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It took Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell until April 21 to make his first halfway cut of this year, but if that was the agony today was the ecstasy as the 26-year-old set the pace in the 135th Open Championshp at Hoylake.
While many of the biggest names in golf were involved in a battle to remain somewhere near centre stage McDowell, who came through a play-off to earn a place in the event, stepped into the limelight with a six-under-par 66.
It came after he received some swing advice from “a local kid” who came up to him in a pub close to the Royal Liverpool Club on the eve of the event.
“You’re Graeme McDowell, right?” said the youngster.
“You’ve got the club a little laid off at the top.”
With only one top 10 finish all season McDowell was ready to listen to almost anybody and he then went out, kept a bogey off his card and set a new course record on the Open’s first visit to the venue since 1967.
It gave the former Walker Cup amateur a one-stroke lead over four players - England’s Greg Owen and Anthony Wall and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, while Australian Adam Scott was also five under and still had two holes to play.
McDowell, a lowly 40th in the Ryder Cup points race following his early season slump in America, had said on Tuesday that it might take victory on Sunday to revive his hopes of a debut in September.
“I think I am playing well enough. I will just keep my head down and hopefully put myself in a position,” he commented.
Well, with three rounds to go the dream is stil very much alive.
McDowell, playing just his third Open ad eighth major, included amongst his birdies a holed bunker shot at the short ninth.
It gave him an outward 32 and he then picked up further shots at the next two and the long 16th.
But for some bad weather and a 40-foot putt Owen and Wall might not have been at Hoylake.
Owen, who birdied four of the last six holes, was not sure of being part of the action until the 36-hole American qualifier three weeks ago was called off because of torrential rain in Washington.
The Mansfield player doubts whether he could have played at the time because of a back injury, but his world ranking earned him a place and now, after twice-a-day treatment, he is not surprised by his start.
“The Open is fantastic and I think it’s good for me,” he said.
“I can plot the ball around the course and I hit it pretty straight.”
The word “fantastic” is not the one he would have chosen to describe the people who run the Open a year ago, however.
When he withdrew from qualifying it was taken as a withdrawal from the championship itself by the Royal and Ancient Club and they then overlooked him when a place at St Andrews became available off the rankings.
Wall, the son of a retired Heathrow Airport cab driver, has won just once in approaching 250 European Tour events, but two weeks ago finished joint second at the European Open in Dublin.
His closing 40-footer there enabled him to claim the Open spot up for grabs and in only his second appearance at the event – he has failed to qualify seven times – the Londoner jumped at the chance to feature.
After making a 20-footer for eagle on the 10th he hit a five-iron to two feet for another at the 16th, but bogeyed the 459-yard 17th.
Asked about appearing so relaxed Wall replied: “I’ve got two kids and I’ll be changing nappies in an hour. I live in the real world. I’ll go and do my best tomorrow and worrying about it isn’t going to make me play any better.”
As a young boy Wall sat at Sunningdale watching three-time Open champion Nick Faldo practise. Now Faldo is the one who maybe needs to watch Wall.
Having shaken hands on the first tee with Tiger Woods – everybody was waiting to see if they would because the world number one did not take to Faldo’s criticism of his swing last year – the 49-year-old slumped near the rear of the field by going to the turn in a five-over 40.
Woods started with a three-putt bogey himself, but the defending champion then birdied the fifth, ninth and 11th to climb through the field.
World number two Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, started with a 69, but Colin Montgomerie, who like the left-hander lost the US Open last month with a closing double bogey, could do no better than 73.
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