Tokyo Olympics: Shane Lowry’s bags packed and ready as Offaly's gold medal hopeful heads for Japan

Ireland’s Olympic golfer Shane Lowry is Tokyo bound after the Clara man posted a picture of his packed bag on his Instagram last night.

Lowry is set to arrive on the central Pacific coast in the hours ahead of the opening ceremony and to allow himself some time to acclimatise to his surroundings in Japan’s capital city.

In his recent Instagram story Lowry wrote: “All packed and ready to go.” The photo was a picture of a black bag with the Team Ireland logo on it and he also tagged Ireland’s official Instagram account.

The laidback Offaly man will be in action next week when the golf tournament gets underway at the Olympic Games which was almost cancelled earlier this week after a Covid-19 outbreak.

The 34-year-old is paired with Rory McIlroy for the tournament as the nation pins their hopes on two of the countries’ younger stars of golf to bring home the gold medal as Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are set to lead the Irish charge for the women.

The pair take over the mantle from Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington and Seamus Power who was recently a winner on the PGA Tour.

Shane Lowry let his fans know he's on his way to the Olympics in Tokyo last night. (Shane Lowry/Instagram)

In recent days, Lowry made no bones about what his ambitions are in Tokyo and insists he is in a good place ahead of the tournament.

“I’m going with one goal and that’s to bring a medal back to Ireland,” says Lowry who won The Open at Royal Portrush in 2019.

“I’m not going there on my holidays. I’m going there to win a medal.”

However, his teammate Rory McIlroy didn’t seem too flattered about the prospect of representing Ireland at the Olympics.

"I don't know if there is much to look forward to,” says McIlroy who is without a major win in seven years.

"I am looking forward to getting another week's golf in and trying to get my game in shape.

"For me at the minute it's just the process of trying to work my way back to the sort of form and the sort of the level that I know I can play at.

"There are a lot of birdies in there but a lot of bogeys, too. I've made 17 birdies this week, which is more than enough to challenge to win this golf tournament.

"I'm not a very patriotic guy, I'm doing it because I think it is the right thing to do.”