Irish contenders eye more iconic Open moments at Portrush

The Open Championship is golf's greatest event. Not a statement of fact, but I reckon I'm on pretty solid ground. So many memories, so many great players, so many iconic moments.

From the mystical exploits of six-time winner Harry Vardon, to 1977's 'Duel in the Sun' featuring Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, and Jean van de Velde's infamous final-hole collapse in 1999, just a flavour of its unrivalled history.

First played in 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, the 153rd Open Championship has returned to Royal Portrush. Six years ago the staging of the tournament benefited the Northern Ireland economy to the tune of £110m. This year that figure could be doubled.

Open Championship week has been under way since Sunday. Four days of practice and four days of Championship play will attract an estimated 270,000 spectators to the course.

Transport infrastructure has improved significantly in the region, along with increased accommodation. More than 1,800 volunteers will aim to enhance the visitor experience.

Live: First round of The Open is under way

The Tuesday of 2019 Open Championship week was my first experience of covering a golf major. I was struck immediately by the sheer magnitude of the event.

I had covered several Irish Open tournaments, but the Open is on a completely different level. On arrival at the colossal media centre I was left in no doubt as to the tournament's stature.

Excitement building in Portrush

This year a notable number of Golfing YouTubers and TikTokers are also in situ.

Everything about the Open Championship is on a grand scale.

Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry returns to the Antrim coast refreshed, ranked inside the world's top 20, and a genuine contender. A giant mural of a smiling Lowry holding the Claret Jug was unveiled in Portrush a year out from this week's tournament.

He skipped last week's Scottish Open, opting instead to mix family time in Ireland with plenty of links golf.

There was also a trip to Croke Park for Kerry's All Ireland Football Semi-Final win over Tyrone.

This year Lowry has played some of the best golf of his career, but converting that form into a tournament win has thus far proved elusive.

There is a sense that his time is coming. His last 72-hole individual tournament win was back in 2019 at Portrush.

He did win the DP World Tour flagship event in 2022, after that year's BMW PGA Championship was reduced to 54 holes following the death of Queen Elizabeth.

Playing alongside Rory McIlroy, he also enjoyed a notable win on the PGA Tour last year at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans two-man team event.

A year ago, Lowry held the halfway lead at Royal Troon. The vagaries of links golf came into play on a brutally cold, wet and windy Saturday afternoon.

A third-round 77 dropped Lowry significantly down the leaderboard.

The following day he finished in a share of sixth place on four-under-par, five shots behind the winner Xander Schauffele.

If history were to repeat itself, Lowry would emulate Padraig Harrington's feat of winning two Open titles, and join the list of modern era greats that includes Seve Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, all of whom won the tournament twice at the same course.

Rory McIlroy

Having effectively completed golf at Augusta, where he won the Masters to complete a grand slam of major victories, what of Rory McIlroy?

Clearly his game is in good shape, arriving in Portrush on the back of a joint second place finish at the Scottish Open .

In the giddy aftermath of that Masters triumph, there were some that lost all sense of reason with regard to the summer that potentially lay ahead.

The suggestion that McIlroy could win the PGA Championship, before adding the US Open, to set up a calendar grand slam attempt at Portrush was not in the realms of reality.

Four previous wins at Quail Hollow, this year's PGA Championship venue, suggested a strong challenge, however Mr McIlroy never contended and finished tied 47th.

Oakmont beat up the world's greatest players, McIlroy saved his best round for last, and concluded his US Open with a top-20 finish.

McIlroy is one of only six players in the game's history to win all four majors. In his own words, a reset was required after climbing his Everest.

He's accustomed to being the centre of attention. Given the circumstances the focus this week will of course be intense, the warmest of receptions is guaranteed on his return to Northern Ireland.

That was also the case in 2019, when McIlroy's Open Challenge at Royal Portrush was almost over before it began. He walked off the first green four-over-par, after a quadruple-bogey eight, and eventually signed for an opening round of 79, which concluded with a triple-bogey seven.

He turned things around dramatically on day two. A second round of six-under par 65 left an emotionally spent McIlroy just one shot outside the cut mark.

Padraig Harrington

The 2007 and 2008 Open champion Harrington was given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot at this year's Championship.

His competitive nature is still strong, he comes into the tournament as US Senior Open champion.

Harrington played all four rounds at last week's Scottish Open.

Darren Clarke first played Portrush at the age of 13, and owns a home nearby.

The ninth hole has been renamed in honour, while the fourth hole, 'Fred Daly's', honours the 1947 Open winner. Clark and Tom McKibbin can look forward to plenty of home support.

Every year, the victor of this prestigious tournament is declared with the words: "The winner of the Gold Medal, and the Champion Golfer of the Year is…"

Plenty will be dreaming of hearing their name tagged on to that sentence come Sunday evening.