It’s 10 years since The Open was played at Royal Birkdale. But a glance at the top 10 from the 1998 event proved that it could have been a lifetime ago.

That was, of course, the year of Mark O’Meara’s annus mirabilis when, at the age of 41, he captured both The Masters and the Open. The highest-ranked Brits were tied for fourth - Justin Rose, then a 17-year-old amateur, and Scottish professional Raymond Russell.

Since then Russell has lost his European Tour card and Rose has gone on to establish himself as one the world’s most consistent golfers. Consistent enough, in fact, to win the European Order of Merit in 2007 and to move into the top 10 in the world rankings.

But, as admirable as his career has been, Rose seems to lack something. To be sighted on the leaderboard only to fade on the final day is not a big problem if it only happens occasionally. Right now, Rose looks to be turning it into a habit.

For all the strides forward he has taken in the last decade, Justin still has the air of a man struggling to shrug off under-achievement. He’s made most of his money in America but has never won a PGA event. He’s enjoyed only seven victories worldwide and he’s not yet made a Ryder Cup team.

As part of the much-vaunted “golden generation” of English golfers, Rose, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Luke Donald need something to happen pretty quickly if they are not to join their counterparts in the England football team as a wasted generation.