AS Hoylake says farewell to the 143rd Open Championship, we look back at some of the highlights of the tournnament, captured by Globe photographer Paul Heaps.

1. Rory McIlroy wins the Open

Wirral Globe:

It was clear from the word go that McIlroy was determined to win this year's Open. After a stellar first round, there was doubt with the Ulsterman would be able to follow it up with a decent scoring second but those doubts were soon cast aside when he finished with a 66 on Friday. He sailed into the final round 16 under par, finishing just two points ahead of Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler.

Lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday afternoon in front of more than 42,000 people, McIlroy became just the third golfer to win three majors by the age of 25 - the other two being Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

His success has also made his father £100,000 richer through a bet he made on McIlroy winning the Open by the time he was 25.

2. John Singleton becomes a local hero

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Although 30-year-old John Singleton, from Moreton, failed to make the cut, his is a tale that is sure to be remembered for years to come.

As he walked out on to the first tee on Thursday morning, the emotion was clear to see on his face. With his fiance, family and workmates -all given the time off by the boss at the Birkenhead resin factory they work at - Singleton relished in the limelight that comes with playing in such a prestigious tournament.

He had said before the competition that there would be "no pressure" and that he would enjoy his time at Royal Liverpool and that he did.

The Eastham Lodge member, who only turned in pro, may not have made it to the weekend fixtures but his transition from factory floor to the fairways has catapulted him from forklift driver to local hero.

3. Tiger Woods returns to Hoylake

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It was great to see Woods back at Royal Liverpool, the location of his last Open win in 2006. After missing the first two majors of the year following back surgery, Woods' return to competitive golf - at Hoylake no less - created a certain buzz in the build up.

Many spectators hoped for a repeat of 2006 when Woods claimed his third Claret Jug in a particularly poignant victory that followed the death of his father. But it was not to be, with the 14-time major finishing in 69th place.

4. The weather

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There may have been heavy downpours and storms on Saturday but the rest of the Open Championship was blessed with high temperatures and bright blue skies. Spectators basked in the sunshine as their favourite golfing heroes took to the fairways, with cold beers, ice-cream and sun-cream high on the agenda for most.

5. John Daly's wardrobe

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No words are needed, the trousers speak for themselves.

6. The spectators

Wirral Globe:

More than 202,000 people from across the world flocked to Hoylake for the Open Championship. Whether they had come from America, Japan, Australia, France, Sweden or Spain, the spectators at this year's tournament were in fine spirit, cheering and applauding their favourite golfing stars as they made their way around the course.

7. The volunteers

Wirral Globe:

Specially trained volunteers extended a special Wirral welcome to the thousands of people from across the globe that arrived in Hoylake for the Open.

One of the tasks given to volunteers, or amassadors as they are known, was to direct people arriving in the town and provide information for those in need.

Although many people have travelled from across the country to take part, three of those helping visitors were fom Wirral itself.

Bromborough teenager Jack Skilling heard about the programme while studying at St Anselm's College.

The 17-year-old, who has been helping people from the likes of America, Japan, Spain, Germany and Australia, said: "School offered a volunteering scheme and I thought I'd like to help out and get involved to showcase everything that Wirral has to offer.

"We've been directing people, helping people and showing them where to go."

8. The selfies

We will have a gallery containing all of our pictures from the Open at Royal Liverpool online shortly. For now though, why not re-read our coverage of the final day of the championship here?