David Lynn’s remarkable second place finish in the US PGA Championship saw the hitherto unheralded Englishman secure a dream spot in the 2013 Masters Tournament as he charged into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, as well as the golfing world’s media spotlight.
The 38 year old from Stoke qualified for the season’s final Major as the 100th Ranked player in the world and leaves Kiawah Island as a member of the game’s elite top 50 having taken a monstrous leap into 40th place.
Lynn’s second place finish to Rory McIlroy secured the biggest cheque of his career – a whopping US$865,000 – but it was the realisation that he will take his place alongside the best in the business when they next gather for a Major Championship on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National that was the most important benefit of his unforgettable four days in South Carolina.
“I knew a top ten finish would get me back to the US PGA next year, but to be honest, I was just trying to go out and play in the final round,” said Lynn.
“Then when I finished I did my interview with Sky TV, and they told me I was in the Masters, which is just a dream come true, obviously. That's just amazing.
“The four Majors are the tournaments that as a kid you sit home and you watch. Seeing Augusta as many times as I have, it's like I know the place and I've never even been there. So to actually go and get to experience it is going to be amazing and something I'm really going to look forward to.”
While the final round coverage at Kiawah naturally focussed on McIlroy, the front-nine birdie rampage of Ian Poulter and the ubiquitous Tiger Woods, Lynn complied a four under par 68 that saw him sneak up the leaderboard.
With Poulter’s admirable charge fading on the back nine while Woods, Carl Pettersson, Bo Van Pelt, Vijay Singh and Adam Scott failed to come close to the runaway champion, Lynn birdied the 16th and 17th to secure outright second spot, leaving Poulter to share third place alongside Pettersson, his Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose and defending champion Keegan Bradley.
“I've been feeling good at home,” continued Lynn. “I had a great result in the French Open a couple weeks ago, and my game has been feeling like it's turned a corner a little bit.
“I've just had three weeks off, two weeks I had totally away from the golf clubs, and last week I started to practice again and it felt good.
“Then turned up this week and practice was good again and when you get that feeling you are just hoping that you can take your practice game onto the course with you into a tournament, which I've pretty much managed to do this week.”
Lynn’s amazing result will rank very close to being the highlight of his career so far, just behind his only victory to date at the 2004 KLM Open.
“I'd have to put my win as my best thing I've ever experienced and achieved, but I could argue for a different reason why this would be the best thing I've ever done, as well,” he said.
“Obviously winning your first ever tournament, whether it be in Europe or America, it's something that I've grown up dreaming of wanting to do, and I've achieved that.
“But to come and perform the way I have this week in a Major is still very special and it's a great achievement. It's not sunk in properly yet to be honest.”
If he keeps playing the way he did at Kiawah, it won’t be long till Lynn knocks down the victory door once again.
