For so long, it appeared a forlorn pursuit but the cessation of the Troubles eventually saw Portrush host the Irish Open in 2012, the first European Tour event to be staged in Northern Ireland in 49 years. Despite awful weather, the course and town comfortably accommodated 112,000 fans over the four days of competition. That helped convince the R&A, as did the club’s willingness for the existing 17th and 18th to be used for the tented village and to assist with spectator flow