Shane Lowry has been here before.
In the mix for The Open, roared on by crowds down the 18th, and playing in mixed conditions on one of the premier links courses in the world.
The Irishman, who won at Royal Portrush five years ago, seemed unfazed that Royal Troon's expected wind was not blowing in the direction we are used to.
The Open throws up its unique challenges each time and Lowry has learned how to deal with them, this time carding a five-under 66.
“Fortunately enough, I came here two weeks ago, and I played this wind on the second day that I played here,” the 37-year-old said.
“I saw the golf course in every wind possible I could see it."
The light had started fading as Lowry finished his round, and you could have expected to see the dancing lights of the scoreboard gleaming in his eyes.
But look closely at his pupils, and they were all big holes and lines, because that is how he was seeing it.
He added: “Sometimes I struggle when I come back here from playing a season on the PGA TOUR with the speed of the greens.
“But for some reason I got here, it was my first golf outside of America in a while, and I played a couple of practice rounds here, and I was really happy with how my speed was, and I wasn't struggling to get the ball to the hole because sometimes I can be like that.
“My speed control was very good, and I was seeing my lines great.
“I feel like links greens when you start to see your lines, the hole feels quite big, so it felt like that today, and long may it continue.”
Lowry went round without a bogey, an incredible feat on a day where weather and Mother Nature threw all of its might at the field.
Another man to do that is the player who replaced him as the round one leader, Daniel Brown, who birdied the final hole to lead on six-under.
His first birdie came on the 4th before he really got motoring down the stretch of Royal Troon that can make or break a golfer.
Lowry hit birdies at 7 and then on the Postage Stamp at the 8th, and the reactions he was getting were reminiscent of his final day at Royal Portrush.
But, Lowry is making sure to check himself even as the crowd forgot to.
“It's the best I've played [at The Open since Portrush], I don't know, I've played pretty good,” he said.
“I'm pretty happy, but it's only one day. We've got three more days.
“I kept telling myself that out there because for some reason I felt like the crowd were getting very excited out there. It was late in the afternoon.
“At a few points, the attendances were high out there, I'd say. They were quite excitable out there, and it felt more like the weekend.
“I just kept on telling myself there's a lot more to do and there's a few days left, so I just kind of stayed in my lane and hit some good shots, and I was pretty happy with how I handled myself.”
As calm as Lowry is staying, he did admit that he allowed himself to take it all in as he walked the final hole.
He is a man for a big occasion, a fan favourite too, so no one could begrudge him as he carded his best score on the opening day of a major.
But as he reflected on that special moment which ended in another birdie, the steeliness returned, the steeliness you need to win a Claret Jug.
“The walk down 18 was actually pretty cool. I said to Billy Foster [Matthew Fitzpatrick's caddie], we walked down beside each other, and it's the greatest walk in golf.
“And I got to do it on a Sunday afternoon with a full house, and that's the plan, to try to get to do that again.
“Going against the best golfers in the world, it's hard to get to the front.
“When you do get to the front, you kind of have to keep going and keep your foot down, and yeah, see where it leaves you at the weekend.”