New documentary spotlights Ireland’s winners of The Open Championship

As the biggest names in golf descend on Royal Portrush in Co Antrim next week, Tourism Ireland is delighted to announce the upcoming release of a one-hour feature documentary called "This is Open Country."

Produced for Golf Channel in association with the R&A and in partnership with Tourism Ireland, the documentary will air to millions of viewers in the US and Britain this week.

Produced by award-winning Irish filmmakers Ross Whitaker and Bob Caldwell, the documentary charts Ireland’s incredible success at The Open Championship. It will air to US viewers on the Golf Channel on Wednesday, July 9, and to a British audience on Sky Sports Golf and streaming service NOW on Thursday, July 10. 

Featuring interviews with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, and Darren Clarke, the program journeys across the island of Ireland to understand what transformed these four golfers from young boys on the golf course to the top of the Open leaderboard.

It also features contributions from golfing experts and competitors like Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and Major winner Graeme McDowell. 

Aidan Power, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Marketing, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to support the filming of ‘This is Open Country’ through our International Programming Ireland Fund.

"As an island, we have had incredible success when it comes to The Open Championship and we hope our luck continues at Royal Portrush next week!

“Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes – the combination of our world-class golf and our unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting golfers from around the world.” 

Director Ross Whitaker said: “We set out in hope rather than expectation that we could get all four of Ireland’s recent Open Championship winners to come together in one documentary and talk about this incredible run of success we’ve had, so it’s incredibly exciting to be able to present this story as told by them.

"It’s a privilege to be able to present their experiences and also to show some of the stunning locations and courses around Ireland where they learned to become some of the best golfers in the world.”