Organisers of The Open golf championship at Portrush delivered a highly successful event in a land scorched by recent sporting failure. The collapse of plans to host matches in football's Euro 2028 tournament in Belfast damaged Northern Ireland's reputation in the world of sport.

Rory McIlroy’s jokes about “more grey than I already am” for the Open’s return to Royal Portrush before his retirement could also apply to the impact of trying to close down Sunday champion Scottie Scheffler.

Scottie Scheffler was walking down the first fairway at Royal Portrush when a shout came from outside the ropes: "Go Rory!"

Rory McIlroy said he had enjoyed an "awesome week" back in Northern Ireland, even if his charge to win the British Open for a second time fell short on Sunday. "It's been an awesome week.

While Rory McIlroy’s Northern Ireland homecoming didn’t have the fairytale finish of winning a second Claret Jug at Royal Portrush, the atmosphere surrounding his return was still the highlight of an unforgettable Open Championship.

Rory McIlroy’s third-round charge at the British Open has been derailed in bizarre fashion after he unwittingly performed a trick shot at the 11th hole.