The perfect ending to a fairytale week for Irish golf

Shane Lowry woke up yesterday morning still not sure he had what it took to win a major but he finished the biggest day of his professional life with no-one more deserving of victory at the 148th Open Championship.

A home victor at Royal Portrush as the oldest major returned to the Antrim links for the first time in 68 years was the perfect ending to a fairytale week for Irish golf as the world’s best came to these shores, loved what they saw and were roared on by 237,750 fans, a record for an Open outside of St Andrews and one which will have romantics and bean counters alike pencilling in this venue for a return visit.