5 reasons the Open is golf’s loveliest spectator event | Rogers Report

Hello friends and happy Thursday from Royal Portrush! To the surprise of absolutely no one, I had yet another lovely day at the Open Championship. Because this is my first time at the Open, I’ve kept a mental running list of all the things I enjoy about this event so far, and I finally decided to put that list down on paper.

So without further ado, here are all the things I love about the Open Championship!

5. The weather

I must say I have never experienced weather quite like this before. One minute, it’s brilliantly sunny. Five minutes later, it’s downpouring. I’m a fan of the weather here in northern Ireland (at least as a short-term visitor) because you don’t have to commit to a full day of the same thing. There’s no need to feel bad about spending time inside when it’s about to start raining anyway, and I’ve definitely made the most of the sunny moments here. I’ve been booking it back from the media center to the course once the sun comes out in a way I definitely don’t at other events. Oh, and it’s also nice to see players have to take on the course in all sorts of elements throughout the span of a single round.

4. Seeing players out and about!

I love how small and walkable Portrush is. We’ve run into at least two players every night as well as other media friends, caddies, agents and family members of the pros. Whether it’s on the walk to the course, at a restaurant or even out at another local course, we are just constantly running into familiar faces in a way I haven’t experienced since I lived on a college campus.

3. How many young people are at the tournament

I remember going to my first-ever golf tournament as a young kid and noticing that I stood out as an elementary schooler among lots of people in their 60s and 70s. I had a blast and didn’t think much about it, but I couldn’t help but notice how different the experience is for kids at the Open Championship this week. From toddlers to teenagers and everything in between, Royal Portrush is the place to be if you’re a kid in northern Ireland this week. There are massive bean bags and picnic tables for families if anyone needs a breather, but I’ve also seen kids out on the furthest points of the course having the time of their life. And the autograph zone is totally packed as players come through.

It was a similar scene on Tuesday evening when my coworkers and I went to sneak in a quick nine at Ballyreagh Golf Course. The place was packed, and most groups were made up of teenagers or a parent and their young children. Ballyreagh is the perfect place for kids to enjoy the game — it’s a par-3 course with some of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen. The future of the game here in northern Ireland is in good hands!

2. The late sunsets

There is nothing better than leaving the golf course after a day of fun only to have a few more hours of sunlight ahead of you! I’ve gotten used to this during the summer months in New England, but even that is nothing like the daylight hours in Portrush. The sun sets at 9:54 p.m. tonight, and last night I walked home from dinner at 10:45 p.m. and it wasn’t fully dark for another half hour or so. My coworkers and I are planning on a post-dinner round of golf later this week and the fact that the pros can play so late into the day is a dream. Bad news for the “it’s too dark to play” crowd, but incredible news for the rest of us.

1. The fans’ love for Rory McIlroy

I went over to the first tee to watch the 3:10 tee time of Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas tee off, and I am so, so glad I did because it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed. I cannot emphasize enough how big McIlroy’s celebrity (maybe even legend) is over here. There are roars for everybody here, but the roars for McIlroy are at another level. People go nuts when he arrives on the scene.

The energy everyone on the first hole had as we waited for McIlroy to come out on to the first tee felt very similar to waiting for Taylor Swift to take the stage at the Eras Tour. It was somewhat quiet and everyone was looking around trying to get a clear line of sight to where their hometown hero would appear. And when he finally did, the place exploded.

It must be so cool for McIlroy to come back to northern Ireland and get this kind of reception. I don’t care if he’s used to getting attention at tournaments in the United States, this is on a completely different level. And the fact that this is home for the McIlroys makes it so, so much better.

What I’m looking forward to

The tournament has just begun, so there’s still a lot to look forward to as the week goes on. I’ve got some family friends coming to the tournament this weekend, which I’m very excited about. I’m excited to try more restaurants, go to the ice cream place McIlroy recommended, walk around town with my coworkers, continue chipping away at liking beer and most importantly, see some major championship golf.

There’s a lot more to come from Portrush, and I can’t wait to show you all!