I've been a golf fan for decades, but I think I'm an unusual one because I've always preferred watching golf in conditions like yesterday's, as opposed to the flat, calm ones that produced a record low score for the leader after the first three days of the event. According to Ewan Murray, the conditions yesterday were awkward, but far from impossible as the course showed It's teeth for the first time to make it the contest between player, course and elements that a British Open should be - it was a contest that slowcoach JB Holmes lost spectacularly as his 87 took him from the penultimate group to sixty seventh in a few hours.

Shane Lowry proved himself the best in the field when it came to the target golf of the first three days and then, after a dodgy spell around the turn, did better than virtually every one else, while also coping with leading, in much more testing conditions to emerge as a thoroughly deserving winner in a manner which reminded me a bit of Darren Clarke's Open win in 2011 I believe it was.

Congratulations to the new Champion and credit to all involved in taking the tournament back to Portrush - it surely won't be another sixty eight years before it is held there again.