When Darren Clarke hits the British Open’s first tee shot at Royal Portrush at 6.35am tomorrow an ambition many years in the making — and many, many days of heartfelt persuasion too — will come to fruition.

Such was the measure of Francesco Molinari’s surprise to be in the Open champion’s chair with the Claret Jug by his side, the plane he had booked to return to London was already boarding at Edinburgh airport.

All around him on a windy summer day on the links of Carnoustie, the leaders were imploding as Tiger Woods moved into the lead at the turn.

Kevin Markham reviews Tom Coyne’s new book, A Course Called Scotland but does he discover the secret of golf. “Are you the fella walking around Ireland, carrying your clubs and playing all the links courses?”

With some of the most controlled, nerveless golf seen in the final round of a major championship for quite some time, Francesco Molinari plotted his way to victory at the 147th Open Championship last night.

Rory McIlroy insisted he had no regrets with an Open runner-up finish to Francesco Molinari as he posted his best finish in a major since his fourth and most recent victory in 2014.

Tiger Woods admits contending at the Open Championship felt just like the old days and was delighted his two children finally got to see what all the fuss was about.

The Stars and Stripes that were all over the leaderboard for much of the final round at Carnoustie were gradually making room for the various flags of European nations as the outcome of the 147th Open continued to swing to and fro.

As if his week at The Open wasn’t painful enough, Paul Dunne will prolong his discomfort today when he undergoes a medical procedure to remove a cyst on his hand.

Some highlights from the last day of The Open Championship.

Tiger Woods rolled back the years in thrilling fashion to revive hopes of a 15th major title as the 147th Open Championship exploded into life.

Now, this is more like it.

Pádraig Harrington bowed out of the 147th Open at Carnoustie, the course he mastered 11 years ago, with the admission that the famous links had got the better of him.

Rory McIlroy showed he can adopt a variety of strategies around Carnoustie as he made light of the tough conditions to move into contention heading into the weekend at the 147th Open.

Shane Lowry is searching for a new caddie to see him through the next stage of the season after announcing he and long-term bagman Dermot Byrne are taking a break.

Who’s hot?

Professional golfers are creatures of habit. They thrive on the consistency by and large served up each week on the Tours worldwide. The wide fairways, the receptive greens, and a course setup that suits the commercial interests of the game’s manufacturers — power and the latest technology.

When an athlete’s body and mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something challenging, such as shooting 60 in the final round of the Scottish Open, as Brandon Stone did last week, they are said to be in a state of flow.

Danny Willett has learned to take the rough with the smooth since he upset the golfing world by winning the 2016 Masters.

Another tournament, another day of frustration with a sport Shane Lowry is rapidly falling out of love with.

Rory McIlroy is still very much in his prime but such was the impact of his early days on tour, where he thrilled, intimidated, entertained, and entranced, he is one of the few sportsmen in the world known by his first name.

Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas had to battle visa problems and a delayed flight through the US, which saw him land in Glasgow three hours before his tee time.

On a day of contrasting approaches as to the best way to attack this toughest of Open Championship courses, Rory McIlroy believes his aggressive game plan is one worth sticking to heading into today’s second round at Carnoustie.

Rory McIlroy got his Open campaign off to an aggressive and successful start at Carnoustie to refute Butch Harmon’s criticism of the four-time major winner as a golfing “robot”.

R&A officials have hinted that Phil Mickelson would have been disqualified had he attempted his hitting-a-moving-ball stunt at The Open.

Kevin Markham looks back at Carnoustie’s previous hostings of the Open Championship

Rory McIlroy is relishing the possibility of arriving at Royal Portrush for next year’s Open with the Claret Jug back in his possession.

Paul Dunne will tee off this morning in his fourth Open Championship knowing there is a great performance in him, but he is determined to stay patient until it surfaces.

There is something special about an Open Championship that makes everyone in the field believe they can lift the famous Claret Jug on Sunday evening.

After three years away from The Open due to a series of back surgeries, Tiger Woods really could not have picked a better time to make his return to the game’s oldest championship.

Brooks Koepka may have collected more than €1.8m for his US Open victory at Shinnecock Hills a month ago but the world number four revealed yesterday that he had more fun winning playing in Scotland as a rookie professional on the European Challenge Tour.

Three missed cuts in his last three Open Championship appearances have not rendered Shane Lowry a bad player of links golf and the Irishman is relishing the opportunity to redress the balance at Carnoustie this week.

They call the 18th hole “Home”. Talk to those professionals who have to negotiate the 499-yard par four at the end of a tough day on the most difficult course in The Open rotation, however, and they will tell you it offers little in the way of comfort.

Rory McIlroy is confident he has fixed the putting problems that sank his Irish Open hopes a fortnight ago as he launches his bid for a fifth major title of his career in Scotland this week.

When Pádraig Harrington lifted the Claret Jug for the first time 11 years ago he joined a select band of Carnoustie Open champions.

Tommy Fleetwood has heard about the Carnoustie horror stories of Opens past, Pádraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson have witnessed some of them, and they all agree that “Carnasty” is a more than fitting nickname for this week’s major championship venue.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth admitted he was more than a little taken aback by his reaction as he returned the Claret Jug to the R&A at Carnoustie yesterday.

Ten weeks of drought posed a major challenge to Irish golf course. Kevin Markham interviewed two greenkeepers to assess how course conditions have been impacted. Ten weeks of drought posed a major challenge to Irish golf courses.

Rory McIlroy admitted his competitive juices were flowing again after a superb 64 lifted him into contention for a first win of the year in the British Masters.

American Jordan Spieth has won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Open leader Jordan Spieth found himself under unexpected early pressure in the final round at Royal Birkdale as his three-shot advantage was cut to just one in the space of two holes.

South Africa's Shaun Norris made the most of the best conditions of the day as the third round of the 146th Open Championship got under way on Saturday.

Jordan Spieth will take a two-shot lead into the weekend at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Latest:It hasn't been a great day for the Irish at Day One of the British Open with all four now likely to finish their first rounds over par.

A relaxed Pádraig Harrington does not believe a fourth major title would alter his golfing legacy, but concedes a third British Open victory next week might lead to a hasty change of heart.

Golf nerds, it’s time to test your knowledge.

Johnston banked the biggest cheque of his professional career, £170,000.

The pair went head to head throughout a thrilling final round at Royal Troon

World number three Jordan Spieth had mixed feelings about the changes to the course set-up after squandering a flying start to the third round

"Play will commence as scheduled and the players have been advised."