neil.tappin@futurenet.com
“Part romance, part ordeal, part fun.” As far as descriptions of the Open Championship go, this one from Bill Elliott in his excellent preview on page 38 sums it up perfectly.
The Open is one of the UK’s showpiece sporting events and this year it returns to Northern Ireland and the beautifully brutal Dunluce course at Royal Portrush. The last time the Open was here was, of course, Shane Lowry’s win in 2019 and my abiding memory of that week was the joyous atmosphere. The fans came out in their droves, lined every tee, fairway and green and by the end of play on Saturday were singing Lowry’s name as they merrily meandered back towards the Harbour Bar. Some Majors are more historic than others and this one will…
