When an amateur plays for the first time in a Major two months after his 18th birthday and is in third place after the only bogey-free round of the day - at Carnoustie of all places - the golf world is entitled to get excited.
That was Rory McIlroy in 2007 and the excitement around him has simply grown and grown until it reached its crescendo in The Masters Tournament at Augusta National.
Not that the biggest day in the 21 year old Northern Irishman's life began as he wanted it to.
With hours to kill before a 2.40pm tee-off time he was able to watch coverage of the whole of Ulster's Heineken Cup quarter-final at Northampton - and saw them lose.
Then it was down to the business of trying to turn his four shot overnight lead into his first Major title.
One that would make him the youngest Major Champion so far this century and the second youngest person - he is eight months older than Tiger Woods was in 1997 - to don a Green Jacket.
Not that McIlroy was looking to put the prospect of his maiden triumph in the same bracket as the American's runaway victory in his first Major as a professional.
"He's done so much more for the game than I ever could or will, breaking down barriers," said the youngster from Holywood near Belfast.
These are remarkable times for Irish golf, though.
Padraig Harrington was their first Major winner since Fred Daly in 1947 when he won The Open Championship that same week as McIlroy entered the world stage.
The following season the Dubliner won two more, making Europe's first successful defence of The Open Championship since James Braid in 1906, and then ending their 78-year wait for a winner of the US PGA Championship title.
Harrington might have gone off the boil since those heady days, but last June at Pebble Beach Graeme McDowell captured the US Open Championship - Tony Jacklin was the last European winner of that in 1970 - and this week his compatriot and Ryder Cup partner McIlroy brought his best game to the biggest stage.
Back in his home country, of course, they have known about his talent for a long time.
In July 2005, shortly after turning 16, he went round Royal Portrush in a course record 61 - and anybody who has been to those famous links can appreciate what a feat that was.
He became European Amateur Champion the following year - it qualified him for The Open Championship - and reached number one on the world amateur rankings prior to his Carnoustie appearance.
McIlroy turned professional after playing in the Walker Cup against an American side that included Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson and in just his second event was third in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
He was set for his first European Tour victory in Switzerland in 2008, but lost a four shot lead and then missed from under two feet in the play-off, and it came as a huge relief when he won the Dubai Desert Classic five months later.
Not that it was easy. He led by six with six to play there, had four bogeys in a row and squeezed home by one by getting up and down from a bunker at the last.
That memory prompted him to be cautious about what lay ahead.
Also aware that in the 1996 Masters Tournament Greg Norman went from six clear to five behind Nick Faldo in a final round nightmare he said: "I'm not getting ahead of myself. I know how leads can dwindle away very quickly.
"I have to go out there, not take anything for granted and go out and play as hard as I've played the last three days. If I can do that, hopefully things will go my way."
Four players were in joint second place overnight - Argentina's 2009 winner Angel Cabrera, South African Charl Schwartzel, Korean KJ Choi and Australian Jason Day.
After yesterday's 74 Tiger Woods resumed five behind in ninth spot and both defending champion Phil Mickelson and last year's runner-up Lee Westwood were nine adrift in 18th place.
Westwood and Mickelson both birdied the second, but Mickelson walked off disappointed as his 15 foot eagle attempt from the fringe lipped out.
Instead of leaping into the top ten in one bound he was joint 14th.
Poulter came back from his wretched start with a birdie on two, but bogeyed the fourth, while Rose was two under after six and Casey one over after a birdie at the 13th.
