It took Shane Lowry more than five years to return to the scene of his glorious Open Championship victory – but only a few minutes to realise he’d created a lifetime of memories at Royal Portrush.
It seems incredible that Lowry had not been back to Portrush since he completed a stunning six-shot triumph in 2019 until one of his sponsors stepped in last September.
They decided that with the Irish Open being held just down the road at Royal County Down, this was just too good an opportunity to miss.
So Lowry and three of their executives headed over to Portrush two days before the Irish Open started. Naturally, the memories came flooding back.
Shane Lowry Reflects On His 2019 Open Championship Win
For many, Lowry will be considered one of the top picks to win the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2025, but how did he feel when he recently returned to the scene of his famous 2019 win?
Lowry grins: “The moment we walked onto the 1st tee, it all came pouring out of me. I couldn’t shut up talking about all four rounds I played that week.
“It was a case of: ‘This is where my first tee shot finished up; this is where I holed the putt for my first birdie, this is where I made the first birdie on my way to shooting 63 on the Saturday; this is where I hit it to make birdie at Calamity, the treacherous par-3 16th.’
“Honestly, I talked them through practically every shot. And as we walked down 18, I finished up by saying ‘this is where I caught sight of my family and friends waiting for me on 18 on the Sunday’.
“I almost burst into tears back then, and I welled up again just thinking back to that moment. There were so many great memories and I was so glad I went back then, almost a year before The Open at Portrush, rather than wait until nearer the time. It could have been very draining emotionally to have left it any later.
“Look, I wasn’t avoiding going back to Portrush. It was just a case of the opportunity not really presenting itself before that.
The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019 certainly delivered a fan-favourite winner
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“Don’t forget we had the whole Covid thing within seven or eight months of me winning The Open. And once we got back to normal, I found myself playing a lot more in America, so time…
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