After a relatively quiet day, the first medal was claimed by the men’s 3×3 basketball team just before 17:00 BST.

A couple of hours later, three more followed in the space of five minutes.

The women’s wheelchair 3×3 basketball team took silver; Evans added her second gold – and third medal – of the Games in the 200m breaststroke; then Woods claimed gold in the women’s T54 1500m.

Shaw then joined in with bronze in the women’s S9 100m freestyle before MacInnes was edged into second place in the women’s 200m butterfly to take her second individual silver of the meet.

Around the same time, MacKenzie was leaping to long jump bronze, before the haul was completed in the pool when Evans and MacInnes teamed up with Katie Shanahan and Evie Davis to take silver in the women’s 4x100m medley.

Three more further medals are guaranteed in boxing – with fighters in semi-final action on Friday – while further prospects remain in athletics, bowls, cycling, judo and weightlifting.

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.