Ten years have passed since Todd Hamilton stunned the golf world with a play-off win over Ernie Els at Royal Troon.
Yet Hamilton was nobody’s fool following a win at the Honda Classic in his rookie year on the US Tour, and an impressive record on the Japanese Tour previous to that when he was unable to secure his US Tour card.
Since then, it has been all downhill.
But the 2004 Open winner will take advantage of his past champion exempt status to tee it up on Thursday, hoping that a first-round 64 at the John Deere Classic proves he is, at last, seeing light at the end of what has been a very long, dark tunnel.
“I took things far too lightly and forgot what got me there was a lot of hard work,” he says candidly.
“This year I’ve played a lot of golf and practised at home, but most of my tournament golf has been on the Web.com Tour, and I haven’t played well at all.
“It just seems like I am able to hit the ball well on the driving range, but can’t take it to the tournament. So it is a struggle, and is anything but enjoyable,” he added.
Having only made two cuts from nine starts on the Web.com Tour, that statement is understandable to say the least, but hope springs eternal and Hamilton will board the plane for England tonight hoping he has turned the corner.
“I made the cut the last time The Open was played there,” he recalls. “I enjoyed the golf course, although I understand they have made some new tees and lengthened it a little.
“But I hope the weather is as hot as last time because the ground was hard as a rock. As I don’t hit it very long, it is a benefit if I can hit it in the fairway and get it to run those extra few yards.”
He might need more than just a few extra yards, but his tale of woe since winning the Claret Jug certainly proves how humbling the game can be.
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