One month after a major championship which promised so much and then delivered nothing, Darren Clarke is back in action this week determined to show that his game is moving to a new level.
Clarke plays in the Benson and Hedges International Open at The Belfry fully aware that golf followers believe he should be far more than a money-making machine.
Winner of over £7million in Europe alone, the 34-year-old Tyroneman has just nine wins to his name. And as he has played over 280 events for that, he knows what a poor return it is for a player of his talent.
Taking a three-stroke lead with his opening 66 in the Masters at Augusta put Clarke firmly in the spotlight and confirmed that the work he has done this season with Tiger Woods' coach Butch Harmon was paying big dividends.
Then came the big disappointment, though. Even after a second round 76 the Ryder Cup star was in second place on his own, but a third round 78 dropped him out of contention and he eventually finished down in 28th spot.
Now Clarke has returned to the course on which he helped Europe beat the Americans last September - and the week has already started well.
Clarke, winner of the Benson and Hedges title at The Oxfordshire in 1998, beat 17 other former champions in a special five-hole challenge event yesterday to mark the fact that this is the final Benson and Hedges-sponsored tournament.
Two under par over the 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes was good enough to earn Clarke a commemorative gold medal just ahead of 1979 winner Maurice Bembridge and Australian Peter Senior, winner in 1992.
"The course is such a special one for so many of us and wonderful memories of last September's Ryder Cup victory here came flooding back as I played each hole," he said.
Nine of his cup team-mates are present too - all bar Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik - for the first European tour event in Britain this year.
Clarke remains the only European to win one of golf's new world championships, but his million-dollar win over Tiger Woods in the Andersen Consulting match play in California was three years ago now.
His only successes since are two English Opens and one European Open. He expected a lot more - and he still does.