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PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Those who watched the first Open Championship played on these rugged shores in nearly seven decades would learn that Shane Lowry is an infinitely likable bloke with the kind of short game that would make the late Seve Ballesteros envious.
They would have also gleaned that Royal Portrush was as good as advertised and that the best and worst of links golf can only be appreciated when the wind howls and the rain lashes in from every direction.
But only those paying close attention to the 148th edition could have truly grasped the transformative powers of sport.