How best to renew acquaintances with an unforgettable friend than to dust off the photo album to remember what it was like when you first crossed paths.
For Todd Hamilton and Royal Troon, it means snapshots from a visit that was improbable, impossible or illogical — depending on your view of the 2004 British Open — but good gracious was it all so unforgettable. “It seems like it was just a handful of years ago,” said Hamilton. “Then I look up and it was 12.”
A 38-year-old PGA Tour rookie in 2004, Hamilton was listed at 500-to-1 by oddsmakers when he won the Claret Jug at Royal Troon in stunning fashion — overtaking one Hall of Famer (Phil Mickelson) down the stretch and another (Ernie Els) in a four-hole playoff.