A FARMER who went viral after being filmed watching The Irish Open golf from a nearby field in the company of his cows ‘really enjoyed’ his VIP experience.
Billy O’Kane was the talk of social media after TV cameras spotted him sitting in a deck chair enjoying a front row view of the golf.
The tournament was played without spectators due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
That put O’Kane and his cows in something of a privileged position on the day.
Speaking to the BBC, the Antrim native explained how it all came about.
"I really decided to go and check the cows, and I knew there wasn't many people that could go and watch the golf and I could watch it across the river,” he said.
"I took a deck chair and a flask of tea with me and sat down and watched five or six groups.
"The sun was shining and I really enjoyed it.
"They're really good players, much better than me!"
Meet Farmer Billy O’Kane & his cows 🐂🐄
The Irish Open sensation! ⛳️
💬 I decided to go and check my cows... so I took a deck chair and flask of tea! 💬
@DDFIrishOpen | @EuropeanTour | @GalgormResort | @GalgormCastle | @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/gLaCrV8cMi— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) September 27, 2020
Describing his own golf skills as “agricultural”, O’Kane revealed he only later became aware of the attention he was getting on social media.
"My phone hasn't been working very well yesterday, and also people of my age aren't particularly good on social media but my children tell me there's been quite a lot,” he said.
Despite the amusement his appearance generated, O’Kane returned to his special spot for the final day of golf, watching on as American John Catlin stormed to victory.
Catlin may have taken home the trophy and the prize fund but, for many, the Antrim farmer ended up being the standout star.
