The 58-year-old former World Cup winner had been in Dunedin just 12 hours when the Otago Daily Times met him along the fairway of the eighth hole at Chisholm Park.
He was walking the course in preparation for the New Zealand Legends Masters tournament, beginning on Sunday.
It will not be the first time he has played the links course, having previously played it at a pro-am.
On that occasion it had been ``very good'' and he spoke highly of its quality.
That is significant praise from someone with an impressive career behind him.
Links courses in particular are something he knows well.
He has played the British Open 12 times, with a best finish of a tie for 22nd in 2003.
The major was a tournament he said was a big thrill to play in, with the opportunity to play on a links course something particularly attractive.
He has played in Europe for the past 35 years, firstly on the European Tour from 1983 to 2008, before moving to the European Senior Tour in 2009.
During that time he has claimed several titles and was the senior tour's order of merit winner in 2011.
However, originally being from Australia and now a New Zealand citizen, it is closer to home that his personal highlights came.
Winning the 1989 World Cup for Australia, alongside Wayne Grady, was special.
His Australian and New Zealand Open wins, in 1983 and 1993 respectively, also hold significance.
It is quite a list of achievements, but he is not done yet.
Europe beckoned again this year and, after 35 years, the drive remains to keep performing at a high level, rather than to simply keep playing.
``I think the key is to keep playing good golf and that can be quite hard to do,'' he said.
``But I'm just trying to keep playing as well as I can and, hopefully, I'm getting better, because if I'm getting worse, it's hard work.''
That said, it is not just the on-course proceedings that kept him going and he is looking forward to another season on the other side of the equator.
``I love travelling around and seeing old friends and finding some good courses and meeting people from different nationalities.''
There is plenty of golf to be played in the south of New Zealand before that, though.
Alongside the Dunedin tournament, he is playing in today's Wanaka Legends Pro-Am and tomorrow's North Otago Legends Pro-Am in Oamaru.
He will enter as one of the favourites for all three tournaments, although is just one of many big names to feature.
Legends golf is played by men 50 years and older and women 45 and over.
The tournaments are part of the Australasian Legends Tour.
With prize money of $35,000, the Dunedin tournament will provide the largest purse for a Legends event in New Zealand.
