Everybody has to start somewhere, and Todd Hamilton will be hoping his shock victory at the Open will be the first of many triumphs in golf's majors.
Hamilton, who edged out Ernie Els in a play-off on Sunday, became the seventh first-time winner to emerge victorious from the last eight majors.
Some of the seven new winners - notably Phil Mickelson (no longer "The best player never to have won a major"), Jim Furyk, Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel - were respected pros.
The mystery was why they had taken so long to fulfil their potential.
But with others - in particular Ben Curtis, Hamilton's predecessor as Open champion - the mystery for most fans was: who are you? And where have you gone since?
Hamilton's win at the Honda Classic (in addition to several on the Japanese tour) and a solid world ranking of 56 (now 16), suggest a quality player with staying power.
Nevertheless, Curtis' recent form should act as a cautionary tale for Hamilton. A rookie, Curtis seemingly emerged from nowhere to sweep to Open victory in 2003. But he has produced little since, joint eighth at the Memorial his best finish.
 | LAST EIGHT MAJOR WINNERS 2004:
Open: Todd Hamilton*
US Open: Retief Goosen
Masters: Phil Mickelson* 2003:
USPGA: Shaun Micheel*
Open: Ben Curtis*
US Open: Jim Furyk*
Masters: Mike Weir* 2002:
USPGA: Rich Beem* * First-time major winner |
Defending his Open title at Troon, Curtis ended the second round seven-over-par, missing the cut by four shots and prompting perhaps unfair accusations that his victory at Sandwich had been a fluke. Victory in a major cannot be written off as a lucky break. It requires four days of absolute concentration, the ability to withstand the most intense pressure and a talent with a golf club far beyond the abilities of 99.9% of people who have ever picked one up.
Plenty of excellent golfers - Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia to name three - have never won a major and would happily settle for a Curtis-esque "fluke".
But to really stake your place as a golfer of substance rather than a flash-in-the-pan, your first major should be the stepping stone to a prolonged period at the top of the sport.
 Woods' astonishing victory at the 1997 Masters saw the beginning of his domination of the sport |
When Tiger Woods announced his astonishing talent at the 1997 Masters, few could have predicted the then 21-year-old would progress to become the sport's dominant force. But Woods built on the foundations of the 12-shot victory to claim another seven major titles and has been close to several more.
In recent memory, the likes of Ernie Els and Vijay Singh have all proved they have what it takes to win majors more than once.
But since the last of Woods' major titles at the 2002 US Open, this once-reliable breed of repeat winners has become the exception rather than the rule. So why has modern golf started to produce so many more first-time major winners?
Perhaps the most significant reason is a perceived levelling out of standards because of the impact of new technology on golf equipment.
Improvements in materials and increase in club head sizes have resulted in huge advances in the distance and accuracy of tee-shots, while the advent of wedges with 60-degree open faces has negated the need for a Seve Ballesteros-style touch around the greens. "More players are putting in the work necessary to become good players, but technology has something to do with it," said R&A chief executive Peter Dawson.
"Larger-headed drivers are easier to hit, balls are going further with less spin and therefore less hooks and slices and the belly putter is a hot subject for some of the top players, too."
As Dawson said, some of the general improvement in standards must be put down to the sheer hard work and professionalism of the modern player.
There is a lot of money to be made, and a devil-may-care "let's-turn-up-and-hit-a-few-balls" attitude is unlikely to prevail when faced with the intensive preparations of the likes of Woods, Els and Singh.
Players are markedly fitter in mind and body, thanks to tailor-made gym programmes and one-on-one sessions with sports psychologists, and are putting the hours in on the putting green and at the driving range.
Below major level, Scott Drummond's victory at the Volvo PGA Championship and Jean-Francois Remesy's win at the French Open demonstrate it is becoming more difficult than ever to predict the winner of a golf tournament. Whether Hamilton is able to take the next step to become a regular fixture at the business end of majors remains to be seen.
But it is highly unlikely the 38-year-old will be the last to jump from obscurity to stardom in the space of four days on the golf course.
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