When Padraig Harrington stared down Sergio Garcia in 2008 at the US PGA Championship, breaking the Spaniard's spirit to seal back-to-back Majors, many were making serious comparison between the Dubliner and Tiger Woods at his best.
Uncompromising, teak-tough, iron-willed: Harrington had the Midas touch and a seemingly unshakeable confidence.
He'd captured a third Major in six attempts, the 2007 British open triumph at Royal Birkdale sparking a truly outstanding period in which he retained that crown 12 months later and then triumphed again Stateside.
Nine years after his Oakland Hills glory, Harrington remains rooted on three big ones.
His fortunes have fluctuated, his stock has fallen. And yet he heads back to Royal Birkdale this week with nothing to prove and that old simmering confidence bubbling again.
"I'm a different person with different feelings to back in 2007, 2008," he told RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen.
"I've a lot more experience, I'm maybe not quite as innocent as I was back then. I'm not a sentimental person so I don't believe just because I won in 2008... it was really tough conditions that week.
"It doesn't necessarily mean the golf course suited me; it means the conditions suited me.
"Who knows this week? I really am playing nice and solid. I'm in a great place with my golf as I stand now going forward.
"I don't think I've ever been as comfortable about my golf and who I am as a golfer in my whole career. Still it's a long shot for me to out there and win this week, but it's certainly a possibility."
There were flashes of brilliance in his tied-fourth showing at last weekend's Scottish Open.
It's the greatest walk in golf. #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/iN41BMqnf9
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A disastrous third-round 79 derailed his charge but rounds of 67, 68 and a superb closing 66 were studded with moments of majesty.
A Harrington success this weekend would be some story, and while the 45-year-old is wary of putting too much pressure on his own shoulders, he's not ruling out a fourth Major either.
"I'm well down the world rankings but for sure my own ego has me a lot higher up in my head," he admitted.
"I'm not trying to prove anything. It's not like I haven't won a Major and it's my last chance. I need to prove nothing in the game of golf. I'm very comfortable about my status and where I sit in the game.
"I'm trying to take the pressure off myself and take the stress off myself because I know that things are good.
"The one I don't want to do is tee it up Thursday morning and hit the golf ball like I'm protecting something or trying to hang on to something. It's very difficult to win any tournament if you play like you're leading from Thursday morning on."
