Whatever happened to Mark Brooks?

Mark Brooks celebrates USPGA glory at Valhalla in 1996

The last - in fact, the only - time the USPGA was played at Valhalla, American Mark Brooks lived up to all his early potential by landing his first Major title.

It was supposed to be the first of many.

Yet, in the four years since that visit to Kentucky, the floodgates have remained firmly shut.

That season was comfortably Brooks' best on tour. He won three times, adding the Bob Hope Classic and the Shell Houston Open to his debut Major win.

His USPGA title meant he secured an automatic invitation to the tournament for the next 10 years - and Brooks is relieved to have the comfort of that exempt status.

Brooks is beginning to rediscover his touch

"Things haven't gone the way I would have hoped," he admits.

"I probably had about a year and a half when I struggled with everything - my game and my clubs.

"After the USPGA win I was frustrated and felt bad for the company that put enough trust or faith in my game to give me a nice contract. It turned out that it didn't work out for either one of us."

Brooks was desperate to change his luck and his game - and that meant changing his clubs and tearing up his sponsorship agreement.

"They were great about letting me out," he recalls.

"I had spun myself into such a hole swing-wise that I couldn't get out of it."

Brooks has now switched to Cleveland clubs and is beginning to redsicover the form that thrust him into the spotlight four years ago.

"There is no doubt that exemption takes some of the pressure off, but I put enough pressure on myself just from a pride standpoint of playing well. I mean, it's what I do for a living."

Hope and glory: Brooks wins the Bob Hope Classic

But, whatever you do, don't congratulate the Texan for working so hard at his game.

"My big thing right now is all these guys talking about how hard they work. That doesn't ring thropugh for me.

""A guy works hard, that's fine, but there are people earning $20,000 a year that really do work hard. They go in a coal mine at 4am and come out at 7pm.

"Hitting a bunch of golf balls and working out in a posh gym and driving home in your nice carisn't the same.

"Work hard is fine. You can use it, just don't over-emphasise it."

That said, Brooks still harbours the desire to add to his single Major title, even though he admits to having come close to quitting since his Valhalla triumph.

"I don't have a grand plan really, as far as outcvomes are concerned. That's kind of uncontrollable, but when I hang them up I want to know that I tried 110 per cent and didn't give up.

"There are things I would have done differently in 18 years out here, certainly.

"But when it's all said and done, to know that you went out there and tried every day means you can look yourself in the mirror when you are shaving.

"There's a lot of guys out here that can't do that."