Pablo Larrazábal is embracing a change of format ahead of the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.
The Spaniard missed a first cut in five events at last week's Cyprus Open over the same Aphrodite Hills Resort layout, but took the weekend off as a chance to have a mini-break on the Mediterranean island.
There are two cuts for Larrazábal to contend with this week, with 105 players reduced to 32 after two rounds, with scores reset both then and ahead of Sunday's 16 man showdown.
“It’s a lovely resort,” said the five-time European Tour winner. “It’s one of the best golfing resorts we’ve been to.
“The golf course is magnificent, the hotel is a beautiful place. I got lucky with my room, so I’m really enjoying it.
“I didn’t play good the first week, but I feel like I had my first holiday of 2020 for the last four days. Now I’m ready to go again.
“You have to put yourself in a higher gear. Normally if you play in fourth gear, you have to go play decent the first two rounds and then move to sixth or seventh over the weekend.
“It’s great to have back-to-back tournaments on the same golf course and have something different. I like the format. It’s great to play different formats.”
England's Ross McGowan also hopes to come into the event fresh after taking a week off following his Italian Open triumph.
McGowan's second European Tour triumph came 11 years after his maiden title and the 38-year-old is hoping not to wait as long for a third visit to the winner's circle.
“It feels good,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s completely sunk in yet. It’s nice to be back out and trying to get the mind in the right frame of mind to give it a go again this week.
“The last few years have been a tough grind – working hard, trying to improve the swing, trying to change a lot of things, reduce injuries. Last week I didn’t hit it my best but the short game came through.
“There’s a lot more security now. You know what tournaments you’ll get in to, so planning schedules and strategising a bit more will make a big difference.”
