Richard Bland stood on the 18th green on a cloudy Saturday at The Belfry, his hands on his hips, eyes welling and head down, as Sky Sports reporter – and Bland's instructor – Tim Barter slowly slid a boom mic under his chin.
“Try and describe your emotions,” Barter asked.
“I can’t,” Bland responded, before providing a brief moment of levity. “Next question.”
After a few quick chuckles, it was evident that Barter wasn’t moving on. It had taken Bland, a 48-year-old European Tour veteran from England, nearly 20 years and 478 starts to achieve this moment.