"all he wanted to do was hit golf balls"

The whole of Ireland is on the crest of a patriotic wave after Clara native Shane Lowry lifting the Claret Jug in Portrush on Sunday.

His six-shot victory in Antrim not only made him the 5th Irishman to get his hands on the prestigious trophy, he's now the only Irish player to win a Major on Irish soil. A nice little cherry on top.

And whether you're a fan of golf or not, you cannot help but fall for the endearing nature Lowry possesses. He feels like someone you want to be friends with, or go on the lash with. He's warm, fun and loves his country

Exhibit A:

Guinness ✅

Trad band ✅

The Claret Jug ✅

Shane Lowry knows how to celebrate a big win!!!! pic.twitter.com/myICLOrJpr

— Today FM (@TodayFM) July 22, 2019

One man who knows him very well is his former coach Donagh McArdle. Donagh was the Head Professional at Tullamore Golf Club for 25 years and was also the Leinster Development Coach.

Speaking on Dermot and Dave, McArdle explains how he was introduced to Shane, "I got an email saying there's a young guy down the road showing a lot of promise".

He goes on to say, "this guy had something special....he had a very natural, raw talent, all we had to do was keep him on the straight and narrow".

Donagh also tells us how the new Champion Golfer of the Year learned from his howler of a last round at the US Open in Oakmont in 2016, where he threw away a four point lead on the last day.

Check out the chat in full by pressing the play button on screen.