A multimillionaire Cheam golfer has finally heard the putter of tiny feet after his first baby was born 10 days late at St Helier Hospital.
Ross Fisher said cradling his daughter Eve would always surpass the feeling of holding aloft the Claret Jug for winning the Open Championship.
The 28-year-old paid £41,000 last month to keep a Learjet waiting near the course in Turnberry, Scotland, in case his wife Jo went into labour.
He eventually finished 13th, having led the £750,000 tournament with 16 holes to go, but was happy to return to more important matters last week.
He said: “We are absolutely delighted to have Eve with us. She is a gorgeous baby girl and nothing could have prepared me for the feeling that rushed through me when I first held her.
“Jo is doing great, too. She was 10 days overdue and just wanted to get it over with.
Ross must still wait to get fatherhood down to a tee, after travelling to America on Sunday for the Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA Championship events.
He admitted it had been a wrenching decision to spend a fortnight without Joanne and Eve, who weighs a healthy 8lbs 12oz.
He said: “I am sure I will find it very hard, but they are two very big tournaments and Jo fully supports my decision to play both.
“She has always been so supportive of my job. She even threatened that, if I was doing well at the Open and she went into labour, she would not tell me. I made her promise, as I did not want to miss any of this.
"Thankfully, she was late and I was home with her for the full week and the birth. This is something we will never forget.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here