Moments.

In a golfing sense, when it’s all boiled down, they define not just tournaments, but careers.

And to be honest, big ones don’t come around that often.

For Declan O’Donovan and Corey Lamb, both with fine and expanding resumès beforehand, one such moment occurred for each at last year’s Ford New South Wales Open, but at different ends of the Murray Downs edition.

O’Donovan, the then poster child of NSW amateur golf, had his shot alongside Lucas Herbert and Cameron Smith in rounds one and two.

Clearly, with stars in his bright, young eyes, he fought valiantly but couldn’t go with the LIV Golf stars when the whips were cracking.

At the other end of the tournament, Corey Lamb – remarkably after actually saying throughout the event that he’d rather not be paired with his heroes too early for fear he’d be awestruck and lose his momentum – got the Willy Wonka ticket in the final round.

He, too, fared well, but without ultimate success.

But it’s safe to say the fire was in their respective bellies to have another crack on that lofty stage.

Today at The Vintage, that opportunity presented again.

Lamb, the “Branxton Bomber”, now on his home course; O’Donovan, a newly minted professional now with the time-honoured Canadian Amateur title under his belt, along with a second state amateur crown, to boot.

And the incumbent champ, Herbert, still 29, but in the historic elite to have won events on the Australian, American and European tours.

An expectant crowd gathered on a beautiful Hunter Valley morning, and when the bell rang, immediately Lamb was knocked against the ropes on the 10^th green when his approach to the par-5 trickled back to a spot from which he could literally not putt at the hole.

Still, the crowd willed the two New South Welshmen on.

And for a few holes, it appeared as if O’Donovan would exact some form of revenge.

He birdied the 12^th – his third hole – after a spectacular tee shot across a huge water carry.

Another birdie on the long 14^th soon followed as Herbert took his own blows with a couple of miscues around the greens.

That said, though, Herbert showed his fighting class, even battling a little ring rust after a long break from tournament golf. He knocked a couple of greenside pitches in tight and made a habit of rolling in those testing 2-3m putts that club golfers know all too well that can wreck rounds.

Still, it was a shock when O’Donovan endured three consecutive bogeys from the 16^th hole.

And suddenly, with birdies on the 17^th, first and second holes, Herbert was back where he left off in 2024 – at least in terms of his own marquee group.

Try as they might, the challengers couldn’t lay a glove on the Victorian and in the end it was a clear decision – Herbert’s 69 against O’Donovan’s 73 and Lamb’s 76 on the wonderfully prepared pay-71 layout. 

So what of the moment?

Had it been too much for the less experienced duo?

Had they ruminated on it too long for their own benefit?

Neither took a backward step in addressing those thoughts, clearly with an eye on one more chance in Friday’s second round.

Lamb, after being in trouble up his last hole today, finally rolled in a long par-saving putt to the delighted roar of the hometown Hunter crowd.

“I’m not overawed by it at all, it’s what I want to do, where I want to be,” Lamb said.

“I’ll go out there tomorrow and give it another shot, and hopefully it will be my day – it would be great to get that crowd roaring.

“I finally gave them something to cheer about with that last putt, so hopefully I can make a couple more tomorrow… and get their support.”

O’Donovan was equally upbeat about his ability to bounce back, especially in comparison to the corresponding week last year

“I’ve got a lot more confidence in myself with what I’ve done this year,” he said.

“I just hit a bad approach on 16 today and then had a 3-putt and went pin-hungry there for a while when I perhaps should have just picked my targets and swung normally.

“But it’s all good. I loved the crowd – they were very comforting and supportive when I was hitting good shots, so I’ve just got to hit a few more for them tomorrow.”

For his part, Herbert was full of praise for the improvement he’d seen in both since they last played together, particularly the change in O’Donovan’s approach.

“I think Declan’s come along in leaps and bounds since we played 12 months ago at the NSW Open,” Herbert said.

“He looks a lot more comfortable in his own skin, and I can clearly see why he’s had the results he’s had this year.

“His first six holes were really impressive… I’m sure he’ll be disappointed with the way he finished it off, but he’ll figure out just the small things here and there that really keep momentum going in a round.

“Whether it’s today, in a month or in five years, he’ll learn and he’ll be a really good player, I’m sure.”

So the stage is set for one more moment in this “trilogy” of sorts.

And while it may or may not have an impact on this week’s final result, you can rest assured that there’s plenty going on in the minds of the combatants when they’re presented with that moment on Friday.