The ultimate achievement would be to now emulate her old Solheim Cup skipper Catriona Matthew, who won the Women’s Open here at Lytham in 2009, just 11 weeks after giving birth to daughter Sophie.

The Scot plays down this remarkable achievement, saying it was easier than it would have been after the arrival of a first child.

“I spoke to her and I said, ‘I really don’t know how you did it,’” said Hall.

“You couldn’t dream of doing that. I couldn’t. She said, ‘Oh, it’s a lot easier with the second.’”

Hall asked for advice from Matthew, who told the Dorset star to manage expectations.

“Just as in expecting a little bit less, but not in a bad way,” Hall told BBC Sport.

“If you hit a bad shot, you’ve been out of it for a year. You’ve given birth to a human.

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“So it will take some time, basically be patient. And that’s what I’m going to have in my mind this week.”

Hall will marry Conor’s father Paul Dunne, who led the 2015 Open as an amateur and beat Rory McIlroy to the 2017 British Masters title. The baby boy could hardly have more impeccable golfing genes.

And the new mum has already made sure of a family photo on the 18th green this week. Hall said: “It’ll be my new screensaver.”

Eight years ago the photos were of her clutching one of golf’s most prestigious trophies, but that is not her abiding memory.

“I think just holing so many putts,” she said.

“That’s why you play golf. It wasn’t even like holding the trophy at the end. It was the feeling you get from an accomplishment of holing great putts when it mattered.

“Just so many of them, I remember, and when I was playing practice rounds the last few days, I would remember, oh yeah, I hit it there and that pin position was there. So it is nice to relive.”

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It is probably asking too much this week for Hall to reprise that 2018 victory when she finished 17-under-par to win by two shots. This year the remodelled links is baked out, providing a fast, firm and fearsome challenge.

“Definitely it’s one of the hardest,” said Hall. “This golf course is so hard and they made changes that make it harder. So I’m expecting scoring to be a bit tricky.

“But I’m improving every month and that’s just my only goal. I believe that my game’s in decent shape and if I can get in the right mentality and hole some decent putts, I think I’ll be OK.”

Having led Europe to a comfortable win at Rome’s Marco Simone Golf Club in 2023, captain Donald stayed in post to guide them to a stunning victory on US soil at Bethpage Black, in New York, in 2025.

At Adare Manor, he could become the first captain to win three in a row and will be only the fourth captain to lead at three straight Ryder Cups after Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Bernard Gallacher.

He says Harrington will form a key part of his backroom staff in his quest to make history.

“I’ve been around Padraig in many Ryder Cup team rooms, as a player, as a vice captain to his captaincy, and he’s been a vice captain before as well,” Donald said. “So he brings a wealth of experience.

“I do love the fact that there’s a connection. He understands the Irish crowds and all that goes with having a Ryder Cup in Ireland. I think it’s going to be very special for him.

“He’s loved in Ireland with what he’s achieved in the game, and that will only bring more energy to our team.”

It will be the first time the competition has been held in Ireland since 2006, when Harrington was in the European team that won 18½-9½ at the K Club, County Kildare.

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“You wouldn’t want to miss out with it being in Ireland, so I’m very pleased,” Harrington added. “I think it will be a spectacular occasion and one of the great sporting events to be played in the country. The whole of Ireland will be behind it, watching it, enjoying it and living it.

“The fans are going to be fantastic, and I think the atmosphere will be second to none.”

In total, Harrington played in 25 matches across six Ryder Cups, winning 10½ points for Team Europe, while he also boasts 44 tournament victories across a glittering career.

He still plays on the DP World Tour and in major championships, most recently at The Open.

Since turning 50 in 2021, he has starred on the Champions Tour, including winning a record-equalling three US Senior Open titles.

Some athletes struggled in the conditions.

England’s Morgan Lake did not clear the bar with any of her three efforts in the high jump.

Similarly, Scotland’s Steven Stone had attempts with his glasses on his face and the top of his head in the men’s T20 long jump but did not register a clean effort.

Northern Ireland’s Kate O’Connor said she was “gutted” with her throw of 12.85m in the heptathlon shot put.

“It just kept slipping out of my hands,” she said.

“When your chalk gets wet, it’s like you might as well have dish soap on your hands and I just probably spent too much time and effort trying to stay dry rather than doing the cues that I work on in training.

“I can’t blame anybody else apart from myself for not executing.”

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But there were also a number of impressive performances given the conditions.

O’Connor responded by running a dominant 24.14 seconds in the 200m to reclaim top spot of the heptathlon competition. England’s Jade O’Dowda was only eighth quickest and slipped back to second, 49 points in arrears.

In the men’s 100m, Eseme’s winning time of 9.83 was a Commonwealth Games record, the third-fastest time this year and moved him third on the all-time list of African sprinters.

The hammer throw and the high jump were briefly paused but when the former did resume Canada’s Camryn Rogers produced another Games record – 74.91m.

Even Hunt, who was slow out of the blocks and off the pace for the first 60m, finished 0.01secs outside her lifetime best of 10.97 in the women’s 100m which was won by New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs.

“I am just proud of myself for gritting it out and trusting my long legs,” Hunt said.

“Ultimately, we all have to race in the same conditions. We are all on the start line together freezing.

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“You just have to get out there and get it done.”

A smattering of hardy locals even stayed until the final anthem was sung as the clocked neared 11pm.

It was a night few will forget.