World's top golfers dare to dream as the 148th Open finally gets under way at Royal Portrush

The stage is set - finally - for golf's greatest spectacle, Today 156 of the world's top competitors including local favourites, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, will be setting their sights on winning the Open and, with it, a record cash prize of nearly $2m. NIGEL GOULD reports from a resplendent Royal Portrush.

It's what dreams are made of ... and where legends are formed.

The Open may be golf's oldest Major tournament - but has lost none of its magical appeal over the years - still revered by the seasoned professional and aspiring youngster as the pinnacle of golfing success.

Darren Clarke has been honoured with hitting the first ball of this, the 148th Open, at the Royal Portrush - the setting for the previous and only ever tournament to be held in NOrthern Ireland in 1951

Equally, the tournament will be cherished by the two other homegrown favourites.

Graeme McDowell knows the course inside out - having growing up in the seaside resort.

He says making a return today is a dream come true after a torrid spell.

The 39-year-old admits "facing the demons of mortality'' got his career back on track in time to realise his ambition of playing in the Open in his home town of Portrush.

The former US Open champion slumped to 259th in the world in March and the prospect of realising his dream seemed as distant as his 2010 major victory at Pebble Beach.

However, having had another serious talk with himself about his career prospects were he not to turn his form around he holed a 30-foot par putt at the final hole of June's Canadian Open to secure an Open qualification spot.

"I'm always having a decent chat with myself, that's life,'' said the 39-year-old.

"My journey has been really about kind of facing the demons of mortality. It's kind of like, 'Hey, this is not going to be around forever, this game'.

"When you're top-20 in the world for years and years the game felt easy. Then all of a sudden you're battling to get back into the big events and you're missing cuts and you're finishing 133rd in the FedEx.

"You're thinking 'Well, what happened?' and realising that if you continue down that road that the game of golf is going to disappear quickly.

"So it was really just that staring mortality in the face and saying 'Hey, I don't really want that so I need to refocus and motivate'.'

Meanwhile, the course has many happy memories for Rory McIlroy.

As a precocious 16 year old, he recorded his first-ever bogey-free round at Portrush.

"I think no matter what happens this week, if I win or whoever else wins, having the Open back in this country is a massive thing for golf,'' said McIlroy.

"And I think as well it will be a massive thing for the country.'"

All three locals will be buoyed invariable by the huge crowd - more than 200,000 supporters are expected over the next four days.

But there will be a number of other key stars who will fancy their chances.

Four majors have taken place in the 12 months since then and all four have been won by Americans, including back-to-back US PGA Championships for Brooks Koepka.

Tiger Woods and Gary Woodland have also tasted major success this year - at the Masters and US Open - meaning US players could complete a clean sweep of the big four at The Open.

But standing in the way are a host of Europeans who will fancy their chances of ending that streak.

And with the main event almost upon us, here’s a look at some of the European contenders who could be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year on Sunday evening.

One of the main favourites for major glory this week will be Jon Rahm, who has developed a love affair with this part of the world ever since winning the Irish Open at Portstewart in 2017.

As for the conditions, these are a little more predictable.

Rain... rain ... and more rain.

However, Club captain Robert Barry said the return of the major championship, after a gap of almost 70 years, had put a smile on everybody's face.

As crowds thronged the fairways of the historic links course on the fourth and final practice day before the action proper starts on Thursday, Mr Barry said the overriding mood was one of "fun''.

"Everyone has a smile on their face both members and the spectators who are coming in and also the R&A and the players,'' he said

David McMullan, deputy chairman of the club's championship committee, said people in the seaside town have talked about little else since it was announced in 2014 that the tournament would be returning.

"For the last five years it's been the talking point, everyone if they go out to the bar and has a chat it's 'The Open is coming'," he said.

No matter who wins, this will be a week, Northern Ireland will never forget.

• the open
• Rory McIlroy
• Portrush