The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, will today receive the Freedom of St Andrews.
He is only the third American to be so honoured, with fellow golf legend Bobby Jones and former president Benjamin Franklin the others.
That in itself would be special enough.
But it is little more than a sideshow as The Open juggernaut properly arrived in town.
By the time the Celebration of Champions contest got going in mid-afternoon – a crowd-pleasing knockabout – the galleries ranked in the tens of thousands.
And the competitive action is still two days away.
But what that on-course action disguises is the amount of work that has gone on – and will continue to do so throughout this week – to make the championship run smoothly.
Months of planning have gone into the week.
Without an army of volunteers and workers manning food and drink stalls, The Open would be a shadow of itself.
Their contribution to the championship is immense and deserves to be recognised.
As does that of the townsfolk of St Andrews. Their lives will be turned upside down for a week, whether golf is their great love or not.
Putting on The Open is a team effort that provides top-class sport and huge economic benefit.
It has all been worth it.
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