By the BBC Sport team at Royal Troon

Sandy Lyle started Sunday's proceedings at Troon

Former Open champion Sandy Lyle had the dubious honour of starting the final round action at Royal Troon.

Due to the odd number of players left in the field, Lyle, three shots adrift at the back of the field, had to play with a marker, local lad Steven Rettie.

An appreciative crowd gave Lyle a warm welcome as Ivor Robson introduced him.

A stunning backdrop was provided by the magnificent Isle of Arran beyond, and a huge liner drifting across the deep blue ocean, bound for the harbour.

Even some good-natured nagging from his mother could not stop Rettie, a 23-year-old Troon assistant professional, from enjoying his big moment.

Beaming as he stroked a few practice putts, Mrs Rettie warned: "Your trousers are dirty." To which the young man replied: "It was from the range."

"Have you not got a jumper on?" mother said, adding: "That's a mum speaking. I just hope he enjoys himself, but I think Sandy Lyle is a nice man."

Which of course, as all his fans know, is very true.

Intervention of his mother notwithstanding, Rettie said he thoroughly enjoyed his round with Lyle, despite not completing the 18th hole.

"It was tremendous, a unique experience for me," he said. "Sandy was very, very nice, he told me to keep calm and enjoy it.

"Walking up 18 with Sandy, seeing the ovation he still gets was great."

He only had a few minutes to take it all in before a shift in the pro shop.

And his score? "I don't know, too many!"

The merchandisers in the tented village are not the only charlatans around, as unsuspecting champagne swillers in the Bollinger tent found to their cost.

A man reportedly from the Hare Krishna movement somehow acquired a media pass and proceeded to scan the tent, filled, as you would imagine, with affluent types.

The swine collected money claiming it was for charity - which for him, started quite literally at home.

He was rumbled but the extent of his punishment was barely a ruffled collar.

Big-hitting punters are invited to flex their muscles in a modern-day golfing equivalent of a fairground strongest man competition.

In the merchandise "village" several different brands of golf equipment have set up computer-simulated golf holes on which punters are invited to hit balls and try out their wares.

At the brand favoured by Padraig Harrington, the longest drive this week has been a thumping 328 yards, while two holes-in-one have been recorded on the virtual Postage Stamp.

Emboldened by a week's golf watching, your scribe stepped up to the tee and reduced the crowd to fits of giggles. As they say, "those who can't, write about it."

At least five different manufacturers claim to produce the world's longest driver.

But while chatting to several super-keen sales reps, only one clear thing emerged.

Not only are the heads of these "microwaves on sticks" getting bigger, but the names of the materials used to make them are getting longer.

And after being bamboozled by plenty of words ending in -ium and -ology, it was concluded that the main ingredient in the sales patter ended in -ite.

Poulter's choice of attire as always stole early headlines

Human clothes horse Ian Poulter's parting shot at the Open was to play his final round bedecked in fetching white, red and black tartan plus-fours.

This led not only to many admiring glances, but an in-depth discussion as to which tartan it might be.

As most traditional Scottish tartans can only be worn by members of the correct clan and related families, there was an initial fear that the Englishman may have committed a faux-pas.

But Poulter settled the issue after the round. They were "Hunting Stewart" and perfectly acceptable attire for a foreigner.

To those people wondering who the Beard Liberation Front are going to award their prize to, and there must be one that is curious, we have the result.

Keith Flett, spokesperson, crazy person and almost certainly only person in the group, reveals that Ernie Els has won his award for Most Clean Shaven Golfer.

Keith says: "BLF judges took a close look at Monty and Barry for stubble.

"But Els' ability to stay clean shaven over 18 holes is unsurpassed."