The term journeyman professional could have been invented for Tim O'Neal.
The 52-year-old American fired an opening 67 to get his second ISPS HANDA Senior Open appearance off to an encouraging start and his globetrotting journey to Sunningdale is unique.
A regular on the Korn Ferry Tour throughout the 2000s, O'Neal twice missed out on a PGA TOUR card by one shot at Qualifying School, heartbreakingly double-bogeying the last on one occasion to fall the wrong side of the line.
He came to Europe in 2012 and won once on the Alps Tour and twice on the Pro Golf Tour in the space of two months before making the only regular European Tour group event appearance of his career at the Trophée Hassan II.
He headed back across the Atlantic the following year and would play most of the rest of his non-senior career on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, claiming three wins and briefly regaining Korn Ferry Tour status.
Since turning 50, he topped Senior Open Qualifying at Ashburnham Golf Club in 2023 to earn a debut in Europe's only Senior Major and his second appearance this season comes courtesy of his maiden PGA TOUR Champions win at last season's Dominion Energy Charity Classic.
"I just play wherever they let me play," he said of his wandering career. "So I played, now it's called the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latin America, so golf has taken me all over the place. Fortunate that I've been able to play a lot of nice places.
"I don't know how to do anything else, I guess. I've played golf all my life and loved the competition. I just love to compete. Now I'm on the Champions Tour and able to win last year on Champions Tour.
"So yeah, I just love the competition. I'm just trying to get better every day, and yeah, I love being out here. Love being at Sunningdale. Just soaking it all in.
"Hopefully I'll be able to play a good tournament this week."
