Defending Trophee Hassan II champion Alejandro Cañizares believes he is well placed to retain his title this week, despite an injury-plagued 12 months since his victory at Golf du Palais Royal.
Spain’s Cañizares ended an eight-year wait for a second European Tour title in Morocco last year, but then missed the cut in six of his next seven events and was absent for almost three months from mid-July as wrist and back problems kept him sidelined.
But the 32 year old has made an impressive start to The Race to Dubai in 2015, finishing 12th in Abu Dhabi, eighth in Qatar and third in Malaysia to sit 25th in the early-season standings.
“Last year was different as I came here not playing very well at the start, but then I won playing some of the best golf I had played in a long time,” said Cañizares, who last year shot an opening 62 to set up a wire-to-wire victory.
“After that though I had a tough year with injuries: first my wrist and then my back.
“I didn’t play much golf for six months, but now I’ve started the year pretty well and I’m healthy again and that is my main focus right now.
“I’m looking forward to defending my title and I’m expecting to have fun this week.
“It is a special week and I have a lot of good memories; hopefully I can enjoy it as much as last year.”
Cañizares admits his experience last year was all the more special for coming on the rarely-used course inside the grounds of the Royal Palace in Agadir.
The Robert Trent Jones Senior-designed lay-out is a private course, with the beautifully manicured fairways and greens going largely untouched between stagings of the Trophee Hassan II.
“People are very friendly here so it is a great place to come to defend a title,” added Cañizares.
“It’s a lot of fun to come back and a pleasure. I don’t expect to play the same way as last year, but I expect to do my best - if you win at the end of the week, even better.
“This golf course is very special; it is very different from anything we play in that it is inside the palace and by the ocean.
“It is a great venue and the greens have a special design. I like it and it is very enjoyable, so we are really looking forward to playing it again.”
