They say you make your own luck and it's certainly true when it comes to Galway’s Ronan Mullarney, who not only qualified for the 150th Open but was flown there on a private jet with major winner Bryson DeChambeau.
The former Irish amateur champion and international came through two rigorous qualifying tournaments to claim his place at St Andrews.
The 26-year-old has never made the cut at a second tier event, let alone played a major, but showed much of his talent to claim one of four places at a UK qualifier in Kent.
Preparing for the biggest moment of his career, Mullarney practiced at Doonbeg last week and met one of the biggest name in the sport, Bryson DeChambeau.
Mike Schy has coached the US Open winner and specialises in the type of game he has become renowned for.
Mullarney’s father Tom also runs his own coaching clinic based on a similar outlook. He became the first authorised instructor of The Golf Machine in Ireland, a book released in 1969 about the mechanics of the game and swing development.
It’s taught in the west of Ireland, a place where Ronan has honed his craft, but in recent days he had another huge learning experience.
As Mullarney prepared to visit Clare for Open preparation, he knew he would come across a player he and his family have so much in common with, at least in approach to the game, and potentially they could hit it off.
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"Two days before I was going down to Doonbeg, I was told he was going to be there, so I got writing the questions I wanted to ask him," Mullarney revealed to RTÉ Sport.
"He asked did I have any questions when I met him and he said 'let's go through them all'. I asked him every question I had.
"I spent a lot of time with him so the last couple of days have been brilliant. My Dad is a Golf Machine instructor and that is how Bryson would have grown up with his original coach who was one as well. There was lot of technical talk.
"There was lots and lots talked about, he couldn't be nicer. He was so open with the information I was amazed. At the start I was wondering if he would tell me to get lost because he wants to go and practice. Well he got his work done and after that he couldn't give me enough time
"The Golf Machine is, as Bryson would call it, like a recipe book. You could swing a club millions of different ways and it covers everything. So you pick and choose how you want to construct your golf swing. It is basically a book of physics and geometry. It’s a deep dive into golf."
Now three years a professional, a short career that has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Galway man said his mindset for the sport would be similar to DeChambeau's.
"That (scientific method) would be me. Not many people know that but the people who know me know it is the way I go about things
"Bryson is on a much bigger stage than I am obviously. He would be more vocal about it than me though. I don't talk about it. But he would know a lot more about it than me clearly. It was great to talk to him about it. It was incredible."
Often derided within the sport, and on the end of lots of hate, the eight-time PGA tour winner continued to reach out to his colleague in Doonbeg, including helping him to travel to St Andrews.
"He is a very interesting character and helpful. I haven't met too many people in the public eye, especially someone as big as him, but I've never met someone as giving with their time as he was. There's a lot of time pressure to everything he does but he couldn't help me enough.
"Funnily enough on Friday he asked how I was getting here and I told him I was flying from Dublin. He said 'we're flying from Shannon if you want to come with me'. So I said yes and he brought me on the jet over.
"It was the perfect preparation because he is one of the biggest stars in golf. Familiarising yourself with people like that is brilliant. Also the conditions in Doonbeg were incredible. I had the run of the place. It's all great insight and there's business to be done now," he told RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen.
Perhaps the experience has stood to the 2019 Irish Amateur Close Championship.
With a really promising early career, it’s fair to say the pandemic has restricted his time in the professional ranks and the opportunities available.
However he is keen not to use that as excuse, admitting "my golf just hasn’t been that great".
Continuous hard work has led to improvement, particularly in putting, and his form led to the chance to not only compete in a major, but one of the most historic ones ever in the sport.
He also won his first professional title at the Toro Tour's Valle Romano Championship last November but has yet to make the cut at a step up - missing the weekend at the 2021 Irish Challenge in Portmarnock.
Mullarney’s 2018 R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament at St Andrews has given him course experience and he also played 18 holes in the tournament set-up after Louis Oosthuizen’s win.
For a student of the game, opening the door to competing at the biggest stage is simply not enough.
"It's a great achievement but I feel like I've achieved the chance of a great opportunity. I think I now have the chance to do something that is a great achievement.
"I've set out a plan. I set out a plan for every course I play. The key will be how well I can stick to that plan. If I can stick to that plan, no matter where I finish or how I do, I've done my job after that.
"I’ve played the course in every breeze possible. Preparation wise there isn’t a lot more I can do. I will be interested to see how I cope.....I’m looking forward to see how I cope. Hopefully well.
"Whatever target I set, top 10, make the cut, they are only words. I will set out my plan, stick to it and see where it leads me."
