Rory leads the way as UK rolls out red carpet to golf greats
In the entire history of golf in the United Kingdom, there’s surely never been a three-week festival to match the one upon which we are about to embark. Best of all, it visits far-flung corners of these isles that rarely get the chance to enjoy showpiece occasions in our major sports.
Just look at what’s on offer. The best ever Irish Open will be followed by the strongest field seen at a Scottish Open. That’s followed by the 146th Open staged at arguably the best course on the rota in Royal Birkdale.
Over the 20-day period more than 400,000 spectators are expected to watch the world’s best players compete for prize money totalling £18.5million. Just to put the tin lid on matters, the action will all take place on links courses, which remains the purest form of the game.
It all begins at the Irish Open, being staged for the first time at magical Portstewart on the fabled Antrim coastline. The Game of
Thrones actors have finished filming the coming of winter there and now the boys of summer are about to take centre stage, led, of course, by the darling of the province, Rory McIlroy.
This time last year, in an unusual loss of cool, McIlroy told us he was not interested in growing the game. Well, with all due respect, Rory, what a load of hokum that was.
no wonder they say actions speak louder than words. When McIlroy was invited to become host of the Irish Open in 2012, the event was on its knees. Prize money had dropped by 50 per cent and even the relatively meagre sum on offer was only thanks to the European Tour dipping into its reserve fund.
now look at the event just a few years later, following a liberal sprinkling of McIlroy stardust. Alongside the 28-year-old, this year’s field includes Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and world no 2 Hideki Matsuyama, as well as Tommy Fleetwood and the cream of the tour’s regulars. now deservedly part of the Rolex series of elite events, the Irish Open has a first prize of £912,000, which is almost what the whole field were playing for just six years ago. I think that qualifies as growing the game, don’t you?
When McIlroy, with his star power, moved into this slot on the calendar, there were fears it would detract from the field for the Scottish Open. Happily, that has not proved the case.
next week’s extravaganza, being staged for the first time at Dundonald Links near Troon, will more than hold its own with an entry list boasting not only McIlroy, Adam Scott and Open champion Henrik Stenson, but a host of Americans keen to reacquaint themselves with links play, led by Ryder Cuppers Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar.
What a build-up, therefore, to the main event at Birkdale. Suffice to say: if you don’t like golf at the end of these three weeks to savour, you don’t like golf.