FALMOUTH — On the first day of summer, former Boston Red Sox pitchers Jon Lester and Derek Lowe had no trouble traveling back in time and remembering the days they threw no-hitters at Fenway Park. “It was a very special moment, April 27,” Lowe said Friday. “You look at the history of the game, and very few people get the opportunity to (throw a no-hitter). I don’t want to say it was all luck, but there’s a lot of luck involved.” Lowe, who threw a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 27, 2002, and Lester, who no-hit the Kansas City Royals on May 19, 2008, are in Maine this weekend participating in the Drive Fore Kids Golf Tournament at Falmouth Country Club. Lowe, who played a key role on the 2004 Red Sox team that broke the “Curse of the Bambino” by winning the World Series for the first time in 86 years, said one of the secrets to his no-hitter was catcher Jason Varitek. “He’s still to this day my best friend. We got traded together from the Seattle (Mariners) to (the Red Sox) in 1997,” Lowe said. “And I think that was his second no-hitter at the time. I never shook him off. Every single sign he put down, I threw it the whole game. But to do it with one of your best friends is super special.” Varitek, who is now the game planning and run prevention coach for the Red Sox, caught four no-hitters in his career, including Lester’s in 2008. “It was a lot of, ‘Yes, sir, I’ll throw what you want me to throw,’” Lester said of Varitek. “I was young, I was learning, and he helped me a lot as far as growing and as a pitcher and understanding the things I needed to get better at. He definitely helped me set the foundation early in my career that helped me all the way till the end of it.” “I mean,” he added, “it’s a testament to (Varitek). That he’s been a part of four (no-hitters), that means he’s doing something right back there.” Lester and Lowe have not talked in-depth about their no-hitters with each other, but they are aware just how special those moments were. “We’re both fortunate to do it at Fenway Park, which, for people who’ve never been there, it’s a very special place. There’s a lot of great history,” Lowe said. Lester’s no-hitter was one of the early accolades in a career filled with them. He won World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013, and another with the Cubs in 2016. He made the All-Star team five times and finished second in the National League Cy Young voting in 2016. He said he felt pressure early in the May 2008 game, and it took awhile to realize he had the chance to accomplish something special. “I didn’t realize I had a chance at it until probably the eighth inning,” Lester said. “Then it becomes real, like, ‘Maybe I got a chance to do something cool.’ And then you are down to six outs. So it’s a little more realistic, a little more in the present as opposed to in the fourth inning.” After the game, Lester was able to cut loose and let the importance of his no-hitter soak in. “I was relieved and tired. I mean, it’s stressful,” Lester said. “But I think the big thing was, regardless of the no-hitter, it was a really big moment for me in my career. I felt like I was really struggling, and that helped me get confidence going forward.” During his rookie season in 2006, two years before his no-hitter, Lester was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. After receiving treatment he returned to play in 2007. Because of his history with cancer, playing in the Drive Fore Kids tournament is personal for Lester. The proceeds from the tournament will go to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and The Dempsey Center, whose mission is to support children and families fighting cancer. “I love anything that gives money back to research. I think that gets overlooked sometimes. Research is a big reason why I’m here,” Lester said. “A lot of family and friends that I know have had cancer, and without the research part, finding treatments that work for this stuff, they wouldn’t be here.” This is Lester’s first time playing in the tournament, but he has a history in Maine. He made 26 starts for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox, in 2005. He also made a rehab appearances in Portland in 2007. “It’s been 20 years since I’ve been here. It’s a little weird,” Lester said. “But to see Portland, how it’s changed, how it’s grown, and obviously to see the people, who are awesome. I wish we had a little more time; I could go over to a (Sea Dogs) game or go over to the field and see it.” Lowe does not have personal ties to Maine, but he has attended the golf tournament since its inception. He was recruited early on by Brian Corcoran, CEO of Shamrock Sports and Entertainment, who started the tournament in 2023. “(Corcoran) does an amazing job for charity with this Drive Fore Kids tournament. I think anytime you could do something bigger than yourself, that’s great, but we also love to golf. It’s an easy decision to make,” Lowe said. Lowe and Lester were reunited with others with ties to the Red Sox organization, including Keith Foulke, a member of the 2004 World Series champs, and Hall of Famer Jim Rice. It’s also a chance to remember former teammate Tim Wakefield, who played in the first Drive Fore Kids tournament, months before dying of brain cancer in October 2023. Lowe wore a hat with Wakefield’s No. 49 embroidered on it. “I just love seeing everybody, but especially the ex-Red Soxers. … But I also miss (Wakefield) not being here,” Lowe said, pointing at his hat. “But today’s a special day. You get to meet people you have never met before.”