Ireland has a great legacy with brilliant golfers.
In fact, we have an incredible five Open Champions!
Played on demanding courses in notoriously difficult weather conditions, the Open Championship is the oldest, greatest and potentially most challenging of golf’s four Major Championships.
Despite its complex nature, golfers from the island of Ireland have proved to be undeniably successful at this great tournament.
Our five champs are Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke all crowned Open Champions in the last 20 years.
England has produced only one winner since Tony Jacklin lifted the Claret Jug in 1969 and Scotland has produced just two winners in that time. The only country that can equal us is the United States.
Sky will be going behind the scenes to look at the reality of becoming these champs in a new documentary, This is Open Country.
This is a one-hour feature documentary produced by award-winning Irish filmmakers for Golf Channel in association with the R&A and in partnership with Tourism Ireland that charts Ireland’s incredible success at the Open Championship.
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With rare interview access to Rory, Shane, Pádraig and Darren, This is Open Country travels across Ireland to understand what transformed these four men from young boys on the golf course to the top of the Open leader board.
For the first time, we hear from all four within one film as they chart their journeys to Major success. Featuring archive footage and contributions from golfing experts and competitors like Ryder Cup winning captain Paul McGinley and Major winner Graeme McDowell, as well as Tom Watson, Stewart Cink and Billy Horschel, the four Open Champions recount their own personal journeys to victory and relive their historic wins.
This is Open Country will premiere exclusively on Sky Sports Golf and NOW on July 10th, just before the world’s greatest golfers tee off at the 153rd Open in Royal Portrush.
