One of the final requests of Open Champion Shane Lowry at the conclusion to Sunday’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was to pay a visit the R & A clubhouse.

Lowry was chatting with a handful of the media following his final round 68 for a share of 15th place on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

It was, of course, Lowry’s first visit to the Home of Golf since capturing the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Main entrance to the R & A

In entering the R & A clubhouse there is a gleaming brass sign attached to the wall beside the main entrance door indicating – ‘Members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club Only’.

Fortunately, and during the week of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, there was a temporary sign in place indicating members of the Association of Golf Writers could enter the very exclusive R & A clubhouse for the duration of the tournament.

When you enter the clubhouse there is a table in the centre of the reception area featuring a lovely bowl of flowers and there on the wall on the left side of the room is a cabinet featuring the the major trophies contested under the auspices of the R & A.

Reception area at the R & A

Among the trophies on display is the famed Claret Jug along with the British Amateur trophy won also by Ireland’s James Sugure.

And there on the wall to the right of the trophy cabinet is a photograph of the current Open Champion, Shane Lowry and with his photograph holding the Claret Jug just above the lockers for fellow Open winners, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino.

Watson is a five-time Open Champion winning in 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 while Trevino won in 1968 and 1971/

“Woh! that’s fantastic,” said Lowry.

Some of the most famous trophies in golf and with a photograph of Shane Lowry holding the Claret Jub in pride of place above the lockers for Tom Watson and Lee Trevino

“I feel very proud and very humble seeing my photograph on the wall in the clubhouse that hosts golf’s oldest Major Championship.

“It is something very special.”

Lowry’s photograph will remain on the wall of one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sport for another 10 months or so, and untill the 2020 Open Champion is confirmed.

Shane Lowry’s photograph on the wall in the R & A clubhouse

Hopefully, if Lowry were to win at Royal St. George’s next July, a newer 2020 version will be haging on the wall.

And there will be an even more special visit to the R & A clubhouse for Lowry ahead of the 2021 Open Championship, and on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of golf’s oldest major at the Home of Golf, and that will be when joins other living former Open winners including Watson and Trevino along with Tiger Woods, Sandy Lyle, Padraig Harrington, Mark O’Meara, Ernie Els, John Daly, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy at the traditional Tuesday night dinnr get-together hosted by R & A CEO, Martin Slumbers.