Friday November 24 is the 15th anniversary of Allan’s win in the controversial 2002 Australian Open at Victoria Golf Club. And as he did in 2002, the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ finds himself at a career crossroads as he prepares to tee it up at The Australian Golf Club.

Back in 2002 Allan arrived at Victoria full of confidence and extremely comfortable on the layout albeit with his mind looking slightly ahead towards the final stage of PGA Tour school. Aiming to once again lock up a card on the world’s biggest Tour, having left the European Tour after a successful stint that included his only other professional win, the 1998 German Open.

“At the time I’d played well at the end of 2002,” Allan said. “Not well enough to keep my PGA Tour card but well enough to be in that conditional category. And I had a lot of really good week’s without having a really good finish. So, I was really feeling confident in my game and I love Victoria, I played a lot there as an amateur and when I first turned pro.”

Allan poses with the Stonehaven Cup in 2002. PHOTO: Getty Images/Nick Laham

This year Allan finds himself similarly thinking ahead having missed the second stage of Web.com Tour school before heading home, now finding himself in professional golf’s status no man’s land. Teeing it up in last week’s NSW Open and the tournament he once conquered before contemplating where he will plie his trade in 2018, but as always remaining positive about his game and lack of high finishes.

“It’s definitely a different feeling, not used to having potentially nowhere to play next year which is unusual for me. I’ve just got to focus on this couple of weeks and hopefully have a few good weeks and you never know,” he said at the NSW Open.

“My games not bad. A lot of the tournaments this year when I didn’t score well or play well it wasn’t like I was playing awful, I just wasn’t quite clicking it wasn’t quite good enough.”

Allan’s win in his national open is one that will unfortunately forever have an asterisk alongside it, due to the tournament being contested over 54-holes after the greens were determined unplayable during the opening round. Victoria was then doused in water to make it playable, a fact that should take little away from the fact that the now Arizona based Allan was the best player in a quality field that included major winners Rich Beem and Geoff Ogilvy.

While Jack Nicklaus’ layout in Sydney is in stark contrast to where the redhead won his last professional tournament at Victoria, Allan believes the course allows players like himself the chance to challenge the likes of Jordan Spieth and Jason Day for the title. Looking no further than fellow 40-something Rod Pampling for inspiration.

“I think it (The Australian) suits you if you play well," Allan said. “I think there is a lot of demanding iron shots, and the way the conditions are with the wind and the firmness you have to be patient, you know that unless someone does a Jordan Spieth low round like the other year if you can just keep in there and keep around par and keep grinding away. You never know when you can get something going and you wouldn’t be that far away from the lead.

“Rod Pampling played a couple of groups behind me in 2015 and never did I think that starting on the tee that he had a chance to win, we were that far out, and he was only one shot or a couple of shots out of it after a really low round.”

Despite mixed results the Victorian remains determined and optimistic about his game. PHOTO: Getty Images/Hunter Martin

Allan’s baby face might have a few more wrinkles and the 44-year-old might have half an eye towards the superannuation scheme that is the Champions Tour but make no mistake he is at The Australian to compete and potentially win a second national open. An unlikely achievement that would go a long way towards clearing up his uncertain future of relying on successful attempts at the PGA and Web.com Tour’s brutal Monday qualifying.

“It’s great to play here a week before and settle in and hopefully play well this week (NSW Open). But also build towards the Australian Open. I would be lying if I stood here and said that I feel like I’m playing awesome, but it certainly doesn’t feel like I’m playing bad either.”

While no one on the tournament grounds this week is hoping for a repeat of the almost farcical course conditions of 2002, another victory by the likeable Allan would be a popular one with the die-hard golf fans and players. Who appreciate just how hard the son of Scottish immigrants has worked on his game for such a prolonged period of time and whose career defining moment of winning his national open is forever tainted in the opinion of some.