Defending champion Steven Brown says he is going into the 2020 Portugal Masters with a different mindset from his win 12 months ago.
The Englishman's win at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course saw him retain his playing card after starting the week 150th on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex.
However, a year on, Brown heads to Vilamoura 86th in the Race to Dubai and with no concerns over his European Tour status.
“(There's) maybe a bit (of extra pressure) because I did so well last year and I’ve still got those thoughts in my head,” he said. “This season is very different with different feelings from last year when I was in a tough spot trying to keep my card. I feel a lot more chilled than last time - hopefully I can produce the same sort of stuff.
“It was a whole range of emotions – I wasn’t expecting to win. I had a calmness all week, I’d resided myself to getting ready for Tour School, then it was a case of not having to worry about that. It didn’t sink in for a while, but it was a great time.”
Brown comes into the week on the back of a top-ten finish at Valderrama but, after one of the toughest tests on tour, is expecting a very different week scoring wise.
“I really do (feel my game is in a good place),” he added. “I did a lot of work in the off-season and then the second off-season during lockdown and it’s starting to pay off. My putting has been up and down, which is why my results have been the same. But my ball-striking is consistent.
“I had a week off before The Belfry, I’m always a bit rusty the first week, but played really well in tough conditions last week at Valderrama. I feel like I’m in a good spot coming here.
“It’s going to be a big change. Last week you’d walk off a green with a par with some relief knowing you got a hole out the way. This week the scoring will be lower. Last week was probably the hardest I’ve ever played on Tour. To change that focus to make a lot of birdies is going to take some adjusting, but the guys will work it out pretty quickly.”
