The Open: It was all a team effort, insists ‘the boss’

Despite being inundated with emails and telephone calls, the long-serving secretary manager of Royal Portrush Golf Club invites me into her office for a chat as the world’s best golfers take to the first tee in front of a packed grandstand just yards away.

Recalling the long journey to bring the most prestigious tournament in golf back to Portrush for the first time since 1951, she praises all those who had the vision to make the ambition become reality – not only the members of Royal Portrush and the officials of the R&A, but the Province’s political leaders who got behind the bid.

“Our players – Darren (Clarke), Graeme (McDowell) and Rory (McIlroy) – were chipping away in the background as well,” she said. “But we just all came together at the right time, at the right place and with the right people involved, so Northern Ireland should be very pleased.”

After 34 years working at Royal Portrush, Wilma is due to retire this autumn. But she is confident the 2019 Open will leave a lasting legacy for Royal Portrush, the surrounding area and Northern Ireland as a whole.

Pointing to the international media coverage, she added: “Northern Ireland is a great place. We are showcasing it as a wonderful place to live, to holiday. The players seem to be loving it. It is a huge success and it shows we can do big events.

“We have been through a lot of problems in the past with the Troubles and some people said it would never happen, so it is a great story.”