ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — It is, to the surprise of precisely no one, one of her “favorite places in the world to be.” Which is understandable and makes perfect sense. While other Americans have developed intimate relationships with the Old Course at St. Andrews over the years—Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus spring immediately to mind—not many can boast the record of success that Stacy Lewis has enjoyed.

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It was 16 years ago that the then-23-year-old University of Arkansas graduate arrived at the Home of Golf as part of the American Curtis Cup squad that would go on to comfortably defeat their Great Britain & Ireland counterparts, 13-7. No one played a bigger part in that victory than Lewis. Victorious in all five of her matches, she was the first-ever player to achieve such a feat in the biennial contest between the best women amateurs on both sides of the Atlantic.

Impressive as that was though, Lewis would top it in 2013. Competing in what was her fifth Women’s Open, the current Solheim Cup captain shot eight-under-par 280 to finish two-strokes clear of joint runners-up, Na Yeon Choi and Hee Young Park. Great stuff indeed, but most memorably, her victory was clinched in the best way possible. Following a magnificent mid-iron shot that found the elusive 17th green, Lewis made the putt for birdie. Another birdie followed on the 18th. But it is the memory of that approach to the infamous Road Hole that lives on most vividly in her memory.

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“It’s by far the best golf shot of my career,” said Lewis. “The moment, the pressure, where you are, everything has to come off perfectly. And yeah, I have the 5-iron. It’s in my office in the golf bag and it’s the only club I have in there. It’s the only club I’ve actually saved over the years.

“Just to hit it in that moment,” she continued. “On that hole you’re trying to get it down to the bottom of the hill and if it bounces up, great, and if it doesn’t, you two-putt, and you get out of there. It just came off perfectly and bounced up there the way it was supposed to, and you need that. You need that in this championship. You need some bounces to go the right way. It was one of those in the air that you didn’t have to say anything to. You just kind of knew it was going to be good.”

Also sticking in Lewis’ mind are the celebrations that took place around the corner from the 18th green of the Old Course. It was in the Dunvegan Hotel, scene of many alcohol-fueled parties over the years, that Lewis celebrated the Curtis Cup victory and her Women’s Open triumph.

At which point, revealing herself to be a bit of a history buff, Lewis’ active mind meandered back to 2008 and stories told by her local caddie.

“I don’t remember everything he told me,” she admitted. “But it was like specific holes. He would tell me how the golf courses were played and how the holes were once played in reverse. And how the course was originally 22 holes and how we got back to 18. I could go on forever.

“I’m a big believer in you don’t move forward in anything without knowing your past and knowing how the game started,” she continued. “Being on a list of past champions of the greats of the game is amazing. For so long we watched the guys play here. So to have female names added to that list is such a big deal to me. And to think that my name is now on the list with all of them, to have won at St Andrews is really, really cool. I’m excited that we’ll have a third added after this week.”

There was also a moment taken to look forward. Lewis is paired alongside fellow former champions Catriona Matthew and Karrie Webb for the first 36 holes this week. It is a prospect she clearly relishes.

“The most exciting news to happen all week is my pairing,” enthused Lewis. “Catriona has meant a tremendous amount to women’s golf, especially here in Scotland. We don’t have a ton of tour players coming out of here, and you can see, because of the weather. She’s been such a tremendous competitor. To go up against her in Solheim Cup and watch her be a leader there. She’s really become a leader in women’s golf I feel like off the golf course and has helped us continue to grow.

“It’s just a huge honor for me to get to play with her and Karrie, someone that I’ve admired so much growing up. I’m really, really excited about Thursday and Friday.”

And, of course, the chance to make more memories.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com