OAKMONT, Pa. -- The things you remember years later about the moment you were about to win a major championship. For Geoff Ogilvy, 10 years removed from his U.S. Open victory at Winged Foot, there are understandably a multitude of memories from his biggest accomplishment in the game.
But digging through his mind and thinking back to the chaotic aftermath, Ogilvy vividly recalls signing his scorecard, watching Phil Mickelson play his ill-fated third shot to the 72nd hole, then witnessing the ending from the locker room.
And of course celebrating with Ian Poulter, who had played the final round with him that day.
"Poults was head to toe wearing pink,'' Ogilvy recalled. "It was Father's Day. New York. Great outfit. It was fun to be with him. He was legitimately pumped that I was going to win, as we are good friends. No jealousy at all. He was a good guy to be in the scorer's hut with at that point.''
Most fans remember the 2006 U.S. Open for other reasons. Like Colin Montgomerie's wayward 7-iron approach to the final green that led to a double-bogey.
Or, most assuredly, Mickelson's double-bogey at the last when a par would have meant a third straight major championship and a bogey would have meant a playoff.
"I still am in a state of shock I did that,'' Mickelson said afterward about what would be one of his six runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open. "I am such an idiot.''
Meanwhile, Ogilvy got the trophy, the last man standing at a brutal U.S. Open venue where he managed to par the last four holes, shoot 2-over-par 72 to finish with a total of 285, 5 over par.
His 6-foot putt for par was but a footnote at the time as Mickelson's tee shot had caromed off a hospitality tent.
"I thought it was for a playoff at best,'' said Ogilvy, now 39. "A coin toss for a playoff or to lose by a shot. But I was at peace with it. I felt good about it. I was good with second, it's a good week. Maybe I would have thought differently if I were in the last group and thinking I had a putt to win.''
It is to Ogilvy's credit, however, that he never gave up down the stretch on a tough course with a crowd favorite getting all the attention. A bogey at the 14th hole had seemingly ended his chances, as Mickelson birdied it behind him to go two strokes ahead.
"I made a conscious decision to try and par the last four holes,'' he said. "Very specifically, I remember having that conversation with Squirrel [Alistair Matheson, his caddie]. 'Let's par the last four holes. This is going to be really hard -- you never know what is going to happen.' I had a moment of clarity about that. That is what I was thinking.''
Ogilvy became the first Aussie to win a major championship since Steve Elkington at the 1995 PGA Championship and just the second to win the U.S. Open, following David Graham in 1981. Adam Scott, who had tied for 21st at Winged Foot, had left for the airport and actually got off a plane to rejoin Ogilvy in celebration.
And with the victory, Ogilvy stamped himself as one of the game's top players. He moved into the top 10 in the world. A victory in 2008 at the WGC-CA Championship gave him a major championship and two WGC titles in three years, and he would add a WGC-Match Play title in 2009.
But despite two victories in 2010, including the Australian Open, Ogilvy began to slip in the rankings. He finished that year ranked 26th and has slowly slid each year to where he is now at 240th.
So is it fair to wonder if he had difficulty living up to the expectations? Did he make changes to try and get better?
"It's just golf, I think,'' he said. "Golf just never lets you feel comfortable. Look at Tiger [Woods], the best player of our era. He never felt he was playing good enough, always felt he had to play better. Maybe in hindsight he'll look back and say he did pretty well. We all do it. How often do you hear guys talk about needing to get better? It's just the game.
"Maybe you win a major, you feel more responsibility. When you go in under the radar, no one notices. I just think it's the game. I think my path would have been similar.''
Ogilvy's path has not been as successful in recent years. Following his Australian Open win in 2010, he did not win again until the 2014 Barracuda Championship, an opposite-field event on the PGA Tour.
Since winning the U.S. Open, Ogivly has just five top-10s in majors and no top-5s, his last a tie for ninth at the 2012 Open.
And his 10-year exemption for winning the U.S. Open expires with this week's tournament at Oakmont.
"It's nice to tell the story again,'' Ogilvy said. "It's hard to believe it's 10 years ago in some ways. In other ways it feels like a long time ago. I didn't have kids then. [He has three now.] But 2006 doesn't seem to sound like 10 years ago. That's what happens with time. Good thoughts and memories.''