Part of Peter Lawrie's happiness at winning the Spanish Open on Sunday was that he did not want to be "one of those Rookies of the Year who have disappeared".
England's Jim Payne is presumably among those the Dubliner puts in that category, the 1992 winner of the award having dropped off the European Tour circuit seven years ago.
But at the Italian Open starting in Milan it is Lawrie who is missing and Payne who is playing.
Now club professional at Southport and Ainsdale, the 38-year-old qualifies as a past champion and for the first time since 2002 has decided to take part.
"I'm not sure why really - I'm still trying to work it out for myself. Let me come up with a reason," Payne said.
"I don't really play at all now, but I was at Turnberry about a month ago and just enjoyed it.
"I'm going to try to qualify for The Open again because it's near to me at Birkdale (he made it into the 2006 field at Hoylake) and this is a bit of a warm-up for that.
"I also might not play on Tour again because the longer you go without doing it the more difficult it will be to enter.
"I'm a bit aware that I'm taking a spot away from somebody else, so I want to do the best I can."
Payne, who played with Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley and against Phil Mickelson in the 1991 Walker Cup at Portmarnock, earned a rave review from playing partner Jack Nicklaus after becoming leading amateur in The Open at Birkdale that year.
The Rookie prize came his way when he finished 33rd on the Order of Merit the following season and then came wins in Majorca in 1993 and Italy in 2006.
The second of those, though, came after he had needed spinal fusion surgery at the age of 24 and a thumb injury was to come as well as his career failed to go from strength from strength as many had predicted.
"I struggled to practise as much as I needed to and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel, so my life changed," Payne added.
"I didn't set out to be a club professional, but it's nice. You can't earn a fortune, but I'm at a good club and I enjoy giving lessons more than anything.
"I think that helps my golf too. You have to think about things."
With the Players Championship on in Florida this week's field at Castello di Tolcinasco is considerably weaker.
Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is the defending champion and also playing is Dane Anders Hansen, who in two weeks' time defends his BMW PGA title at Wentworth, Ryder Cup Swede Robert Karlsson, American John Daly and England's Nick Dougherty just two days after the funeral of his mother.
It was her wish that the 25-year-old do all he could to try to make the Ryder Cup team where he is currently ninth in the standings.
After her death aged 61 in Florida 10 days ago, following a heart attack a week earlier, Dougherty said in a statement: "She has been the very best mother and a huge influence on my career and life and I will miss her unbearably."
CLARKE OUTLINES RYDER HOPES
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