'right Up There' - Portrush Shines For Open Week

Only nan Open Championship could make a small, seaside municipality successful Northern Ireland consciousness for illustration nan centre of nan sporting universe.

While an overwhelming mostly of nan immense crowds were consenting location favourite Rory McIlroy to victory, that it was nan world number 1 who denied nan communicative its fairytale ending still felt wholly fitting.

Other events of this size are played retired successful cities of akin stature, but nan show of superstar Scottie Scheffler hoisting nan Claret Jug connected nan 18th greenish of a brilliant, yet remote, people tucked distant connected nan northbound seashore of nan land of Ireland summed up what is unsocial astir this championship.

There person been plentifulness of likewise seemingly incongruous scenes complete nan past 7 days.

Whether it beryllium multi-millionaires getting their greeting java successful establishments wherever an Ulster fry would group you backmost little than £7, a erstwhile Open victor becoming a repetition customer astatine a mini pastry shop connected nan main thoroughfare aliases nan defending champion sinking a stout information nan corner, nan Open did not conscionable travel to town, it became a portion of it for nan long of its stay.

Australian Cameron Smith, who won his Claret Jug astatine St Andrews successful 2022, could hardly person paid Portrush a bigger compliment than comparing it to nan location of golf.

"It seems for illustration there's a batch of Opens wherever nan people is awesome but nan municipality doesn't really get involved, whereas this 1 benignant of seems for illustration everyone successful municipality is happy to person you present and gets astir nan full tournament," he said.

"It's correct up there. It's a very akin emotion to St Andrews for sure."

In a week that began pinch nan eventual victor questioning nan meaning of it all, location was awesome intent successful nan measurement nan first arriving fans flooded done nan gates and connected to nan people aft connection dispersed that McIlroy had snuck retired for a believe information astatine nan earliest disposable opportunity.

Those first holes connected Monday, and his stints watching chunks of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer betwixt rounds, must person felt for illustration nan briefest slices of quiet for nan astir caller personnel of golf's Grand Slam club.

At each different points astir Royal Portrush, galleries thronged astir nan Holywood star, nan roars that greeted each of his made putts reverberating crossed nan links.

While his locomotion disconnected nan 18th greenish was without nan Claret Jug, nan emotion for nan returning hero, playing astatine location for nan first clip since his Masters victory, was a acold much fitting conclusion to his week than nan tearful missed trim backmost successful 2019.

But it was not conscionable McIlroy who sparked adoration. Americans Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth, arsenic good arsenic England's Tommy Fleetwood, were among different immense draws obliging arsenic galore requests for selfies and autographs arsenic clip allowed, while nan listen of children's feet on grandstands arsenic players neared pinch play balls sounded for illustration nan promised thunder.

So keen were others to return location a souvenir of their week by much accepted means, queues for nan merchandise shelter snaked information aggregate sets of barriers pinch 1 visitant reportedly spending £13,000 successful 1 transaction.

Others were contented pinch much transitory pleasures. On Padraig Harrington's insistence that Royal Portrush had nan champion crystal creams connected The Open rota, location seemed wide statement aft what was surely a grounds number of 99s consumed up and down nan links.

A much uniquely Northern Irish staple - nan 15 traybake - proved much divisive successful nan media centre.

The coconut-based dainty was not each that grounded to summation cosmopolitan popularity. Jason Day was near confounded by section upwind forecasts arsenic nan week proved existent nan aged cliche astir Northern Ireland featuring each 4 seasons successful 1 day, while marathon rounds connected Thursday near a fewer players grumbling astir bottlenecks connected nan course.

Those that took nan clip to look astir arsenic they waited, though, were rewarded pinch nan spectacular views that make Portrush specified a memorable people for nan hacker and world's champion subordinate alike.

"It's 1 of nan coolest views that I've seen successful nan crippled of golf, to beryllium honorable pinch you," said Scheffler of nan course's signature spread Calamity Corner.

"We were benignant of looking out. It was a time successful which you had a bunch of rainfall and location was rainbows connected nan different side, and you're looking retired complete nan play people connected nan right, and you've sewage nan immense bluffs by nan water and it's conscionable mounds and hills, and nan municipality is successful nan distance."

Even Shane Lowry, who had nan champion time of his golfing life present six years agone erstwhile winning nan 148th Open Championship, trim a wholly disappointment fig astatine points during a play erstwhile he was handed a two-shot punishment connected Friday and struggled pinch unwellness successful his 3rd round.

Still, aft a superb closing 66 connected Sunday, Royal Portrush had intelligibly redeemed itself successful nan Offaly man's eyes erstwhile each was said and done.

Asked by BBC Sport NI erstwhile would he for illustration to spot The Open beryllium backmost present for its 4th staging, he replied: "How astir adjacent year?"

While it will surely beryllium longer than a six-year hold for different spell this clip around, aft different hugely successful week, a return sooner alternatively than later seems a certainty.