Darren Clarke, as proud as anyone about what is already a golden era for Irish golf, has the chance this weekend to add another chapter to the remarkable story.
Three weeks after he was present to celebrate Rory McIlroy's runaway US Open Championship win, the 42 year old shares the halfway lead in The Open Championship with American Lucas Glover.
Clarke has not had a top-ten finish in a Major for a decade, but a second successive 68 at Royal St George's takes him into the weekend on four under par.
And with the two first day pacesetters, English amateur Tom Lewis and Dane Thomas Björn, having rounds of 74 and 72 respectively, it is the hero of the 2006 Ryder Cup who will occupy centre stage when he tees off on Saturday.
Clarke was unbeaten that week at The K Club in a match played just six weeks after his wife Heather lost her fight with breast cancer.
Now engaged to a former Miss Northern Ireland, Alison Campbell, and back living in Portrush rather than Surrey, the father of two is old enough not to get carried away with the position he finds himself in.
Fourteen years on from his runner-up finish at Royal Troon, he said after sinking a 20 foot birdie putt on the last: "Obviously this is only after two rounds - there is an awful long way to go yet.
"And I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor. I quite look forward to that, but the course is going to play very, very tough.
"If that's the case, then the tournament is still wide open for an awful lot of players and will be."
The fact remains, however, that he is two rounds from possibly joining a major club that now includes not only McIlroy, but also their fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell and Dubliner Padraig Harrington, the man who got the ball rolling when he had back-to-back Opens and then a US PGA Championship as well.
Clarke's round began with laughter.
"That was somebody whistling at me when I was bending over stretching," he explained.
"I said 'I hope that was a lady', but he whistled again, same guy. I'm doing something all wrong."
Not in his personal life, though.
"I've got a wonderful fiancee. Alison is a great girl and instrumental in my getting my life back on track," he added.
Clarke, lucky to be out in the calmer conditions on day two, owes his place in his 20th Open to taking the 30th and last exempt spot off last year's Race to Dubai by less than €2,000.
A double bogey on the fourth, where a chip came back down a steep slope, was cancelled out by an eagle putt of around 80 feet just three holes later.
Four birdies and three bogeys followed, but he had the lead in the clubhouse on his own for a mere ten minutes. Glover was in the following group.
Lewis saw 61 year old playing partner Tom Watson hole-in-one at the sixth in the day's most electrifying moment, but by scoring nine more than his lowest-ever round by an amateur in the event the 20 year old from Welwyn Garden City dropped out of the top ten.
Björn is now joint third with Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez, German Martin Kaymer and American Chad Campbell.
Most early eyes had been on Young Tom and Old Tom - Lewis and five-time champion Watson.
Watson's ace with a four iron was the 15th hole-in-one of his life, his four iron hopping in on the first bounce.
The 2009 runner-up - he would have been the oldest Major Champion by 11 years if only he had parred the final hole at Turnberry - continued to amaze with a 70. On two over he made his 24th Open cut and extended his own record as the oldest man to play all four rounds.
Lewis had a television camera in his face the moment he left the practice putting green and, not surprisingly in the circumstances, could not repeat his first day heroics.
He bogeyed the final two holes, avoiding going out of bounds on the last only by hitting a post, but he is still in the title hunt.
"I think if you asked me that two days ago I would have taken it, but at this moment it doesn't feel so good," he said.
Björn did well to limit the damage after a hat-trick of bogeys from the second.
"It wasn't the prettiest of days golf-wise, but I'll take where I stand in the championship right now," he commented.
McIlroy remains a threat at level par after a 69, but World Number One Luke Donald bogeyed the last four holes and missed the cut on six over.
Second-ranked Lee Westwood and Harrington joined him in an early exit as the cut fell at three over par, leaving them one shot shy.
