BRITISH OPEN COUNTDOWN:Philip Reid talks to David Higgins who has taken a vastly different route to the Open than his old amateur rival

WHY WONDER? Why ponder the ifs and maybes of life? David Higgins, born to be a golfer, doesn’t look back, even if – back in 1994 – he, not Pádraig Harrington, was the one touted for possible greatness. In that summer, he won the South of Ireland championship one week and a week later claimed the Irish Close Championship.

In both finals, the player on the receiving end was the same: Harrington! They’re both at Turnberry for the 138th British Open, but the routes taken to get here are vastly different. Harrington, of course, is back in his quest for a third straight Claret Jug; Higgins booked his place after a five and a half hour wait – “torture,” he described it – after finishing his second round in final qualifying last week before the confirmation came that he had a ticket to the big show.

You wonder if, all those years ago, Higgins ever saw the greatness that beckoned for his amateur adversary? You wonder if he saw him as a three-time major winner? “No, definitely not,” replied Higgins, expanding after a momentary pause. “But ask me again did I see it three years ago (before Harrington won majors) and I’d say definitely yes. He is a completely different player now. He’s worked at every part of his game, and done everything he possibly can (to improve). He’s always had the doggedness and the battling instinct but his game wasn’t as good (back then).

“He didn’t drive the ball great. He wasn’t a great iron player. He always had a brilliant short game, but you didn’t think that was enough to even do well as a pro. But he has turned it around. I have seen him and been around him his entire career and, I’ll tell you, this course is perfect for him. He will grind it out and doesn’t have to drive it all that straight. He can hit fairway woods and long irons. It is perfect for him.”

Then, as if to show Higgins still possesses his own expectations and his own fighting qualities, he added, “I hope I will be playing with him (in the final group) on Sunday, that’ll be good . . . that’s why I’m here, why you keep practising and going to Q-Schools and sorts of stuff. It is for days like this.”

Higgins missed the cut in his only previous British Open appearance, at Carnoustie in 2007. That was the year Harrington had his breakthrough major win when defeating Sergio Garcia in the play-off. Higgins experienced darker times. That winter, he got a liver infection that resulted in jaundice. It put him our of action for five and a half months. “I couldn’t eat. I felt unwell all the time. I had no energy,” he recalled.

Eventually, Higgins managed to clean the sickness out of his system. And when he had the strength to resume playing, he found his short game had deserted him. “I just didn’t play well enough and when that happens, it is not long before you are falling down orders of merits and so on. I had to be honest with myself. I am 36 (years old) now and I asked myself, ‘where am I going?’ and the answer was, ‘I still want to play’.”

So, with no European Tour card and using the Irish PGA region to find himself again, Higgins has picked up the pieces and won a place in the greatest championship of them all. “It is like a dream come true for me. I grew up playing courses like this, it’s unbelievable. It is not an easy course. It is very scoreable if you are hitting the ball well off the tee. But if you are not, it is goodnight and goodbye. It suits my game because I hit the ball straight so I should be comfortable.”

Higgins will have his cousin, Andy Daly, on the bag this week. His mantra will be to convince himself he is in familiar surroundings, playing on his home course. How will he do that? “I guess you have chats with yourself and try and pretend you are going around Waterville. I am used to playing courses like this. It is just the surroundings that are different with all the people and the whole lot. If I can get over that I will be fine.”

He added: “I’m comfortable here. I grew up playing these type of courses and if, I play well, I can compete and do well.”