LOCH Lomond Whiskies has signed a five-year deal with golf’s oldest major, declaring that the partnership will see it become “The Spirit of The Open”.

Brand owner Loch Lomond Group said the agreement with the R&A will allow it to showcase the single malt range to a huge global audience. The Open, which takes place at Carnoustie this year, is broadcast to about 600 million households in nearly 200 countries.

The distiller will create limited edition whiskies and sponsor the Richo Women’s Open as part of the deal. The partnership covers what will be the 150th men's British Open when it is held at St Andrews, the "home of golf", in 2021.

Chief executive Colin Matthews, who led the private equity-backed consortium which acquired Loch Lomond Distillers from the Bulloch family in 2014, said: “We are extremely proud to have agreed this prestigious partnership and association with The R&A for The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

"There is an incredibly strong alignment between the worlds of whisky and golf, two of Scotland’s most iconic gifts to the world. There is also a great fit between those who follow golf and whisky, with research showing clearly that many golfers across the world enjoy a regular dram."

Mark Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said: “Loch Lomond Whiskies has a strong international reputation for achieving the highest standards of excellence and was a natural choice to become a new partner of The Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open. We will be working closely with Loch Lomond Whiskies over the duration of this partnership to introduce an inspiring range of activities which demonstrate The R&A’s shared desire to offer golf fans the very best experience at our championships.”

Loch Lomond Group has invested heavily in its distilleries, maturation warehouses and bottling operations, and brands since taking over the business four years ago. Its brands, which include Glen's vodka and the Glengarry single malt, are now available in 125 countries.