Argentinian World Cup wounds are still raw, as Fife’s James McLeary found out in a practice round with the country’s most famous golfer, Angel Cabrera.
Open debutant McLeary tried to break the ice with his playing partner during their 18 holes together earlier in the week by chatting about Sunday’s final.
The grunt, then silence, that came back told the Scot the healing process still has some way to go.
“I don’t actually watch much golf on the TV but I watched his last few holes when he won in America recently,” McLeary said.
“He’s a very impressive player, that’s for sure. He speaks decent English I think but he didn’t say much during our round.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot when I asked him if he watched the football the other night. He was a bit like, ‘uh, yeah’ and that was as much as I got out of him. I don’t know if he took it too well.
“Some of the guys have been joking about Martin Kaymer being paired with him this week.”
McLeary views winning his tour card for this season as his career high but a good Open would change that.
He said: “Playing the main tour has been good this year but this is on a totally different level.
“It’s so much bigger than anything else. There are so many people coming through the gates just for the practice days.
“I’ve been trying to get used to it before the tournament starts. The scale of the championship is something you either enjoy or let it get to you. I’m intending to enjoy it.
“I’ve played at a level where there’s nobody watching you. It could just as easily have been a monthly medal. So to have so many people at the course is really good. You can feed off their energy.”
McLeary has struggled to make an impact on the European Tour since gaining promotion from the second tier Challenge Tour last season.
The 33-year-old arrived at Hoylake on the back of nine missed cuts in a row but that tale of woe doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of turning his year around at the biggest event in golf.
“If I play my best, I feel like I can compete,” he said.
“If I don’t, I’ll be going home after two days. You can’t get ahead of yourself.
“I’ll be treating it like any other event once I get between the ropes on Thursday. It’s a round of golf.
“I don’t set goals like making the cut or top 20. I’ve got a new set of irons in the bag this week and I’ve played well in practice.”
Born in Peterhead, and now living in Bonnyrigg, McLeary still looks upon Fife as home.
“I’ll always be a Fifer,” he said.
“I played my amateur golf in Fife. That’s where I consider myself being from.”