If Paul Lawrie is in need of inspiration for another Open championship challenge, the first tee handshake this morning should do the job.
The Aberdonian experienced one of his career highs in the company of Brandt Snedeker, the American who Lawrie defeated in the Ryder Cup singles to help Europe on their way to their Miracle of Medinah comeback.
The two men haven’t been in each other’s company since that Sunday afternoon four years ago and Lawrie – who is out of form and struggling with a foot injury – will be hoping Snedeker’s presence helps him roll back the years.
“It’s a good draw,” the 1999 Champion Golfer said.
“Brandt’s a great guy. I’m looking forward to it.
“The Ryder Cup match against Brandt would have to be in my top three rounds.
“I’d played really well prior to the singles but hadn’t won any points. I’d putted really poorly.
“I’d been asked where I wanted to play and I said if volunteers were needed to go early I would do that because I wanted to put a point on the board.
“I was put out fifth and was six under for 15 holes. I played lovely. In that situation where you’ve got to do it that was really satisfying.
“I don’t think I’ve seen Brandt since.
“It wasn’t long after that Ryder Cup that I dropped out of the top 50 so I didn’t play much in America.
“He’s a really nice guy. I was impressed with him as a person that day. His caddy Scotty is a good guy as well.”
There was no need for Lawrie to think long and hard about the highlight of his 5&3 win. That would be the chip-in at the fourth hole. And it provoked the sort of reaction not seen from Lawrie before or since.
“I try to keep my emotions in check as much as I can,” he said. “You don’t usually see me jumping up and down. Mrs Lawrie was about four feet off the ground! It was such an important situation.”
Jumping up and down is the last thing you can expect Lawrie to be doing at Royal Troon this week, even if his golf merits it. A foot problem will see to that.
He reported: “I had a couple of e-mail exchanges with the surgeon the other day and I’m thinking about not getting surgery now.
“He’s said for the first time that it might make it worse because of the arthritis in my foot.
“I’m not sure what to do now. I’ll have to have a think about it.
“If I can put up with it we’ll need to leave it as it is, is what he’s saying.
“I’ve not made a decision. It’s not great. My game’s not in good shape so I want to hit balls to make that better. But as soon as I do that my foot’s loupin’, as we say. It’s not a good situation.”
Carnoustie will forever be Lawrie’s Open benchmark but the 47-year-old doesn’t have many other stand-out memories.
“Apart from ’99 my Open record isn’t the best,” he admitted.
“I’ve made the cut a lot but never really featured apart from Carnoustie and St George’s. They’re my only two top 10s.
“I’ve won it but I want my record to be a bit better. It’s a strange one.
“I haven’t played here since 2004. From what I’ve seen so far the course is magnificent. It’s bouncy but not rock hard. It’s one of the great venues.”
For two rounds last year’s Open at St Andrews promised much but, in the company of fellow-Scot Marc Warren, it fizzled out during the third 18.
“I was only one off the lead after 36 holes and had played some nice golf and holed out really well,” he reflected.
“But neither Marc nor I got going. We didn’t play badly but we didn’t hole any putts.
“When you’re in a game like that, expectations are so big, the crowd is willing you on and when it doesn’t happen it’s a frustrating situation. It was horrible.
“The crowd did all they could but we just couldn’t hole any putts.
“It would be nice to be in that situation again and maybe hole a few early on to get going.”
Lawrie is optimistic that a Scottish Open championship will get a Scottish presence on the leaderboard.
“I don’t see why not,” he said.
“Russell (Knox) is playing some lovely golf and was in and about it last week.
“And Marc’s proved he can compete at that level.”
* The Paul Lawrie Foundation has been granted one spot in the field for the Paul Lawrie Matchplay event next month.
An 18-hole, stroke play qualifier will take place over the Fidra course at Archerfield on Monday August 1. The field for this will be a maximum of 50 invited professionals. Invites are being sent out to a mixture of mainly Scottish golfers playing on the various feeder tours.
