It came, it was class, and now that it’s over — it turns out no one really gives a sh*t about The Open.
The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush was one of the biggest sporting events ever held in Northern Ireland. The weather behaved most of the time, the crowds were huge, the golf was genuinely brilliant… and yet by Monday morning, it turns out we never cared to begin with.
One fan, wearing a Rory McIlroy mask stated this morning, “I’m actually glad Rory or Shane didn’t win it, now that I think about it, because none of us actually cared.”
Scotland Cheffer or whatever he’s called walked away with the Claret Jug after finishing -17, four shots clear of the rest of the field. He seemed weirdly delighted.
That’s not a reflection on the event though, far from it.
Portrush was buzzing. The North Coast looked its best. The Open showed, once again, that this is arguably the best place on the planet to host a major, or anything for that matter. Everything ran smoothly, the crowds showed up, and the coverage did the place proud.
The 152nd Open at Royal Troon generated over £300 million for the local economy and whilst the final figures aren’t out yet, the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush is expected to have generated millions for the Ramore and the wider economy.
But still… there’s a very good chance we might care deeply about next year’s Open. Just not this one.
And that’s grand. Well done to Shelver.
