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Shane Lowry is relishing the prospect of shining on the biggest stage once again as his delayed defence of the Claret Jug draws near at The 149th Open.
Lowry produced a magnificent performance at Royal Portrush in 2019 to triumph by six strokes and secure a hugely popular victory, as the Championship returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to The Open being cancelled the following year, but golf’s original major will take place at Royal St George’s this July and Lowry is in a confident mood after tying for fourth in last week’s PGA Championship.
Speaking at the virtual media briefing for The 149th Open, Lowry told reporters: “It’s great to do it in the big tournaments. I feel like I've been doing that over the last couple of years where I arrive at those big events and manage to kind of find some sort of an ‘A’ game, or something towards my best game anyway.
“Standing on the 18th green at Royal Portrush with the Claret Jug in your hands gives you a lot of confidence in yourself.
“I don’t know what it is, but I just love major championships. I just love big weeks.”
Lowry was joined on the media call by The R&A’s chief executive, Martin Slumbers, who provided the latest details in terms of likely crowd numbers for The 149th Open.
“We are retaining as much optionality as we can until the rules become clear,” said Slumbers. “I’m keen to get as many spectators in as possible. What we are optimistic of is a significant attendance and we are looking to have an attendance at Royal St George’s of up to about 75 per cent of capacity.”
To read more from Lowry and Slumbers, visit https://www.theopen.com/Latest/Lowry-excited-for-Claret-Jug-defence.
The R&A