Western Australian Scott Strange revealed after finishing equal second behind Robert Allenby at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum on Sunday that he played the entire event with a badly injured hand.
The 32-year-old, who won the China Open earlier this year, pushed playing partner Allenby for much of the final round but a 'cold putter' prevented him getting any closer than two shots on the back nine as Allenby prevailed by four from Strange and John Senden.
But Strange's week, 12 months after he tied for third, was all the more impressive considering he had shaken hands with a friend when they met for the first time in a while on Tuesday and he came off second best.
"He just crushed it, I hurt it then," said a superstitious Strange who didn't receive any treatment on the injury.
"I can't shake hands with it or with guys anyway with their hands big enough to squash it but putting my hand in my pocket hurts a little bit."
"Everyday stuff it doesn't really hurt but if I knock it then it does hurt."
"(It) only hurt when I was pulling tees out of my pocket, I was trying to shake everyone's hand with my left hand."
"I didn't know if I could play Wednesday and I played alright so you know the old superstitions if it is not broken and I can still play good golf with it, so why go and get it changed?"
Preparing for the arrival of his first child early next year with his partner Lucinda, Strange also spoke of how hard it still is to deal with the loss in 2008 of his sister Natalie who passed away after a battle with breast cancer.
"It's a bit raw, you still think about that sort of stuff, but last year I was here at the Tuesday night dinner and Jimmy Barnes was there and he gets up and sings and he sings 'Flame Trees' and that was the song we played at my sister's funeral," he added.
"So I had to move down the back and listen to him sing and stood there with Lucinda and bawled my eyes out, so I understand totally where he is coming from."
"Last year with Natalie really did rock our family and even now you know Christmas and her birthday is a hollow time because there is one person missing but my parents have been very supportive."
"I am sure if I didn't have them I wouldn't be doing what I am doing now."
Unsure as to what his immediate plans will be early in the new year because of the impending birth, Strange nonetheless believes he is capable of winning a big event in Australia having done so overseas and he is keen to push into the world's top 50.
"I felt that I could play well enough this week to win, today hasn't gone how I planned it to go, I really thought I could take Rob, (so) I'm looking forward to coming next year and playing again," Strange said.
"On the form that I am doing and the way that I am progressing I'd like to think top 50 in the world would be the next step and then whatever comes from that."
"I was really thinking that come this weekend I was in the mix ... I gave myself plenty of chances and they didn't drop for me, so next year if I have the chance and they go in it could be me holding that trophy."