Four decades to hunt a 'major': the story of the US Open-winning caddie, assistant to Seve, Tiger and Sergio García

• US Open Collapse for Rahm and glory for Fitzpatrick

• Olazábal and his toughest Sunday at Brookline "There were moments of that Ryder that stayed with me forever"

's 3-wood

curved to the left on the 18th hole, his

had no choice but to swallow hard, while the ghosts of almost 40 years carrying the bags of the most illustrious players passed through his head.

And it is that, until Sunday in Brookline, the English

who had worked, among others, with

,

,

,

or

, had never won any Grand Slam tournament.

He escaped the 2003 British Open under the command of

and over a decade with

finished second in the

three times , including that The Open 2009, where they could not sneak into the tiebreaker.

"I've had six or seven very clear chances," Foster said yesterday.

But if someone marked his career, it was

, with whom he worked for five intense seasons (1990-1995).

"I had seen Seve at every Open since 1975. He was my idol. We were playing the German Open and I was

for

. Having him in the same match was very intimidating. When I finished, Seve asked me if I wanted to start with him. The first weeks of work were difficult, it was difficult for me to be myself, I had too much admiration for that man...", Foster comments in a documentary on the figure of

produced by

.

kiss the flag

Yesterday, once Fitzpatrick put the ball on the

on the last hole, when victory was already imminent, Foster broke.

And it had to be the future champion who consoled his assistant before the final

.

Foster, already the owner of the US Open 2022, kissed the flag and kept it as an indelible memory.

"It is a very special moment for me. After 40 years in this profession I have achieved my first

. The great man will be watching me from above", he commented excitedly at the Movistar Golf microphones, alluding to Seve.

"He always told me that we are here to win, I don't want second place. And you have to be 100%", Foster recalled about the demands to which Pedreña's genius subjected him.

"All tournaments are won based on limiting mistakes, because everyone makes mistakes," he said about another of Seve's learnings.

On October 9, 1990, after suffering the first frictions of coexistence, Ballesteros sent him a meticulously typed letter where he set out the essential requirements to continue by his side.

The first prevented him from speaking to the press.

"He is confusing and can cause problems," he quoted verbatim.

In the second epigraph he reminded him how perfectionist he was and demanded the same from his

Of him.

Finally, in the third request he reminded her that he should respect his decisions.

In spite of everything, after that stage they always maintained a magnificent relationship.

"If you don't do it, I'll go"

Other of his most illustrious bosses was

, whom Foster considers "the most consistent player he has ever worked with".

Or

, with whom he had the opportunity to share the Presidents Cup in 2005. "I was with

at the World Cup in Akron and I saw how Tiger approached him to talk to him."

Then, the Northern Irishman commented to Foster: "He has told me that

cannot

in the Presidents Cup and if you would like to replace him."

Foster was silent for a few seconds, as if blocked.

"What are you going to do?" Clarke insisted.

The silence persisted, until

crossed the scene: "If you don't do it, I'll go."

Foster is proud of that experience, since despite Tiger's extraordinary charisma, he was never intimidated and gave his opinion at all times about his boss's

and game situations.

"I was honest," he claimed.

"I have only seen two players with a special aura, Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros."

Memories of an indelible career that reached its climax on Sunday at Brookline.

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