Padraig Harrington believes that a perfect storm in Irish golf laid the foundations for bringing The Open to Portrush, and the three-time major winner is hopeful that the most prestigious event in world golf may return to these shores in the future.
It has taken 12 years for an idea to come to fruition this week at the north Antrim links, as a plan was hatched to bring The Open back to Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951 following Harrington's first major success at Carnoustie in 2007.
Harrington recorded back-to-back wins en route to securing the famous Claret Jug in 2007 and 2008, followed closely by winning the PGA Championship the same year.
And then two years later, the northern renaissance began as Graeme McDowell won the US Open in 2010, Rory McIlroy matched him the following year and Darren Clarke landed The Open later that summer.
"It was the perfect storm," said Harrington, speaking to RTÉ Sport’s Greg Allen ahead of this week’s major.
"In 2007 I won the major, but then it was quickly followed up with Graeme winning, Rory winning and Darren winning, there was renewed freshness all the time behind the scenes pushing for this.
"It was all started by Gavin Caldwell in 2007. He came to me after I won The Open and started to work behind the scenes to get this done.
"And that is quite remarkable because he is a member of Portmarnock and Royal County Down, I don’t think he is a member up here [at Portrush]."
Part of the plan was to showcase the course and the venue to boost its credentials, which went according to script in 2012 after a very successful hosting of the Irish Open at the pristine northern links.
And while the aforementioned Portmarnock and Royal County Down are often regarded as the two best golf courses in Ireland, Harrington explained that the Open focus was always aimed towards Portrush.
"It was always the push to get it to Royal Portrush," said Harrington. "[Caldwell] gathered the forces behind the scenes for a number of years and then obviously having Graeme, Darrren and Rory start winning.
"And bringing the Irish Open here showed that there was no reason or no excuse that you couldn’t hold an event here and it proved that it was going to be a success."
Harrington has also given great credit to the Antrim links for embracing the challenge in what has already proved a success based on ticket sales ahead of the event.
"I think it has gone straight in as the fifth biggest ticket sales at an Open, so it is an automatic success already," said Harrington
"And fair play to Royal Portrush, they have done everything, creating two new holes and creating the space that a tournament of this magnitude needs.
"This is an exciting golf course and it should make for exciting golf all week with plenty of birdies, and we will see how the guys manage it when it gets a bit tighter when they don’t want to miss here or there and coming down the stretch on Sunday."
And when the champion golfer of the year is announced late on Sunday afternoon, talk will, no doubt continue in relation to taking the R&A’s (Royal & Ancient) blue riband event on the road once again.
The next three editions will take place at Royal St Georges (2020), St Andrews (2021) and Royal Liverpool (2022), but Harrington sees the Portrush template being reused in the future by the R&A, which will hopefully begin at Portmarnock, which recently hosted the amateur equivalent of The Open.
"I think this is the beginning of The Open taking its place as The Open and moving around the world," pondered Harrington.
"Where else would be the first place? Portmarnock would seem the logical first step.
"It would be easy, as we are on the doorstep, if it does move, and Portmarnock is a great championship venue, they obviously have their own issues," said Harrington, referring to the fact that the famous Dublin links remains a men-only establishment.
"But it definitely is a possibility. It would be a great venue.
"They have the infrastructure and like here, the community would embrace it and I think we are seeing that in golf. If you want a really great event, you have to have the buy-in of all the stakeholders, not just the sponsors.
"In my lifetime, it is possible to see it played in the Netherlands, they have great links courses there, maybe Australia.
"These are all under the auspices of the R&A so The Open could move around the world. It is not something that could happen in the next five years but it could definitely happen down the road, no doubt about it."
As a former champion, Harrington is still well within his exemption years to take his place at this week’s championship, but the Dubliner insists that he still has the potential to compete for a third Claret Jug.
"On a links golf course, no doubt about it," said Harrington.
"There is nothing that I fear out here this week. I can definitely do it. If I can fall into a nice mental state, I can be competitive."
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