Cullen was an extraordinary figure in Australian golf who passed away at the age of 101 in 2016.

His was a life filled with amazing tales and feats and in 2014 I was lucky enough to sit down with him for a lengthy interview.

I stumbled across the transcript of that discussion this week while cleaning out the computer archives (it was that or the garage and I’m not ready for that!) and it brought back several memories from that day.

The results of our chat made for a feature length story in the pages of Golf Australia magazine back then but, as is the nature of these things, much was left out in the interests of space.

There were stories of his time in the war (Cullen was a pilot and flew Lancaster bombers) and wisdom aplenty about golf and golfers.

But the story of that incredible feat of qualifying for The Open just a year before the age when most retire is one that stands out. It was also one he had never told before.

Cullen’s scores at Turnberry – 84-77 to miss the cut by plenty – don’t tell the full story by any measure.

More reflective of the achievement was the reaction of a reporter at the local qualifying site where he shot 71-72 to earn a spot.

“He couldn’t believe I wasn’t a full time player,” Dan recalled with a smile. “He thought I was too good to be a club pro!”

Cullen never revealed the reasons behind his poor play at Turnberry as he wasn’t one to blame outside influences for his own performance.

But the truth is everything that could go wrong did go wrong, starting the week before with a problem of his own making.

“I played the Seniors (PGA British Seniors) the week before and I got friendly with a doctor who wanted a couple of lessons so when I finished each round I’d go out and give him an hour’s lesson in the middle of the tournament,” he said.

“I must say I was exhausted by Sunday.”

Cullen then drove to Scotland and rented a room about 20 minutes from the course.

“I ran to the first tee and only made it by about a minute. The starter told me he was glad to see me as he was about to announce me as absent.” - Dan Cullen.

The tournament might later become known as the ‘Duel in the Sun’ but according to Cullen it was anything but warm early in the week.

“The hotel I stayed at had turned off the heating and I couldn’t figure out how to turn it back on. I was freezing at night,” he said.

“I ended up buying a couple of cashmere jumpers to try to keep warm.”

He played practise rounds with Lee Trevino (“what a player he was”) and was happy enough with his game until a double disaster struck on Thursday.

“I knew it was 20 minutes from where I was staying to the course so I left myself two hours to get there thinking that would be plenty,” he said.

“But I couldn’t believe it when I pulled out onto the road and saw the traffic. I’d never seen anything like it.

“I had to abandon the car at the front gate of the course because the car park was a mile away and I would have missed my tee time if I’d gone all the way there.

“I ran to the first tee and only made it by about a minute. The starter told me he was glad to see me as he was about to announce me as absent.”

An understandably poor drive led to a bogey at the first but Cullen had bigger problems still. His caddie hadn’t shown up.

“He had caddied for me the week before at the Seniors and told me he’d be happy to caddie again at The Open if I wanted him to,” he recalled. “He said he knew Turnberry like the back of his hand so I thought why not? We’d done all right at the Seniors.”

As it turned out, the caddie wasn’t being 100 per cent truthful about his Turnberry experience.

“He turned up at the 2nd tee and it was pretty obvious he’d never seen the course before,” said Cullen.

“I played pretty badly and I knew my chances were pretty slim after the first round.

“I had a bad start to the second round as well but I played the last nine holes in 35 so at least I showed I could play a bit.”

It was about the only satisfaction he got from the week which was his once in a lifetime chance.

Having dreamt his whole life of one day playing in The Open, Cullen had finally taken the plunge at the age of 64 and been successful.

It was an extraordinary achievement and, despite how it turned out, remained one of his proudest.

“I only ever tried to qualify once and I did it,” he said in 2014. “And to do it at 64? That was something pretty special, for sure.”

Like so many whose lives are spent in pro shops and on lesson tees Dan Cullen was an expert when it came to people, a genius who not only possessed wisdom but exuded it though without a hint of arrogance.

His passing in 2016 was a sad day for all who knew him and for golf in Australia but he left behind a legacy which won’t soon be forgotten.

Including setting a record as the oldest player ever to qualify for The Open Championship.