Rory McIlroy: The Open's biggest legacy in the North could be bringing people together

Rory McIlroy has spoken of the great legacy this week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush can have, both for golf in Northern Ireland and its people.

Tournament favourite McIlroy, 30, was speaking today at Royal Portrush on the day tournament organisers the R&A announced record-breaking crowds of 237,750, the largest attendance for an Open outside St Andrews and second-largest ever, including more than 30,000 fans under the age of 25, 21,000 of whom are under 16s.