R&A's chief executive on decision to award Open Championship rights to Sky Sports

The R&A has awarded live coverage rights of the Open Championship to Sky Sports, thus ending a 61 year association with the BBC and its free-to-air coverage.

The new deal starts in 2017 but also involves a two hour highlights package across the event's four days on BBC peak time programming.

The R&A's chief executive, Peter Dawson, explained the decision.