Gregory Havret described it as "the best surprise and also the biggest disappointment" after finishing second at the US Open Championship.
The Frenchman held his nerve with a final round 72 at Pebble Beach to finish one over for the week, only for Graeme McDowell to go one better and snatch the title.
But Havret admits there are far more positive than negatives after outshining playing partner Tiger Woods in the final round of a Major.
"I felt good. I just kept focusing on my game, my good points of the week," said Havret, who had to come through qualifying at Walton Heath to book his spot in California.
"I started very well, which is always nice to start with a three at the first and then another one later on. It's a shame I didn't manage to make other ones later on in the round."
Havret had a putt for birdie on the last which would have forced a play-off, but the former Barclays Scottish Open winner admits he could not produce his best at the key moment.
"That's a very bad putt," he said. "Probably the worst of the week. It's a right to left bit of a swing, those greens are obviously a little bit bumpy and quite firm.
"You don't want to make a big mistake hitting it too strong, and I probably looked at it a little bit too quick and then I pulled it.
"My feeling right now is it's probably the best surprise for me - so I'm very happy. But it's also the biggest disappointment."
Of playing alongside the World Number One, Havret added: "The job is the same. It's, the golf course of course it's something different.
"You got the crowds so much for him, and everybody screaming his name all the way around during four and a half hours.
"It's always fun for us to come over here and see this crowd, and that's the big difference.
"Otherwise it's been very nice. We talked a bit and he's a great player. He didn't play good today, I was very glad to play with him to have the experience, and it will make me stronger, I hope."
Havret was able to be gracious in defeat, and confessed to being delighted it was a European who had finished ahead of him.
"It's good," he said. "At the beginning of the week French journalists, French guys, they asked me, who do you think is going to win? And I said it's going to be a European guy.
"When you were really used to those conditions first of all the links conditions, we play on many links during the year. Dunhill Links and Opens, obviously.
"And also the weather - it's quite cold, quite windy, there's a lot of things that we get used to."
