Some discomfort but no squirming this time as McIlroy survives first day at Portrush

“It was a tough enough day, especially either chopping out of the rough or out of the fairway bunkers most of the time. So to shoot under-par was a good effort.” 

IN THE MIX: Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy chips on to the 15th green.

Paul McGinley is voicing a diddly-eye ad for Irish tourism this week. Padraig Harrington, a man who seems to know his ice cream, has been bragging that the 99s at this ‘Irish’ Open are better than anywhere else on the Championship rota.

There’s times when all this stuff, all this back-patting, can feel a bit corny. A bit much. Then you stand beside the first tee at Royal Portrush’s Dunluce links just after three o’clock on Thursday and you’re blown away by the scene stretching out before you.