Lucas Parsons Golf photos by Getty Images.

Why didn’t you like it?

Maybe it’s different today; there are a lot more Aussies over there. Back then it was Norman, Baker-Finch, Wayne Grady, Brett Ogle. I remember playing with a fellah called Hugh Royer III. I’d been drawn with him three times and we got on fine. After a round I asked him what he was doing later; did he want to grab a beer, have some dinner. And he looked at me and asked, “Why?” I said, “Y’know, to eat.” He said, “No, not really. I’ve got my family, things to do.” And he looked at me like ... Jeez. And that little moment meant a lot to me. At the time my partner was back in Australia pregnant with our first child. It got a bit lonely.

See any drugs on tour? Performance enhancers? Cocaine?

Don’t know about cocaine. I’ve never seen anything more than the occasional person puffing on a joint. As for steroids, I’ve heard stories. But stories are stories.

Best moment in golf?

The Greg Norman International (in 2000) was my best win. My best moment in golf was playing for Australia in the World Cup in Argentina. Peter O’Malley and I, we took on Tiger Woods and David Duval, number one and two in the world, and nearly pipped them.

What about the British Open in 2000?

Playing the Open at St Andrews was something I’d always wanted to do. I only played two Majors (the other was the ’96 US Open). I made the cuts. Got off to a good start at St Andrews, four-under after seven, name top of the leaderboard. But the old story, don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Hit one to ten feet on nine, three-putted and stopped the momentum. You get excited being in a Major and performing well. Guys like Appleby and Allenby, they’ve played 50 Majors, even they still get kind of anxious. But mate, just playing in the British Open, to do it at St Andrews ... it was my best year.

So there you are, aged 30, it would seem your best golf ahead of you. Yet you didn’t win again. How come?

A few reasons, none of any great stature. Maybe I got a bit complacent. Took a couple of months off and lost the hunger. Then I came back in 2001, had some injuries. It was where I started going downhill a bit. I had recurring back problems which I worked hard on but probably too hard. I was getting leaner, down to 90kg. But the harder I worked the more I’d break down. I didn’t give myself any rest. I drove myself into the ground.

What sort of advice were you getting?

You do get good advice, but it’s a bit like being in love: you’re blind. Now I know what was wrong, but I didn’t then. You go out for five years believing

it’s the right thing. You come out the other end and you wonder, “What was I thinking?” If I could tell a young guy something today it’d be, “Remember your strengths. Work on your weaknesses, but remember your strengths.”

The public sees golfers as “process-driven” and “focused” and all that sports-psych stuff. And golfers can seem a bit mechanical, even boring because of it. Fair cop?

A lot of it is front. But you do have to be incredibly focused. And the media hates it because it’s boring. The more focused the individual is, the more boring he’ll be to talk to. In the Greg Norman tournament I think I was leading by one heading into the last round and I was just talking about doing what works, taking it one shot at a time. And this journo, (Inside Sport columnist) Richard Hinds, was trying to bait me. He said, “Tomorrow when that doesn’t work, how are you going to feel?” I said, “I haven’t thought about it.” He asked again, “Yeah, but when it doesn’t work, how ... “ I said, “Mate, I haven’t thought about it. Let’s move on.” I was that focused, I was like, “Don’t even put that in my head. I’m just getting through where I am right now. Which in this case is dealing with fucking you!” Then he wrote a shitty story. But that’s okay, that’s his job.

By 2008 you decided to pack it in. How come? You’d have still had decent golf in you, no?

I’d worked hard to get back to Europe, but it wasn’t happening. At the Australian Open in 2007 (at The Australian) I’d played really well, but my short game had deteriorated. I ended up 42nd but had chipping problems. Putting wasn’t great, and I thought, “I’m not competitive playing golf this way. I’ve got to step away and do something else.”