PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — If anybody stepped to the first tee at Portrush with a powerful memory, it was Shane Lowry. He is, after all, the last player to win a British Open at Portrush, in 2019, and he’d been anticipating the emotions that would engulf him for that first tee shot this week for quite a while.

Just four rounds separate the start of The Open Championship and the hosting of the Claret Jug signifying the crowning of Champion Golfer of the Year. Across 72 holes at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland,