Major’s return to Northern Ireland celebrated
Graeme Mcdowell winning the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was a source of pride for Northern Ireland. Rory Mcilroy winning the U.S. Open at Congressional the following year with a record score was a source of hope.
A month later, Darren Clarke became the first Ulsterman in 64 years to raise the silver Claret Jug.
In a span of six majors, three champions came from a small country in the United Kingdom known for its castles, coastal links and three decades of religious and political violence known as “The Troubles.”
Soon thereafter, a question about whether the British Open would return to Northern Ireland became a drumbeat until organizers found a way to make it work.
Golf’s oldest championship returns to the Dunluce Links of Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951 — the only previous occasion that the British Open was not held in Scotland or England.
“I didn’t see it getting big enough or sophisticated enough to host an Open,” said NBC commentator David Feherty, who grew up in Northern Ireland. “It’s just extraordinary what they’ve done.”
The response to Royal Portrush hosting the British Open next week for the first time in 68 years has been a combination of excitement and mystery.
The championship was a sellout 11 months ago. In April, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club decided to provide an additional 15,000 tickets for tournament days, and those were snatched up quickly. That means more than 200,000 spectators for the competition days.
That should come as no surprise. Royal Portrush hosted the Irish Open in 2012 and drew 112,000 fans over four days, a European Tour record.
“I believe big-time sport needs big-time crowds,” R&A chief Martin Slumbers said. “We’re certainly going to get that.”
What will they see? That’s the mystery.
The vast majority of the 156man field will be competing on the Harry Colt design for the first time.
Francesco Molinari, the defending British Open champion, will try to become the first back-to-back winner since Padraig Harrington in 2007-08.
Clarke had possession of the Claret Jug when he returned to Portrush for the 2012 Irish Open and was paired with Molinari.
“Being paired with Darren … was something I still remember,” Molinari said. “The Open is going to be even bigger, going back to Northern Ireland after so many years. Defending is always special, but defending in a place where the tournament has not been for so long is going to be extra special.”
To make Royal Portrush a large enough stage for the British Open, the R&A made changes to the routing. Martin Ebert, who consults on a half-dozen links in the Open rotation, took land from the neighboring Valley Links to build two new holes, Nos. 7 and 8. The original 17th and 18th holes are now used for a tented village.
But the nature of the links hasn’t changed. There are fewer bunkers than at most links courses because the contours and cliffs and dunes serve as a reasonable defense. The 16th hole is called “Calamity Corner,” where a shot over the ravine on the 236-yard par 3 could wind up 50 feet below the green.
Ebert was profuse with his praise of Royal Portrush.
“No other venue, I don’t think, has such pure links undulations throughout its 18 holes,” Ebert said.
Mcdowell is the only one of three major champions from The British Open
Thursday-sunday
Royal Portrush Golf Club
TV: Thursday-friday: 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday: 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. (Golf Channel), 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (NBC);
Sunday: 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. (Golf Channel), 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (NBC)
this generation who actually grew up in Portrush — at Rathmore, the club next door. Not even his victory in March in the Dominican Republic was as satisfying as his 68 in the final round of the Canadian Open to earn a spot in the British Open.
For Mcilroy, the pressure might be greater than going for the career Grand Slam at the Masters. The No. 3 player in the world grew up in Holywood, about 65 miles southeast of Portrush, but Royal Portrush feels like home. Mcilroy was 16 when he set the course record of 61 at the North of Ireland Amateur.
“To have a round like that, do it there, have my dad watching, was pretty cool,” he said.
But this is business. Mcilroy is coming up on the five-year anniversary of his last major victory, a long drought for his skill set. And he’ll have the hopes of a golf-mad nation with him.
“I think one of the big things for me is to enjoy the experience,” he said. “It might be 68 years until Portrush gets the Open (again), so go out and enjoy it. Look around. The more I can enjoy that and roll with it and play with freedom, the better I think I can do.”