Phil Mickelson insists any major titles he picks up while Tiger Woods is sidelined by injury will not be devalued by the absence of the world number one.
Despite having rarely made an impact in previous British Opens, the left-hander will tee off at Royal Birkdale next week as one of the favourites to capitalise while Woods recovers from knee surgery and stress fractures in his legs.
And while Mickelson recognises that the loss of golf's biggest asset is a blow for the sport in general, he is candid about the opportunity that it presents for himself and other players whose careers have unfolded in the long shadow cast by his compatriot.
"Tiger not being there is going to have a negative effect obviously, on television ratings, on fan interest and so forth," Mickelson said.
"But I think it opens an opportunity for a number of players to come through and maybe win tournaments that they might not have won, who knows.
"When I look back at Jack Nicklaus's 18 majors or Tom Watson's eight, I don't look back at the field they played, I just look back at the tournaments they've won.
"I haven't won a major in a couple of years and it would certainly mean a lot to me to win an Open Championship, as well as the (US) PGA."
Woods will miss both the next two majors and admitted earlier this week that he does not yet know when he will be able to return to competitive golf.
Having not played since finishing 18th in the US Open last month, Mickelson is looking to get the competitive juices flowing again at the three-million-pound Scottish Open here, having spent Sunday through Tuesday working at Birkdale on his game-plan for next week.
The 38-year-old has finished in the top 10 at the British Open only once in 15 attempts, when he ended third at Royal Troon four years ago.
But he remains resolutely upbeat about his chances of getting into contention on the course where he made his Open debut, as an amateur back in 1991.
"The course is in immaculate condition," he enthused. "There are a lot of areas where the rough is so thick you could easily lose a ball.
"But there are also a lot of playable areas and I felt that if you hit a reasonable shot you were rewarded and not overly penalised.
"A lot will depend on the pin positions and the weather conditions but to me it looked like a fair test."
Before sitting that particular exam, Mickelson had unfinished business to attend to at Loch Lomond, where he missed out on victory last year after bogeying the 72nd hole before being beaten in a play-off by France's Gregory Harvet.
"Part of getting ready for next week is performing well this week, playing well and hitting shots sharply and crisply and getting the short game and touch down," he said. "I came so close last year, hopefully I can improve this time."
