Shane Lowry is excited to do battle early next month at Ballyliffin.
Lowry will join a strong Irish contingent teeing-up in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open to be staged from July 5-8.
The Offlay golfer will always be remembered for his stunning 2009 Irish Open triumph when he won at Baltray as a then amateur.
The win meant forfeiting a cool Euro 1/2m first prize cheque but then the popular Irishman has more than made ammends in his now nine-year pro career.
Indeed, in his now 202 European Tour counting events Lowry has has two wins as a pro, and none better than his 2015 WGC – Bridgestone Invitatioanl triumph, along with six seconds and 26 other top-10s that has earned Lowry Euro 10.2m.
But like Irish teeing-up next week on the Pat Ruddy designed course it’s success in their own national open that has Lowry excited.
“Ballyliffin is a brilliant venue for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open,” he said.
“I’ve got so many fond memories of playing Interprovincial Championships there so it will be great to go back there. It’s one of those weeks on Tour that you have to adapt to. For most of the Irish lads, you need to treat it like a massive event because you have so much on so you actually need to prepare differently to most other weeks.
“Stuff like doing a lot more media, seeing a lot more friends and family, trying to give as much time to the fans are fantastic problems to have, but you to need to remember to get ready for the tournament! But I don’t think any of us would have it any other way – it’s one of the special weeks on Tour for everyone associated with Irish golf.
“The tournament itself is massive now with it being on the Rolex Series and with such a committed sponsor like Dubai Duty Free. They have, along with Rory obviously, taken it to a new level over the past few years and it’s brilliant to see the tournament getting back to the way it was with huge crowds, great fields and big prize money.
“It will always have a special place in my heart for obvious reasons. It launched my career when I won it as an amateur and I would love nothing more than to win it again as a pro.”
Lowry, along with his fellow home heroes Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Paul Dunne, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley, will be joined at Ballyliffin Golf Club by an impressive line-up of international players.
Leading those will be the defending champion and World Number Five Jon Rahm, who will be chasing a third Rolex Series title in the space of ten months, while his Spanish compatriot Rafa Cabrera Bello will be hoping to add a second ahead of his Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open title defence a week later.
