd Open leaderboard will be available from Thursday, 18 July. Please access the following URL to look at The Open online.

https://www.theopen.com/leaderboard

Read more about how to implement Digital Twin technology in your business.
You can see how ShotView transforms the golf fans' experience.

NTT DATA and Digital Twin Technology at The Open Championship: Redefining the Fan Experience

"We are honoured to continue our partnership with The R&A, marrying the rich heritage of the iconic Open Championship with NTT DATA's innovative technologies. Since 2013, our collaboration has not only propelled the championship forward with state-of-the-art technology but also demonstrated our commitment to enhancing global sports and business landscapes alike. At Royal Troon - a course steeped in history - we're proud to showcase our transformative digital capabilities to fans and participants around the world." - Gregor McQuattie, Head of Media Sector at NTT DATA UK&I

Driving Sustainability Further

In 2023, we brought sustainability insights to fans onsite via the NTT DATA Wall, empowering them to understand their attendance's carbon footprint and, therefore, make more informed decisions.

The NTT DATA Wall showcased live updates on water usage, the number of plastic bottles saved, the amount of public transport utilised, and even the locally sourced food consumed.

This is a step in the three-way collaboration between NTT DATA, The R&A and Cardiff University on a multi-year research project entitled "Sports Events as Agents of Change". We are attempting to understand if we can use the passion of sports fans to drive long-term behaviour change in sustainability choices.

As we look to the 2024 Championship, NTT DATA will enhance the onsite experience again, continuing our mission to educate and empower fans with real-time sustainability insights on the NTT DATA Wall. This ongoing initiative showcases our commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility, cementing our role in shaping future sports events as platforms for positive change.

Learn more about last year's initiative.

Just another click in the wall? NTT DATA's sustainability initiatives at The Open

NTT DATA’s Sustainability Initiatives at The 152nd Open (4:05)

Leadership Live from The 152nd Open

At the 152nd Open, the President of NTT DATA Group, Yutaka Sasaki, and the CEO of NTT DATA, Inc., Abhijit Dubey, had a discussion exploring their vision for NTT DATA and the impact of our sponsorship at The Open.

Exclusive Interview at The Open with CEO of NTT DATA Group and CEO of NTT DATA, Inc.

Exclusive Interview at The Open with CEO of NTT DATA Group and CEO of NTT DATA, Inc. (8:04)

A History of NTT DATA and The R&A

NTT DATA's partnership with The R&A began in 2013, marking the start of a dynamic collaboration that has significantly transformed The Open, one of golf's most iconic championships and the only golf Major outside the USA.

Over the years, this partnership has focused on leveraging NTT DATA's extensive capabilities in digital and IT solutions to enhance the fan experience, both onsite and online. This collaboration has set new standards in sports technology and fan engagement and supported The R&A's mission to grow the game globally while maintaining its rich traditions.

"NTT DATA's long-term partnership continuously inspires new ways to navigate the challenges facing modern golf championships, from commercial viability to sustainability and broadening fan engagement. Their insight, foresight and innovative application of technology and in particular use of data not only makes golf more accessible and appealing, but also ensures The Open is poised to thrive for the next fifty years and beyond. Amidst environmental sustainability efforts, digital solutions like the NTT DATA Wall and the Digital Human, Lottie, transform how fans interact with The Open, keeping golf relevant and vibrant in today’s rapidly changing world."
– Professor Steve Otto, CTO at The R&A

Awards

NTT DATA's digital initiatives, including the NTT DATA Wall, were honored to be nominated for an award that recognizes cutting-edge digital technologies and initiatives in the sports world that utilize IT.
NTT DATA was nominated for the 2023 ESA Awards which are the pinnacle of sponsorship recognition in Europe, and winners are recognized as being a leading company.
Among the many sports marketing and sponsorship awards, the ESA Awards feature a wide range of perspectives across a wide range of European sponsorship areas, from arts and culture to esports and gaming.

For more information about the award, visit

https://sponsorship.org/awards/2023esaa-ntt-data-the-ra-shotview-at-the-150th-open/

ShotView, at The 150th Open, was the recipient of the "Best Technology for Data and Analytics" prize at the prestigious Sports Technology Awards, which took place in New York City in May 2023. NTT DATA is proud to push the boundaries of what is possible and help reshape how sports are enjoyed.

For more information about the award, visit

https://www.sportstechgroup.org/sports-technology-awards/winners/

Timeline

2024: ILaunching ShotView 2.0 and greater insights presented on the NTT DATA Wall, fans can get closer to the action than ever before with advancements that provide more accurate insights. Alongside this, we’ll showcase the transformative power of a private 5G network for enabling the next generation of technology driven transformation.

2023: Updates to the NTT DATA Wall enhance fan interaction with data on screen, alongside the reintroduction of ShotView technology and the debut of an AI-driven digital human guide.

2022: Celebrating The Open's 150th year, we introduced the ground-breaking ShotView technology, enhancing fan engagement with live, data-driven insights.