Ireland’s Shane Lowry has reset his goals and regained his hunger for the game as he looks to build on the biggest win of his career.

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Lowry won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August but has played just once since his memorable victory at Firestone Country Club, missing the cut in the following week’s US PGA Championship.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed reflecting on his success in Akron and feels the six-week break will work in his favour in the closing stages of the season, starting with this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

“I’ve been able to take a few weeks off and I’ve enjoyed my win, and then the last few weeks I decided to reassess and try to set some goals going forward,” Lowry said ahead of the pro-am event staged on the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

“When something like that happens, it’s tough to get my head around. It would be easy for me to sit back the rest of the year, say I’ve won a massive tournament and sit back at Christmas and be happy with that.

“I’m looking forward and looking to do a few more things in the next few weeks. I’m hoping to see another win, to contend in a few tournaments and finish at the top.

“I’m sure there probably will be a little bit of rust but I’ve played a lot of games the last few weeks with friends. I feel like I’m playing well. Feel like I’ve never had a break at all. But I do feel like my hunger is back and that’s kind of what I wanted to get after a few weeks off.

“Sometimes when you go through a long season and after a win like this, if you keep playing, golf can kind of catch up with you and you can get burned out. I’m hoping those weeks off will stand me in good stead, not only this week but when it comes to the end of the year and The Race to Dubai and things like that.”

Lowry has missed the first four events in Ryder Cup qualifying but feels he is now ready to challenge for a place in Darren Clarke’s European side, which will look to retain the trophy at Hazeltine next year.

And a first major title is also on the agenda after he went into the final round of the US Open in June just three shots off the lead before finishing in a tie for ninth.

He added: “I felt like the last Ryder Cup probably came a year too early for me. I feel like a year later I can make the next team and that’s probably my main goal for the next five months.”