The years since his last US Open title have "gone like that", Ernie Els said, as he snapped his fingers and laughed.
After a day like Thursday, who's to say he can't win another?
On the 20th anniversary of his second US Open championship, Els put himself in the mix for a third, scrambling his way around Erin Hills for a two-under 70.
The South African was tied for 18th midway through the afternoon, five shots behind leader Rickie Fowler.
He is 47 now, not 27, and the man known as the Big Easy feels the aches and pains a lot more than he used to.
"The lower back, hip, shoulder, knee and so on," he said, before stopping and smiling at the seemingly never-ending nature of the list.
"It's really the first year I've started experiencing that, so it's kind of new."
He says his trainer, Vern McMillan, put him together nicely for this week and for the first time this season Els says he's pain free.
"My putting is back and the short game is pretty good, so I've just got to play golf," he said.
If anyone knows the value of par at the US Open, it would be a two-time champion, the likes of Els.
He made two of them to outlast Loren Roberts on the 20th hole of a Monday playoff for his first title in 1994 at Oakmont.
He made five straight down the stretch to hold off Colin Montgomerie at Congressional in 1997.
"You take a 2-under par in the first round of the U.S. Open, you know you're right there," Els said.
"I know Rickie played a great round, seven under, but through experience, you know the field is coming toward par."
Els finds himself being feted as an elder-statesman of the game but he insists he's not ready to be a ceremonial golfer, or ceremonial anything, quite yet.
He is nearly five years removed from winning his third major - the 2012 British Open at Royal Lytham - but he hasn't posted a victory since.
It's significant because his five-year exemption into the majors that stems from that victory.
At the Masters, where he shot 20 over and finished 53rd, he said he would be just fine if that, his 23rd appearance at Augusta, was the last one.
This is his 25th US Open, and he echoed those thoughts after his opening round.
But he's really not thinking about next year. He's got work to do Friday.
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