A seed is sown

The year was 2018 and my friend Paul and i were watching the Open Championship final day action live on sky sports. The pictures were being beamed out to golf fans around the world from Carnoustie on Scotland's picturesque East coast near Dundee. Francesco Moulinari was in the process of making history as held off the quartet of McIlroy, Rose, Kisner and Schauffele. He became the first Italian to win a golf major.

As Francesco was making history plotting his way to a bogey free 69 around the Scottish Links, Paul and I were doing some plotting of our own. Portrush in my home country of Ireland was due to host the Open the following year and we were saying how cool it would be to attend. It was the first time this golfing major was going to be played on Irish soil since 1951. We had a look online and found face value tickets for the finale on July 21st 2019. We quickly bit the bullet and booked the tickets. We were going to the Open Championship and were like kids at Christmas with the excitement.

Now all we had to do was wait. The day finally came around and we drove up to Belfast where we had booked an air B and B for a couple of nights.

We also brought our golf clubs and played 18 holes at Belvoir golf course on the Saturday, which was class.

Sunday at a Major

We were up at the crack of dawn on the Sunday morning and caught the train from Belfast to Portrush and walked the short distance from the station to the course.

The set up is amazing. What a course.

We walked a few holes. Admired the huge scoreboard, marvelled at the tv towers and stands and enjoyed the breath taking vista of Portrush for the first time.

That's Paul and I standing at the massive screen beside the entrance.

We got up close and personal with players we'd only ever seen on the telly. World class players like Rose, Fowler, Bubba and Koepka were plying their trade right on front of our eyes. It was amazing to experience for two avid golfers like Paul and I.

One thing I noticed was their swings were so effortless. I knew they were fast, as the stats say so, but in the flesh they look much slower, more precise, everything in harmony. Pure control. It got me thinking about my own swing and the importance of good fundamentals.

Rickie Fowler

Justin Rose

Brooks Koepka

Bubba Watson

We followed different players around during the morning. We had a planner that showed the tee times for all the players, so we could plan who to watch and we knew who would be coming next, so could decide whether to stay put or move to a different hole.

We got to every hole at least once throughout the day and saw most of the players doing their thing. The obvious and unfortunate absences were Rory and Tiger. They were two guys i really wanted to see swinging it for real. It was a good trade though, as we were there for the Sunday. We'd see the 2019 Open champion crowned and may even follow him up the 18th fairway if it was someone we liked, someone like Shane Lowry who everyone liked. The understated, ever-smiling Offaly man was leading by 4 shots going into the final day after a swashbuckling flawless display of golf on Saturday evening.

It left Shane on -16, 4 shots clear of popular Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and some might say he had one hand on the Claret jug. I couldn't agree. Portrush. Open Championship. Wind and rain forecast. Anything could happen.

Did I mention rain?? Well you could say it bucketed down. For around 90 minutes the heavens opened up and there were black marks going on scorecards all around Portrush as bogeys, doubles and triples were scratched onto soaked scorecards. Here are a few of your favourite players enjoying a bit of soft Irish weather.

Umbrellas of the world

It wouldn't be Ireland if it didn't absolutely piss from the heavens or rain in most folks parlance. Portrush did not disappoint and here we see some of the world's top golfers taking shelter.

John Rahm

Justin Rose

Tony Finau

Henrik Stenson

Jordan Speith

Ricky Fowler

Shane vs Tommy

It was really a two horse race going into Sunday. Given the conditions, under par scores were going to be rare, and rare they were, with only 15 from 72 players going under par, and they all played early before the weather turned ugly.

The first hole should not count for much, but in my opinion Lowry won this Championship on that very first green. His wayward iron of the short up hill par 4 1st found trouble leff and was lucky not to go out of bounds left. That is exactly what happened McIlroy on that hole on day 1 and he walked to tge 2nd tee with a quadruple bogey 8 on his card, which ultimately cost when when missing the cut by a single stroke. Shane was lucky not to join him. He hacked outbof the rough and was left with a challenging 10 footer for bogey. Fleetwood was in prime position with an 8 footer for birdie awaiting him on the perched first green.

Should Shane miss and Fleetwood drain it, his four shot lead would be a single shot walking to the second. He readied himself and rolled in that crucial putt and Tommy missed. He had given up one shot, but had won a mental victory against Tommy and so the day continued, with Fleetwood never finding the midas touch on the greens and Shane doing just enough to keep his score intact.

Another crucial moment came on the front 9 when Fleetwood pulled a shot into the gorse and bogeyed the hole, opening the door for Shane to regain the 4 shot lead which he never gave up again.

Shane had mercilessly taken the wind out of Tommy's sails and all the other players a little further back were falling victim to the weather, none moreso than JB Holmes who started the day in the top 5 and ended up signing forba disastrous +13 round of 85. My personal best is better than that!

It was Shane's day, Shane's year, Shane's Claret jug. Here are the scenes from the 72nd. I was one of the lucky ones. An Irish man watching my favorite Irish golfer winning the Open on Irish soil, a feat unlikely to be ever repeated.

Souvenirs

Here are the few bits and pieces i picked up in the giftshop. I remember thinking at the time, what a bloody rip off, but I'm delighted i bought them and no have these great mementoes to remind me of what was an incredible day of golf.

Golf ball

Hugo boss t-shirt

Pitch mark repairer

Scoops

The course had bars and restaurants scattered around the course also, and sure it would be rude not to..

Shane celebrates

One of my friends was lucky enough to be in the pub where Shane went after his famous win for a few pints and as usual he was in great spirits. Here are a gew photos he sent me of the new Open champion singing The Fields of Athenry