A band of Australian contenders, journeymen and once-in-a-lifetime believers are ready to chase their British Open fantasies at wet and windy Hoylake, all inspired by the man who's already lived their dream.
Cameron Smith won the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2022, had a ball supping beer from it with his mates for a year, nearly shed a tear when he had to give it back on Monday and can envisage himself collecting it again on Sunday.
But while the unassuming Queenslander reckons there's about 50 blokes from all over the world capable of succeeding him as champion at Royal Liverpool this week, he's also left nine of his compatriots believing anything's possible.
Smith broke a 29-year drought when he became the first Australian to win the Jug since Greg Norman in 1993.
His victory at the home of golf in the 150th edition, spectacularly sealed with a round from the gods, has inspired every golfer in the country.
From a couple of the best in the business - Adam Scott and Jason Day - to world No.1140 Connor McKinney and fun-loving amateur Harrison Crowe, Smith's triumph has left his fellow Aussies at Royal Liverpool this week inspired.
"He's only a few years older than me and yet it feels like he's been out here for 10 years," David Micheluzzi, one of Australia's debutants this week, said.
"He's great, such a good guy. It's good to have someone like him for us to look up to."
It's a familiar sentiment from the Aussie contingent.
McKinney, the Scottish-born, WA-raised player who got through qualifying to become the last of his compatriots to make the field, met Smith at a LIV event in Spain.
"One of my mates was playing and I managed to meet him there. It was good. He's inspirational," McKinney, who described himself as a "Scozzie", said.
"In Australian golf at the moment, he's definitely at the pinnacle."
The hope for Smith is that he can leap from that pinnacle to even more rarified heights as a back to back champion, the first Australian to achieve the feat since the great Peter Thomson, who won three in a row between 1954 and 1956.
The last of that treble came at Hoylake but Smith was not about to make any predictions about following in the footsteps of the Melburnian who won five Opens in all.
"I've always tried to not really put too much pressure on myself," he said.
"But I'm starting to be in a spot where I don't really have to be at 100 per cent to contend - and that's a really nice feeling."
He also likes the idea, with a wet and windy championship forecast, that the course will suit him.
"It doesn't look like there's particularly a lot of drivers I'll be using anyway, so that might play into my hands a little bit and I'll be able to get at some of those pins with irons from the fairway.
"But links golf I've learned to love and it's definitely one that I feel confident on now."
Among that multitude of other players Smith feels will have a chance this week will be Adam Scott, who was to be found still practising fervently on the chipping ground for perhaps longer than anyone on Tuesday.
The former world No.1 still believes even after celebrating his 43rd birthday on Sunday.
Don't rule him out from finally lifting the Jug he should have drunk from in 2012 when his late collapse let in Ernie Els.
AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON OPENING DAY OF 151ST BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ON THURSDAY:
06.57 (15.57 AEST) Lucas Herbert, with Ryan Fox (NZL) & Byeong Hun An (KOR)
09.03 (18.03 AEST) Jason Day, with Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) & Jordan Spieth (USA)
09.47 (18.47 AEST) Adam Scott, with Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) & Scottie Scheffler (USA)
09.58 (18.58 AEST) Cameron Smith, with Xander Schauffele (USA) & Wyndham Clark (USA)
10.42 (19.42 AEST) Haydn Barron, with Oliver Farr (WAL) & Dan Bradby (ENG)
12.20 (21.20 AEST) Travis Smyth, with Romain Langasque (FRA) & Brendon Todd (USA)
12.42 (21.42 AEST) Min Woo Lee, Harrison Crowe (amateur), with Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)
13.15 (22.15 AEST) David Micheluzzi, with Zach Johnson (USA) & Matt Wallace (ENG)
15.43 (00.43 Friday AEST) Scott McKinney, with Oliver Wilson (ENG) & Guido Migliozzi (ITA)
