The year was 2019. After a 68-year gap, the R&A took the Open back to Royal Portrush. The influence of major winners from Northern Ireland such as Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell was viewed as crucial in the decision.

Rory McIlroy was presented with a portrait of himself playing under the Harland and Wolff crane ahead of this year’s Open Championship at Portrush. 15-year-old artist, Lucia Heaney from Magherafelt, won Tourism NI's art competition with her portrait of the golfer and had it signed this week.

Rory McIlroy may have begun another year with the ambition of completing a career Grand Slam but a return to his home Open at Royal Portrush was the one week he was really looking forward to.