Costantino Rocca: Open 'nearly man' remembers famous St Andrews putt

Costantino Rocca is Italy's most successful golfer and now plays on the European Seniors Tour

It is always said we never remember who finishes second or the nearly golfers who have their moment in the sun before fading quickly from memory.

But these are the sort of players worth remembering, particularly after a weekend in which American Andrew Landry claimed his maiden tour victory at the Texas Open in San Antonio.

Landry is a name you may vaguely recall. The 30-year-old led the US Open two years ago after the first round at Oakmont. He stayed on the leaderboard long enough to play in the final group on the last day, but tumbled down to finish in a share of 15th place.

Now, though, he is a PGA Tour winner, finishing two clear of the field at 17 under par and is not quite the obscure name he once was.

Andrew Landry claimed his maiden PGA Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Texas Open

Another nearly man, the Italian Costantino Rocca, also springs to mind because he has just returned to St Andrews, the scene of his most famous moment.

In 1995, he holed that vast and outrageous birdie putt from the Valley of Sin to force a play-off at The Open.

Although he ultimately lost that to John Daly, Rocca's moment proved to be the most memorable of that major by a mile.

"I'm the most famous runner-up in the world," he smiled, before trying to recreate that putt on a windswept Monday morning at the Old Course.

"At St Andrews, you breathe the real air of golf - it is fantastic," said the 61-year-old from Bergamo. "Every time I come back here after that moment it is emotional."

• The Cut: BBC Radio 5 live's golf podcast remembers classic meltdowns and tantrums

Rocca had about 20 attempts, hitting from the same spot to the same pin position. But among a mixed bag of tries his best effort finished a foot away from the hole.

"It is not easy," he told BBC Sport. "When you need it you feel different. Now I had to try to make it, but only two or three times did I nearly hole it.

"It is nice to remember because it was a big moment in my life and recreating that moment is not easy - but I tried my best."

Twenty-three years ago, the adrenalin was flowing as the popular Italian chased down the big-hitting Daly. As Rocca stood on the final hole he knew an eagle would give him the Claret Jug and a birdie would take him into a play-off.

"I remember on the 18th tee I said to my caddie if I put it on the green I will make two. In my mind there is no four, only two or three."

That three seemed the most distant of prospects when Rocca duffed his chip into the deep depression at the front of the most famous green in golf.

Standing next to Daly, who I had interviewed as Rocca came up the 18th, it felt as though The Open was done and dusted. The American was hugging his wife and clearly felt he had already landed his second major.

Then came the most almighty roar, uniquely vociferous given the shock of the moment as Rocca's ball thundered into the hole. It was the putt of his life and Daly immediately let go of his wife, muttered "I gotta go" and readied himself for the play-off.

It was bedlam around the Old Course and Rocca fell to the ground thumping the hallowed turf in celebration.

"The sound I knew, because when I walked on the green there was 45,000, 50,000 people," Rocca told me.

"But in that moment I was so concentrated I didn't see or hear anything. After, when you see it on TV, you feel what you had around you and I think it was fantastic.

"To see people jumping on the terrace and the right side of 18 and jumping everywhere. That was a nice moment."

At the heart of these great scenes was the fact Rocca had become one of the most popular figures in European golf. Two years later he would beat Tiger Woods in the singles as part of Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the United States at Valderrama.

"I tried to make people love me on the golf course, even sometimes when I was very angry against myself. It is very important to have supporters," Rocca said.

"The Ryder Cup is different because they support one team. In the majors they support the player. For this reason it is very good to have a lot of the public and spectators behind you."

And Rocca will be one of the most popular figures when the British Seniors Open is played at the Old Course from 26 July to 29 July this year.

"Now on the seniors we go and make sure the fans get signatures," he said.

"This will be a week that will be very special for me. I am starting to prepare now for that moment. And John Daly will be here too. I will try to finish in the top 10, that would be very good."

Rocca has already left quite a legacy. The Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo, have followed him into the European Ryder Cup team and Italy will stage the event for the first time in 2022.

"We have five or six players on the European Tour now," Rocca noted, before adding: "Italian golf, we still have to improve a lot of things.

"I hope the Ryder Cup goes well because it is very important that we do well with that. We have that chance to make a nice one."

A five-time winner on the European Tour, including the 1996 PGA at Wentworth, Rocca's place in golfing history is already secure - even if he never did land that Open Championship.

As he says: "I became more famous for that putt than if I won the tournament."

You can listen to more from Rocca on the BBC golf podcast - The Cut - available to download now.