The Open Championship comes to City of Derry for Kevin's special Captain's Day!

Those afternoons and evenings spent in the company of his golf mad parents, Rosemary and Malachy, meant Kevin Doherty never really had a say in it; golf was always going to be his game. Watching Ballesteros, Norman, Faldo and Co. had a formative impact and cemented a lifelong love for the current City of Derry club captain.

And right at the centre of that sporting obsession stood golf's holy grail: The Claret Jug.

Kevin watched almost every winner of the Open lift the 20.75 inch, sterling silver trophy for 30 years in the company of his parents, particularly his mum, herself a huge Seve fan. Padraig Harrington's dramatic play-off victory over Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie in 2007 brought a premature end to that tradition when bowel cancer claimed Rosemary at the unfathomably young age of 59. What cancer couldn't take though was Rosemary's 'life is for living' mantra that ensures her impact continues to be felt by her family in everything they do.

That's why tomorrow, when Kevin hosts his first Captain's Day at the Prehen club - following in the footsteps of his dad who was captain in 2006 - the 2023 Champion Golfer will receive a new trophy that has captured the imagination of golfers all over the city and beyond.

"I never realised it would catch so many people's attention," laughs Kevin, who now lives in Claudy, "I always knew it would be talked about but it has been beyond belief, the feedback is remarkable.

"It's been massive. I had a club from Dublin ring me today about it because it's spread on social media. Emails are coming at me from everywhere. Interest in my Captain's Day has shot up. The timesheet is full and there's a waiting list. There hasn't been a waiting list for years which makes me really nervous!" (laughing)

All the fuss is over Kevin's choice of prize. When he was approached to be City of Derry captain, his immediate pride gave way to the ideals Rosemary had instilled in him: 'If you're going to do something, do it right.'

"The first thing I thought about after being asked was my mum would have been so proud," he explains, "My mum died in 2007 and she loved golf. I watched every Open Championship from 1977 to 2007 bar one with my mum. In 2007 she died just after the Open.

"It was a big thing for the two of us. I was in America in 1989 which is the only one I missed watching with her, every other one I watched with her. Even when she was dying, we watched Padraig Harrington beating Sergio Garcia and she was delighted.

"So, after being asked, I thought that's what I'll do; I'll get a Claret Jug as the first prize. It was just an idea. I'd no idea how much it would cost, no idea how to go about it. I made a few contacts, sourced it through St. Andrew's and I got the trophy and things have been a bit mad since!"

Kevin's plan became a reality last Friday when the trophy finally arrived and it's fair to say it hasn't disappointed.

"It's not an exact replica because you cannot buy an exact replica but it's as close as you will get," he adds, "Noel McDermott from Derry has done the engraving and has been brilliant.

"I checked with the Open organisers and with St. Andrew's. The bottom line is, they have no issue. To get an exact replica, the nearest you could get would cost around £16,500 and no captain is going to buy that! (laughs). I'd be right at the top of the list for captains looking for one and even I'm not buying that one!"But I wanted the claret jug as a tribute to mum and the love we had for the Open Championship. I went through St. Andrew's, worked with Noel and finally received it last week. I opened it and immediately went, 'Oh my God!'"It was very emotional when it arrived. I wasn't quite ready for that. The feedback I've had since is remarkable but I suppose it is something completely different."

The new trophy will make Saturday's Captain's Day even more special for Kevin who attributes his own love of the game to his parents.

"Mum was only 59. She became ill and died quite suddenly but the impact she's had on me and my family, even to this day, 16 years later, is just immense. That's the sort of person she was. That's the type of individual she was.

"I know everyone talks about their mum in that way but she really impacted everyone she met and it was always about the higher end. If you were going to do something, you did it right in her book. That's the way I viewed my Captain's Day so the winner gets a Claret Jug and a gold medal.

"I got my love of golf from mum and dad. I grew up with golf. I watched every Masters, every Open, Ryder Cup, you name it. I adore golf but that's a family thing. The Open and the Masters were family nights in our house. You get yourself in front of the tv and just wait. That was us, that was our family night.

"I'm so proud and my family has been immense; my wife, my kids, my dad. It's been emotional since we received the trophy because it triggers so many great memories and mum would have been very much involved in all this. She would have been with me every moment - the tee times, the catering. She'd have been there the full day and back in the evening.

"Ironically she never played golf, she just loved watching it. She was always a great supporter of dad and us growing up. She would constantly take us to play, it was never any problem.

"Golf is such a great thing for young people. Rather than sitting about on Xbox, you're out and about. It's great for life in general as well because golf is about enjoyment and respect. As you get older in life, those are key things. And even if you play rubbish, it still teaches you great values and mum would have been about that.

"Mum just had a touch of class. It was always that higher end with her and I've tried to bring that into the Captain's year, and the feedback has been phenomenal. I could never have imagined it. I might even have started a trend!"