It was a brief return to simpler times when both were on the cusp of what appeared to be certain stardom, but only one of them eventually crossed.
Rory McIlroy and Lloyd Saltman’s amateur careers overlapped and they both turned pro at the same time after they’d played for Great Britain and Ireland in the 2007 Walker Cup.
Both had glittering amateur careers, both won Open Championship Silver Medals. A friendly rivalry in the pro game seemed likely.
Yet while Rory has thrived, become a world number one, won two major championships and played two Ryder Cups, Lloyd has struggled between the European Tour and Challenge Tours.
The young Ulsterman and the man from Craigielaw both agreed after a practice round at Muirfield on Tuesday that when it came to their personal friendship, nothing had changed.
“It was good to catch up with him,” said Rory. “I saw him on Monday and we made a plan to go out early the next morning and play together.Follow golf writer Steve Scott and Courier sports editor Eric Nicolson’s live behind-the-scenes updates from Muirfield here“I did get an offer from Tiger as well I guess he knew I was going out early and he said ‘are we going to play together?’
“I said I’m going to play with a good friend of mine from back in the amateur days but you’re welcome to join us if you want to play.
“Tiger said I’ll just let you two have fun, so we went out ahead of him.”
When he learned Lloyd had qualified for the championship through local final qualifying at the start of the month, Rory knew he’d play here with him.
“You never forget where you come from, of course not,” he continued. “Lloyd is a good friend and we’ve known the family for a long time, so it was great to see him.”
Lloyd agreed with that.
“We had great fun,” said the 27-year-old. “There are a lot of eyes on Rory this week, but it was great to play with him and have a chat, just like the old days.
“He’s a superstar now but he’s not changed a bit, that’s the great thing about him. It was also a good opportunity for me to test my game against the world number two.”
Rory has no doubts that while Lloyd hasn’t fulfilled his potential as a pro, it’s only a matter of time.
“Lloyd’s always been a great player, a great ball striker, but sometimes it just happens a bit quicker for some than others,” he said.
“I was lucky that I played well at the right tournaments and got my card pretty easily. It has taken Lloyd a little bit longer.
“But he just has to stay patient and keep working at it because he’s a great player who definitely has the tools to get out on tour full-time and make a great career for himself.”