Shane Lowry has returned to Europe looking ahead to the next step in his career – Major Championship glory.

This is after the Irishman finished equal top-European at last week’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Washington State.

Shane Lowry finished the equal leading European at last week’s U.S. Open and now looking to win a first Major next month at St. Andrews. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

Lowry, who had worn all-black all week in a mark of respect for the Irish students who died after a balcony collapse in California, ended tied in ninth place with World No. 1 Rory McIlroy.

And while Lowry has won just two events in his career, the 2009 Irish Open and 2012 Portugal Masters, he showed enough at Chambers Bay he could be a real threat heading into next month’s Open Championship.

His U.S. Open finish saw the bearded golfer move to No. 48 on the World Rankings and while he’s set his sights on playing more on the PGA Tour, he’s also looking to become the fifth Irishman to win a Major Championship.

“I want to play both Tours so I need to really cement my place in the top 50 but I’d like to win again pretty soon which would be the number one goal on my list now,” said Lowry.

“The US Open can’t help but give me confidence for this week. I really feel like I played the golf to win the tournament – a few putts here and there, a bit of luck and you never know what could have happened.

“Giving myself a chance to win a tournament of that calibre on a course like that gives me that little bit of extra confidence that I need to kick on from here now and hopefully get a win pretty soon.

“It was only my third top-10 this year but I really feel like my game has turned a corner. My game is great and I’m really looking forward to Germany.”

Lowry will play the opening two rounds of this week’s BMW International Open in the company of the stars of the German event in Martin Kaymer and Henrik Stenson and both former winners in the tournament.