Take a look at the face of the man in the photograph on the right, fooling around with netting ahead of the start of the Open Championship at Turnberry today.

Do you recognise him? Probably not. But make a note of his name, Martin Kaymer, because unknown golfers have a habit of suddenly achieving global fame by lifting the Claret Jug and this year the German has emerged as a serious contender to join the list.

It's happened three times in the past 10 years, starting in 1999 when Scotland's Paul Lawrie triumphed over the carnage of storm-tossed Carnoustie when ranked 159 in the world.

American journeyman Ben Curtis won at Royal St Georges in 2003 despite being ranked a paltry 396th, and compatriot Todd Hamilton somehow overcame Ernie Els in a play-off at Royal Troon the following year when a flattering 56th.

By rights, 24-year-old Kaymer ought to have found fame before now, but his impressive progress has mainly slipped under the radar. After gaining his full European Tour membership card in 2007, he was named Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for recording five top 10 finishes.

The following season he won two titles including the BMW International on home turf and now he has arrived at Turnberry having taken back-to-back wins in the French Open and last week's Barclays Scottish Open.

By becoming the first German to win an Open Championship, Kaymer can also become the first player of any nationality to claim three consecutive titles on the European Tour since Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros in 1986. Yet this part-time go-karter with the boyish looks can go out around his home town of Mettmann and walk the grounds of the Turnberry resort here without anybody really noticing.

"I wouldn't say I'm really famous," said Kaymer. "I mean, people are not recognising me on the street."

Only those in the know have come up and offered congratulations for a run of results that have seen Kaymer suddenly elevated to a heady 11th in the world rankings and on course for a Ryder Cup debut in Wales next year.

He said: "It's nice when the big names come up to you. Ernie Els, my hero, saw me in the locker room here and said well done for the last couple of weeks. That was awesome.

"Nick Faldo has also come up to me and Greg Norman. That was nice."

Faldo, in fact, was among the first to realise Kaymer had genuine potential and last September, as Ryder Cup captain, he sent the emerging star a special invitation to travel to Valhalla as an observer.

Kaymer said: "It really helped going out there and seeing what it was like. I watched the players and began to understand the pressure they are under. But it also really made me want to qualify for the team. I want some of that pressure."

He's bound to feel it over the next four days because only the best of the best, rather than the best of the rest, have won at Turnberry.

When Tom Watson outduelled Jack Nicklaus over the Ayrshire links in 1977 he was already established as one of the leading players in the world.

Nine years later, when the Open returned to Turnberry, the official world rankings were up and running. Greg Norman, ranked three, duly won the first of his two championships. Then, in 1996, Nick Price also triumphed from third place in the table.

However, opinions are divided over the reason behind Turnberry's ability to continually produce true champions.

Peter Dawson, chief executive of golf's international governing body the Royal and Ancient which promotes Britain's major, said: "Why some venues produce winners like this and others don't I have no idea, because the set-up of the courses is pretty similar at all the Open venues.

"I think it's happenstance, myself."

But Tiger Woods, who has twice tamed St Andrews and won once at Royal Liverpool, sticks up for Watson, Norman and Price. "You're looking at the guys who were some of the best ball strikers," he said. "At this golf course you can understand why they won.

"You really do have to hit your ball well here. You have to drive the ball nicely and you also have to hit your irons well."

Norman, who at 54 believes he is still in with a shout of winning this week, goes along with Woods. He says of the Ailsa course: "You have to work the ball against the wind, especially if it is left-to-right going out and right-to-left coming back. You have to work against the wind and against the slope, so it does favour the players who can really manoeuvre their ball around.

"And anybody with the ability to control the ball and flight the ball is, obviously, a high-quality player. Therefore, their chances of winning around here are a lot better."

Kaymer has that quality, plus he has relative anonymity. For the 138th Open, it is a compelling combination.