Portrush Open victory last of old monkeys to shake from Rory McIlroy's back

There are five Irish players in the field here, and Shane Lowry will fancy his chances of a 2019 repeat and lifting that Claret Jug again, but McIlroy remains the North Star on this stretch of coastline in north Antrim

Rory McIlroy’s first swing is the moment everyone is waiting for. Picture: Ben Brady/Inpho

It wouldn’t be true to say that the 153rd Open Championship will only start when Rory McIlroy steps up to the first tee on Thursday afternoon. It just feels like that.

Of the 156 players at this event, 135 will have already taken to the Dunluce links course here on the north Antrim coast before him, starting with Pádraig Harrington who accepted the honour of taking the first shot at the ungodly hour of 6.35am.