Open countdown: Dyson seeks inspiration at scene of his greatest achievement

Golf's Mecca is St Andrews, where on Sunday any golfer who has outplayed 155 of his peers over 71 nerve-jangling holes will sample the most famous stroll in the sport.

Over the Swilcan Bridge he will walk, heading towards the hump-backed 18th green sandwiched by the North Sea to the left and a row of hotels to the right.

The famous R&A clubhouse will provide the backdrop to his progress, in front of which the winner will ultimately be crowned.

It is an experience few fortunate souls have enjoyed, but among them are some of golf's greatest names including Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

Simon Dyson can count himself in that number.

The 32-year-old from Malton may not be the name on the tip of everyone's tongue, but he has experienced victory on the sport's hallowed turf.

Dyson triumphed at

St Andrews last year in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his fourth victory on the European Tour and, without question, his most defining.

"Unless you win an Open here or another major elsewhere, that feeling of walking up the 18th as a winner at St Andrews will never be bettered," says Dyson, whose victory last October secured his return to the famous links for this year's 139th Open.

"I had a healthy lead and I just tried to savour the walk up 18.

"I remember everything about that day; getting off to the best possible start and just trying my best to hang on.

"I birdied 12 to go three clear and then Rory McIlroy (closest challenger) bogeyed 13 to give me a four-shot cushion.

"From there, you always fancy yourself, especially in the form I was in then.

"The way I was playing I had the ball on a bit of string and the hole looked like a dustbin."

It must appear the size of a plughole now for a golfer whose fortunes have fallen.

After his two wins last year elevated him into an eighth-place finish and into the Ryder Cup reckoning, he is currently 83rd in the 'Race to Dubai'.

But he is back in St Andrews hoping to rediscover a little magic from that October afternoon.

"St Andrews is brilliant, I love the place," says Dyson, who has played two of his six Opens at the venue.

"Especially when the weather here is beautiful and everyone's out in their T-shirts.

"There's a really nice atmosphere but, unfortunately, I don't think the weather forecast's that encouraging for the next few days.

"But St Andrews is a brilliant course and anyone who says it's not has not played it at its best.

"As a player or as a fan, you never get bored of this place. It's like Wimbledon; it's got the tradition and it's the one everyone wants to win."

Before he burst onto the scene by finishing runner-up in the English Amateur in 1999 and turning professional in 2000, Dyson was like the majority of us – a fan, watching the Open on television or from natural amphitheatres created by these seaside links.

"My first memory was my first actual trip to an Open which was at Lytham in 1996 when Tom Lehman won," recounts Dyson.

"I remember it was red hot all week and my dad's mate John got badly burned.

"One memory that will always stick with me is on the very first green we watched.

"Loren Roberts was lining up a monster 80-foot putt and my brother Nick turned to me and said 'this guy's one of the best putters in the business'.

"Roberts only went and holed it and my brother turned to me and said 'told you'."

Four years later, Dyson made his debut at the Open at

St Andrews.

"That was an unbelievable experience," he recalls.

What price now, though, for a repeat of that memorable win last autumn, or at least a major challenge to reinvigorate his season?

"If I can finish top 15 and get myself back to the Open next year, then that would be a good achievement," says Dyson, who tees off in the fourth group out tomorrow alongside Soren Hansen and Jason Dufner.

"As always on a links course, you need that bit of luck.

"That's not been going my way recently. I'm hitting good putts and not getting results, and having bad bounces, and things aren't going for me at the moment.

"That's why you've got to savour the times like when I had that five-week spell last year.

"You never know when a stretch like that is going to come back."