One month to go until the biggest sporting event that the province has ever seen, and the boys from Northern Ireland are building up quite a head of steam. Talk about perfect timing.
Of course, the sold-out return of the Open to Royal Portrush would have been a mighty deal even if Rory McIlroy was struggling to live up to his star billing and Graeme McDowell was watching from the sidelines. But how much better will it be now they've got their mojo back?
Think where we were just eight days ago. McDowell wasn't even in the starting line-up, as he slowly made his recovery from falling out of the world's top 250.
Graeme McDowell remains in contention at the US Open after a strong opening two days
The Northern Irishman is hitting form ahead of the return of the Open to Royal Portrush
McIlroy, following a blistering start to the season, was enduring something of a post-Masters blip as he digested another year without completing the career Grand Slam.
Sure, he finished in the top 10 at the USPGA at Bethpage last month, but it had been very much of the back-door variety, with a strong final round when free of pressure. He'd followed that by missing the halfway cut at the Memorial.
One magical afternoon last Sunday at the Canadian Open changed everything. McDowell holed a 30ft putt on the 18th green to snatch one of three precious spots on offer for Portrush, the town where he grew up. McIlroy shot 61 to win the tournament by seven strokes, offering a timely reminder that when he's in full flight, he is still the best golfer to watch.
On the charter flight over to Pebble Beach that evening for this week's 119th US Open, they toasted one another's success. Then they set about continuing the good vibes at America's national championship.
McDowell was determined this was going to be more than a week to reminisce about winning the US Open over the famous links course in 2010.
Rory McIlroy was also busy attracting the crowds at Pebble Beach with some exemplary play
One of the reasons why he fell so far, so fast, was that he got intimidated when being outdriven by 60 yards by the likes of Dustin Johnson. Back at Pebble, his playing partners for the first two days were the local favourite Phil Mickelson... and Johnson.
What a chance to gauge his progress and how pleasing to see the real, feisty McDowell, not the cowed version. The 39-year-old took Johnson on over 36 holes and beat him by one shot playing G-Mac golf, grinding out his score and finishing on a total of three under that left him on the fringes of the top 10 at halfway.
McDowell acknowledged that he is not all the way back to the player he was nine years ago. But you could see that, whatever the weekend brought, he has that look in his eye again, and he's talking with his old enthusiasm.
'You know,
