VIRGINIA WATER, England — Alvaro Quiros had the golfing world at his feet in 2011 but the big-hitting Spaniard seems a tortured soul these days and it is clear his self belief has been battered by three seasons of toil and pain.
Quiros triumphed six times in a golden spell between 2007 and 2011, the highlight victory coming at the prestigious end-of-season DP World Tour Championship in Dubai four years ago.
He used to interact regularly with the crowd but the frowns have replaced the smiles in recent seasons, hardly surprising given that he has tumbled from 21st to 282nd in the world rankings.