Seamus Power would love to clinch Open Championship qualification at the Irish Open - but for starters he's just happy to Lahinch bound after losing to a McGinley there before.
Paul McGinley is hosting this year's Dubai Duty Free sponsored event at the Clare links from July 4-7 and Power was straight on to him for an invite.
Power, 32, hasn't played in the tournament for the past six years but he's making a timely return having finally found his best form on the PGA Tour.
“As soon as I heard Paul was going to be involved I got in touch with him, telling him I’d absolutely love any sort of chance of it happening," said Power.
"So he’s been great all along, keeping me updated and just a few days ago he said, ‘You’re looking really good’.
"I always liked Lahinch and always felt I played okay there, even though I didn't have much luck in the South.
"But it was funny, Paul's brother (Mick) even knocked me out one year (in 2010) and Paul was saying, 'I'm not sure I can give you a spot if my brother can knock you out!".
Power, who played for Ireland alongside Padraig Harrington at the Rio Olympics, clung onto his PGA Tour card last year.
But the Waterford golfer has hit a rich vein in recent months, earning two top 10 finishes on the tour - moving him up to 108th in the Fed Ex rankings.
His immediate focus is on qualifying for the US Open at this week's Colonial and then the Canadian Open.
His focus will then shift to the Rolex Series event in Lahinch and there's the carrot of places up for grabs for The Open's historic return to Portrush.
“Absolutely," said Power. "Whatever way you get in, it would be fantastic. "But if I had the opportunity to play two tournaments in Ireland in three weeks, that’s something I might never get a chance to do again. It would be really special.
“So The Open would be an added cherry. I’ve got five or six weeks to really get my game right and give it a good run.
"I’m going to have a few more people following me and I haven’t got to play much golf in front of friends and family so they’re all excited about it, too. "It’s going to make my summer.”
Cormac Sharvin, who has been playing on the Challenge Tour and has a European Tour top 20 finish under his belt in 2019 at the Kenya Open, and Gavin Moynihan have also received invites from Sport Ireland.
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