The first round may still be a long way from the finishing line when it comes to any golf tournament but a five-under-par 65 was victory enough for South Korean Nam Young yesterday, taking into account the turns his life has taken over the past six years.
The 37-year-old was an Asian Tour regular from 1996 to 2004, when he was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and given only a 50 per cent chance of living.
Spinal surgery saved Nam's life and he has been nursing himself back into the golfing world since 2007.
Yesterday's round - which featured seven birdies and was only marred by a double bogey on his 18th hole - left the Korean thankful he was here and that he was able to play. 'I'm just happy,'' he said. 'UBS gave me the sponsor's invite, so I'm just hoping I can use it wisely and play well.'
There was certainly plenty of evidence to suggest Nam would continue to do just that.
However, as he later revealed, he has been having as many mental problems with his game as physical ones since his surgery.
'I've been hitting it well but I've always had driver problems, even when I was sick,' he said.