Padraig Harrington today insisted he is happy to be saddled with the tag of one of the best players never to have won a Major.
Belonging to that particular club is normally something players are desperate to avoid, with founding members Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson wishing they had never had to join.
But Harrington takes it as a compliment to be considered a challenger for Major titles, particularly as he feels he has only ever had one real chance to win.
"For people to say I should have won a Major by now or that I should go and win one in the future is a big compliment," said Harrington, who missed out on the play-off at Muirfield last year by a shot after bogeying the final hole.
"I've come a long way for somebody to be saying that. I don't think someone would be saying it about me two years ago, it shows obviously the game is going in the right direction. It's something I can certainly be very happy about.
"In 20 years' time I might be aggrieved I haven't won a Major if I keep playing well and keep having chances, but at the moment I've only ever had one chance of really winning a Major.
"Three or four years ago I was qualifying for the Open so I've come a long way in three years that they say I should have won one by now.
"Muirfield certainly gave me confidence that I'm capable of doing it, Muirfield was a big step for me. Even though I had two top 10s in two other Majors and was 17th in the PGA, I didn't have a chance of winning.
"Muirfield was the first one that sort of said, yeah, I was capable of doing it."
Harrington does not arrive at Sandwich brimming with confidence however, after having to hole a 20-foot putt on the 18th green to make the cut at the K Club a fortnight ago, and struggling to recapture the form that has brought him four victories in the last 10 months.
The Dubliner spent last week working hard on his game at Portmarnock but added: "I'm struggling a bit at the moment. I'm close to hitting it well but I seem to be missing one part so I'm suffering a bit.
"I'm certainly not 100 per cent confident at the moment. But I know it's close, it's a question of whether I can figure it out between now and Thursday or not."
If there is anyone capable of working it out it is Harrington, who was on the putting green until late in the evening on Monday and will spend hours on the practice ground with coach Bob Torrance.
"If I had Bob's confidence I'd be okay," said Harrington. "He just wishes I'd go and do it without thinking too much about it. That's the nature of me, I do tend to put a lot of thought into things and sometimes over-complicate it.
"Muirfield proved I have the ability to do it if I don't get in my way, which I do quite a bit at times. It's really a question of getting the head right in the future."