'I'll Never Forget The Experience Of People Cheering My Name On Every Tee And Yelling Encouragement In My Face' - Shane Lowry Reflects On His Emphatic 2019 Open Championship Win

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.

"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 at home became even more precious.

“It’s not like Portrush is just down the road. It’s a good four hours from Dublin, and that’s when we’re not staying at the place in Florida. I’m not a great one for nostalgia anyway. I prefer to look ahead to the next challenge rather than bask in past glories.

“But I always wanted to go back and get some of the sentimental stuff sorted out, although if it had been left to me it would probably have been some time this year, maybe a month or two before The Open Championship.

“But then one of my sponsors said we need to do this in the week of the Irish Open. And me and the three guys I played with had a fantastic time of it.

"It was pretty cool to relive those memories and to share them on a course that will naturally always have a very special place in my heart.”

Lowry says the huge support he enjoyed from the home fans – especially after Rory McIlroy’s shocking start led to him missing the cut – helped to propel him to his thumping victory over Tommy Fleetwood.

So he’s buzzing at the news that there will be a record attendance of 278,000 fans at Portrush this year, the biggest ever for an Open played away from St Andrews.

“I was told that over a million people applied for tickets, and that the overall crowd will be roughly 40,000 more than it was in 2019. So about an extra 10,000 a day,” he says.

“I don’t know where they’re going to put them! But it can only make the atmosphere even more passionate, and it was already off the scale last time. The galleries were massive in 2019, and they were so wrapped up in it all.

“I’ll never forget the experience of people cheering and shouting my name on every tee, yelling encouragement in my face as I walked off each green to the next tee, and the crowds chanting and singing ‘Fields of Athenry’ as we played the final couple of holes on Saturday and Sunday.

“Oh my God, that was amazing. It was just so inspiring, and I kept spotting people in the crowd who I had no idea were going to be there. You can’t buy an experience like that.

"It was like being at a home Ryder Cup -although I didn’t know that then, of course, because I hadn’t played in one. But Rome two years ago reminded me a lot of Portrush.

“I’ve got no doubt it will be the same again this year, for me or any of the Irish players who do well. Yeah, it brings extra pressure, but it’s definitely worth it. It’s going to be an incredible event, and I’m just going to be happy to be a part of it.

“And after what Rory’s done already this year, it will take some of the heat off me. He’s obviously got unfinished business at Portrush after what happened last time, and whatever pressure he is under won’t compare to what he was experiencing every year at Augusta. And he’s proved he was more than equal to that.

“Look, whatever happens, it’s going to be a fantastic occasion. You just knew after 2019 that The Open would have to come back to Portrush on a regular basis, because I wasn’t the only one who had a blast.

"All the players were raving about the course, the welcome and the atmosphere. We Irish love a party, and there was definitely a mood of celebration sweeping the whole country that week. I’m glad I was able to play my part in that.”