Christiaan Bezuidenhout is used to overcoming the odds.
At the age of two, the South African was left fighting for his life after taking a sip from a soft drink bottle he found on the street at home that contained rat poison.
“Somehow I managed to open it and took a sip,” said Bezuidenhout.
“At the hospital they basically told my parents we got there just in time. It was a matter of minutes.”
Bezuidenhout, who earned a five-way share of the lead at The Open after the first round, had expected the bottle to contain Coca-Cola, but it had been repurposed to hold the rat poison.
The then toddler escaped alive, but the impact of the incident was life-changing.
The 31-year-old was left with a damaged nervous system and a severe stammer, which saw him subjected to bullying throughout his education in Delmas – a small town east of Johannesburg.
It makes his sporting career all the more remarkable as he looks to build on being an early joint-leader at Royal Portrush.
Bezuidenhout finished his opening round with a four-under 67, in a five-way tie for first place.
Whether he can last the distance remains to be seen, but Bezuidenhout – a three-time title winner on the DP World Tour – is well versed in defying expectations.