Thomas Björn could not hold back the tears when questioned about how his late father would have felt about his first round 65 in The Open Championship at Sandwich.
Björn, who on the same course in 2003 lost a three shot lead when he played the final four holes in four over par, flew home from Spain in May after his father died following a long illness.
The 40 year old Dane has struggled with his game ever since and tried to give a reply, but choked up and asked for "two seconds" to gather himself.
It was a little longer than that and then he struggled to say: "He would have been very proud."
Björn was sixth reserve for the event only nine days ago, but came in on Monday evening when Vijay Singh - joint runner-up with him eight years ago - followed Tiger Woods, Thomas Levet, Tim Clark and David Toms in pulling out.
The former Ryder Cup star would still have been left on the sidelines but for the fact that first alternate Brendan Jones turned down the chance to play because his wife was expecting.
A hattrick of birdies from the 14th was among the highlights of Björn’s round, and when asked whether he felt due some good fortune on the 16th – he has not played at Royal St George’s since taking three efforts to get out of a greenside bunker and double bogeying – he added: “It was eight years ago.
“A lot of people have asked me about what I feel about The 2003 Open - it's in the past. I've worked very hard in my career to get myself in them positions. I got in that position in '03, and that was my biggest chance to win a Major Championship.
“That hole owes nobody anything, and no hole in golf does, and no golf course does. I played that Open and I played fantastic the whole week. I tried to hit the right shot every single time, and I didn't hit the right shot on 16, that happens in golf - that's the nature of this game. You've just got to deal with them things.
“Does that hole owe me anything? No. Today I was in between clubs, I was in between a little eight and a big nine, and I went for the big nine, and when it started climbing a little bit on the wind, I thought it was in trouble. I thought it was going to struggle to carry that bunker, and it just did and rolled down nicely.
“I just holed two decent putts on 14 and 15 and I went down and rolled that one in. That gives you the trust and belief that sometimes things can turn out your way, and it does that in links golf. We all know what it's like; a bounce here or there and then it goes either wrong or right. Today it went my way.”
