Seve Ballesteros was in hearts and minds, emblazoned on team uniforms and responsible for tears of joy and gestures to the heavens at the last Ryder Cup.
Two years may have passed, and the famous Seve silhouette has been taken off the sleeves, but the memory of the great man still burns bright for Team Europe.
Thomas Bjorn, who has reclaimed a playing place at Gleneagles after several stints as vice-captain, said: “Seve lives with us. He lives with the Ryder Cup more than anything, but he lives with us as a team. He’s a huge inspiration to this team and always be.
“For us as a tour and as players, Seve is the most inspirational guy there’s ever been, and fortunately I was lucky enough to play with him and be around him when he played. I still look back on it as some of the best days of my life to get close to a man who was great for this game.
“You couldn’t have a man that stood for more of what European golf is all about. He will live with us forever.”
Dotted across the PGA Centenary Course are quotations from celebrated Ryder Cup heroes of years gone by.
On the back of a stand at the 18th green writ large are these words from Ballesteros: “As a player and a captain these are unforgettable moments where you are competing for your team-mates, your country and for the people of your continent.”
It would be hard to miss them. They weren’t a necessary aide memoire for the 12 European players, but they are appreciated nonetheless.
Bjorn said: “There are quotes and pictures of him around, but that’s because he deserves to be there.
“He deserves to be the player who inspires this team and inspires every golfer around the world.
“When you start going around the golf course and seeing these pictures and quotes you know it’s not only about 24 guys playing golf this week.“
Golf must be one of the few sports where you can go from playing to management and then back again.
The veteran Dane hasn’t hit a ball in a Ryder Cup since 2002, but as a vice-captain has only missed two between then and now.
The 43-year-old admitted that he’s had to focus the mind on his relatively limited duties this week.
“My role is to play golf this week,” he pointed out. “That’s probably my biggest worry coming in here. That was going to be a harder task for me to be concentrating on that. So far, so good.
“The last couple of times I’ve been concentrating on 12 guys, getting them to do their best and getting information out of them. Now I’m just concentrating on myself.
“I don’t feel like I’ll get involved too much. I’ll leave decisions to Paul (McGinley) and the vice-captains. It’s a conversation I’ve had with Paul over the last couple of months.”
Never say never, but this will likely be a Ryder Cup last hurrah for Bjorn as a playing member. And he certainly intends to smell the roses.
He admitted: “I got pretty close to making the team last time and played some pretty decent golf. I probably honestly thought that might have been the last chance. I’m closing in on age.
“But I’ve been very determined in my golf. You get to s stage in your career where you’re scared of letting it go.
“So I’ve stayed focused on my golf, and not so much on what it could lead to.
“To come back to this team with European golf being in such a good state just now is probably one of the better achievements of my career.
“It’s such a strong team and I’m delighted that I made it on merit. It helps the confidence to know I played the golf to get in it.
“I’m delighted to be back. It was nice to actually see a golf bag with my name on it. It’s been a while. I’m just looking forward to the next few days and be relaxed and happy about what we’re trying to do.”