Rory McIlroy’s arms raised in triumph on the 18th green at Hoylake are just the start.
The last act of the 2014 Open Championship not only determined who was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year, but it is also is the culmination of a week that annually provides lifeblood to the sport the world over.
For all the joy in the galleries at Royal Liverpool, and McIlroy’s home club in Holywood in suburban Belfast, or in the hotbeds of golf around the world in the USA, Scotland, Australia and Japan, there were also celebrations in Sao Tome and Principe, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Macedonia.
The sport is in its fledgling state in those nations, but they are no less important in the global vision of the R&A, and one of the reasons it commissioned the study into golf’s spread across the planet released last week.
Golf Around the World 2015 is the first accurate picture of the scale of golf in a global context, mapped by US-based golf research company, the National Golf Foundation (NGF) and it will be the tool the R&A can use to fine tune the distribution of the £10 million a year the Open Championship generates for golf.
Duncan Weir, the R&A’s executive director working for golf, is the man charged with administering the cash, which is more than just one element of the R&A’s ethos.
“We see this as our primary role, absolutely central to what we do,” says the Fifer, a former amateur player of some distinction himself.
“People often ask why we help golf in places like Mongolia and the Dominican Republic, and the answer is we see it as our absolute obligation to use the success of the Open to support golf those countries.
“Their needs are very different to the likes of England, obviously, but they’re no less significant.”
The growth of the Open in the last 20 years is mirrored by the growth in the R&A’s Working for Golf activities.
In 2000, it was operating in just 10 countries: now, it’s in 120, while the money distributed has more than doubled in that time.
“£5m of Open profits goes into developing the sport, and £5m more into governance via Rules and Equipment Standards,” said Mr Weir.
“The new report gives us a benchmark and shows us where golf is growing.
“It’s going to be a hugely useful tool giving us valuable insight into where there are clear opportunities for golf to grow.”
Already the R&A has sent £3m worth of green-keeping machinery over the last decade to developing countries throughout Africa.
“And seedcorn money to get low cost, low maintenance short courses off the ground, particularly in Latin America.
“In addition, over 1,000 sets of clubs are sent overseas each year.
The NGF report showed that nearly 80% of golf facilities are in just 10 countries in order of size, the USA, Japan, Canada, England, Australia, Germany, France, Scotland, South Africa and Sweden.
The R&A has no remit in the USA and Mexico, where the USGA is the governing body, but the money from the Open is in every facet of golf even in the established countries.
“Locally, we support the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association and Carnoustie Links’ Juniors” he continued.
“We also invest money in the foundations of many of our Open champions, whether that be the long-running Faldo Junior Series, the Palmer Cup for students, those of Greg Norman, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen, and closer to home Darren Clarke’s Foundation in Northern Ireland and Paul Lawrie’s in the northeast of Scotland.
“Our single biggest annual contribution is to the Golf Foundation, but we also contribute to a number of amateur events, whether that be through the Scottish Golf Union or the El Salvador Golf Association.
“In essence, we work through our affiliates, the national golf bodies throughout the world.
“It’s a surprise to some people, but we also support professional golf, the European Tour and Challenge Tour and the Ladies’ European Tour and their Access Series.”
For the more global operations, the R&A have two men in key positions, Dominic Wall in the Asia-Pacific region and Mark Lawrie in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We also try to make this a two-way street,” he added.
“We go in to help these countries, but we want them to help us by sending their best players to compete in our events and their officials to our conferences.
“That could mean Ghana sending their best boy and girl to play in the Junior Open, which is held every second year and next year at Kilmarnock (Barassie). Or it could be them sending someone to our annual referees’ school.”
The R&A’s scope for supporting golf is about to expand with the recent announcement of an enhanced UK broadcast deal with Sky Sports and the BBC.
“The Open makes all of this possible, and we stress to everyone who loves golf that, getting involved in the championship is one of the most direct ways they have of helping the sport” added Weir.
“Whether that’s buying a ticket to watch, buying food or merchandise when you’re at the championship, marshalling or volunteering, it all helps the R&A help to support golf globally.”