Shane Lowry couldn't escape his past achievements, even if he wanted to this week.
The 2019 Open Championship winner is back at the scene of the biggest triumph of his career as he returns to the place where he claimed the Claret Jug.
Six years on from Lowry’s victory, the first by an Irishman on home soil, Royal Portrush is again the venue for the Open.
The Offaly man is certain to be one of the most followed golfers on the course and he’s keeping an eye on everyone making their way there from the side of a house.
A huge mural commemorating the 2019 win was unveiled a year ago close to the course and Lowry is still struggling to come to terms with the sight of himself up there.
" The mural? It's never not going to be weird to me to be painted on the side of a wall," he told RTÉ Sport.
"It's very cool that the R&A have acknowledged what I achieved, and the local people have acknowledged what I achieved six years ago, because as an Irish person to do what I did was cool.
" That drive into Portrush will never get old and hopefully I'll be coming back for a few more Opens here as well. I really feel at home here and I'm excited for the week."
While Lowry is happy to reminisce on past glories, he’s eager to write another major chapter in his career and believes he’s in good shape to do that this week.
"What I did in 2019 was obviously very special," he said. "It's something that no matter what I do, I'll always have that.
"It's something that when I was growing up as a kid, I wouldn't have even dreamed of that because a dream that big is normally going to be a let-down.
"I think I just have to go out there this week and try and be myself and try and allow myself to play good golf. I feel like I'm playing some of the best golf in my career this year and I think if I just allow myself to keep doing that, you never know what could happen.
"I pride myself on putting myself in position on Saturday afternoons at majors and when the tough tournaments get going, that's when I feel like I'm at my best. It's going to be like that this week, it's going to be hard.
"I just want to get off to a good start, we all do. It will be like a tough enough mental battle for me to get there, but I think I'll be fine once Thursday morning comes.
"I'm getting older, so I feel like I need to do more to prepare and be a better version of myself.
"I feel like I've done that very well over the last number of years and I've prepared as good as I can for this. There’s nothing else I can do."
