After what he deemed a "pretty average" year, Shane Lowry said he feels more motivated than ever heading into 2024.
He is, however, conscious of time ticking by.
"I'm 37 next year. There's not too many golfers that played great in their 40s," Lowry told RTÉ Sport.
"I'm starting my 16th season next year on Tour. If you include 2009, which was nearly a full season, from May to December.
"It's been a long... well, not a long career. But a decent career so far.
"In my head, I feel if I can get to 45 still very competitive, I'd be very happy with that. That's still nine years.
"Sitting around the team room in the Ryder Cup, you're looking around and I'm the second oldest player there.
"Looking at Ludwig Aberg come out and play the way he does. And all these young kids, the [Nicolai] Hojgaards. It does nothing only motivate me to be honest.
"I'm definitely more motivated than I've ever been heading into the new year."
After a stellar 2022, which featured a career-best third place finish in Augusta and concluded with a memorable BMW Championship win around Wentworth, Lowry had a so-so year in 2023. He finishes it ranked 37th, 17 places lower than at the start, and missed out on the FedEx Cup.
He failed to make the weekend at Royal Liverpool, only his second missed cut in 19 major championships dating back to the 2019 PGA Championship.
However, that isn't quite the full story and Lowry's season was close to lift off on a few occasions.
The Masters, where he placed tied-12th and struck the ball beautifully, barely missing a fairway, is a particular source of frustration. On a course he fancies, Lowry spent his week wincing after missed putts.
"I'd say personally, probably pretty average [year]. Not much bad stuff, not much great stuff, a lot of good and a lot of OK.
"I always look back and I was completely dejected after the Masters this year because I felt like I hit the ball well enough to win the Masters, I just putted like, you know [shakes head]...yeah, I don't even know what to say, but I putted really badly, it was probably the worst putting week I've ever had.
"Then I went on to Hilton Head to have a really bad week the following week and yeah, quite a day. That was a low point of my year, really.
"If I was to look at my year, first four months I probably hit the ball as good as I ever have and putted as bad as I ever have.
"Then I figured that out sometime around May. Then I just didn't hit it as well, but it was pretty good on the greens for the rest of the season, quite comfortable, got very comfortable there.
"I think obviously it goes without saying the highlight of my year was the Ryder Cup and that week, but a lot to improve, I think, in 2024.
"But I think I've been around long enough to know that professional golf, it ebbs and flows, you just have to keep doing what you feel is right. As long as you do that and things aren't going too badly, you just have to believe that the best is yet to come."
While the media were inclined to harp on about the departure of his caddie Brian 'Bo' Martin - his bagman during his highly successful 2019-22 period - at the end of January, Lowry himself views poor or awkward scheduling choices as putting him on the back foot.
"I feel like I didn't pick a good schedule for myself this year early on and I think I struggled with that, I lost confidence in certain tournaments that I historically haven’t played well at anyway.
"And I just feel like at this level that you need to pick the courses that you feel like if you play great, you’re going to win, whereas I was playing some courses that I feel like if I go there I play great I’m going to finish 20th.
"So that’s kind of a hard place to start your weekend. So yeah, do my schedule better next year and hopefully my putter behaves and I feel like I can have a very good year."
His overall form perked up in the latter stage of the year, notably at the K Club in September - "one of my best weeks of the year... I loved it" - where in a sweltering Indian summer, he posted a third place finish, his best showing in his home event since 2009. His drawn singles match with the previously wayward Jordan Spieth at Marco Simone was a proper birdie-fest.
The Ryder Cup weekend, where Lowry registered one foursomes win and a half-point in singles [which may have been a full point had the stakes been higher by then], is the most treasured memory of 2023.
Lowry was especially conspicuous in the post-match celebrations and in the cheerleading stakes, even when rested. On Saturday evening, he briefly assumed responsibilities as Rory McIlroy's minder in the wake of the Joe La Cava stand-off on the 18th green.
With Rory reeling after the fourballs defeat, it was Lowry who suggested they get the car together - thus, his prominent supporting role in the face-off with nearby US caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay.
"It wasn't my intention no, but I just thought it'd be better, rather than him sitting on his phone beside Erica in the car on the way home for 40 minutes - which is how long it took - it'd be better if the two of us were together to chat about things.
"When he came in the locker room, he's very fired up. He was fired up the whole evening, really. And then obviously, what happened in the car park, the first American person Rory saw was 'Bones' and he had a go at him!
"I think that's what's great about it, though. I think it was pretty cool to see what it meant to everyone."
Lowry's hand has already been stamped as regards major championship success. He has a World Golf Championship victory to his name. The Irish Open, as an amateur. The DP World Tour's flagship event 15 months ago. After the heavy loss in Whistling Straits, he sampled a Ryder Cup winners' party in the autumn.
As former European Tour player Gary Murphy observed, "you don't tend to win small ones." As he looks ahead, it's the big ones that still motivate him.
"Just the carrot dangling of the big stuff that you could win in the future. The smaller events that I play don't motivate me as much as they probably should do. But the big events motivate me - the majors, obviously The Players, the Olympics."
For Lowry, who made his debut appearance for Team Ireland in Tokyo, the prospect of earning a medal is an enticing one.
While McIlroy wound up missing out on a bronze medal in a playoff, Lowry was also in the mix in the top-10 heading into Round 4. However, he slumped to tied-22nd after a closing 71.
"The one thing I remember about Tokyo was I had a bit of a chance going into the Sunday for a medal and I had a bad day Sunday, and I was quite dejected after it.
"I didn't think I would. You know, not that it didn't mean a lot to me, but it was my first time playing it and so yeah, it's very high up the list.
"And I know how much Olympic medals mean in this country, and I think that would just be something else, like the Ryder Cup was this year.
"It was like another thing on my list of my career achievements that I wanted to do and I think the Olympic medal, you know, obviously a gold medal will be amazing, but a medal in general would be great.
"It's on a golf course that I know as well. I've not necessarily done great around there, but I do feel like it's a golf course that could suit me at the minute.
"I think I'm pretty high on the list in qualification at the minute and hopefully I can kick on and make sure I qualify, and then go there and give myself a chance."
