When Scotland's Andrew Coltart got the nod from captain Mark James as a Ryder Cup "wild card" rejected Swede Robert Karlsson "felt like the season was over." Greenkeeper's son Karlsson had battled to finish just one place outside the automatic top 10 qualifiers for Cup duty at Brookline, Boston, last month but James preferred Coltart, 12th in the table.
"Had he picked Bernhard Langer instead of me I could have accepted it because the teams lacked experience - it was a bitter disappointment," admitted Karlsson who took himself off to play three events in America to lick his wounds.
Yesterday he proved that there was life after rejection when he followed rounds of 69, 68 and 69 with a brilliant 66 to come from three behind to win the Belgian Open at Royal Zoute.
He admitted: "Missing the Ryder Cup probably helped me win. I needed a rest and spent three weeks at home in Sweden before playing here.
"It was well worth it. I didn't touch the clubs for two and a half weeks and this week was the first time I felt really fresh coming into a tournament.
"It was a bit tense playing with Mark in the first two rounds but it was good to play with him and get it out of the way because I've got nothing against him and I think he did a good job as captain." Seven birdies, including three twos, edged him 12 under par on 272 - one clear of Britain's Jamie Spence, 67, and South African Retief Goosen (70).
Lee Westwood, only one behind after middle rounds of 66 and 67, slipped to a 74 for 280.
Stephen Gallacher, nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard, threatened to pull off a fairytale victory after going into the event in dire danger of losing his Tour card.
The lanky Scot, a former Walker Cup amateur, lay 122nd in the money list (115 qualify) before the previous week's Sarazen World Open but bravely squeezed into 10th place in Space to earn a Belgium start.
Collecting the st£3,500 or so he needed to climb to safety was the only thing on his mind but a brilliant Saturday 66 - he believed it might be the last round with the weather closing in - hoisted him up the leader-board.
"I'd have settled for 54 holes but after making four birdies in the first six today I realised I had a chance. Unfortunately I slipped a bit on the run in," he said, after a 68 left him tied sixth on 276 to earn st£15,042.
"I'm getting married next Saturday and I've just booked a week in Tenerife for the honeymoon so I'd be back for the Tour school. That's horrendous pressure and its great to be able to give it a miss."
Paul McGinley was the leading Irishman after a round of 73 for 282.
Eddie Polland and Tommy Horton were both celebrating after the season-ending Seniors Tournament of Champions at Buckinghamshire Golf Club yesterday.
Polland claimed the title but Horton clinched the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit for a fourth successive year.
Horton finished in joint second, two shots adrift of Polland, after a closing one under par 71, but it was good enough to claim the John Jacobs Award for the fifth time in total.
Polland's win lifted him into second place in the Order of Merit ahead of American rookie Jerry Bruner.
Polland, joint runner up here 12 months ago and dogged by injury this season, shot a level par 72 to finish on four under par, two clear of Horton and Ireland's Liam Higgins, the other runner-up from last year. The grand finale to the Seniors Tour season looked to heading for a play-off until Polland stepped up a gear with birdies at the 15th and 16th, where he holed a 60 foot putt, to open a two-shot cushion.
