Paul Casey is hoping a second victory of the season in the UAE can provide him with the perfect platform to upstage golf's young guns and land a long awaited Race to Dubai title.
The Englishman arrives at Jumeirah Golf Estates for the 2021 AVIV Dubai Championship seventh in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, helped by his victory at the Dubai Desert Classic in January.
A victory over the Fire Course could move him up to fifth ahead of the season ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, handing him vital points as he looks to overturn Collin Morikawa at the top of the Rankings.
Casey was pipped to the title of Europe's Number One in 2006 by Pádraig Harrington and now, 15 years later and at the age of 44, he is eager to finally get his hands on the Harry Vardon Trophy.
"I'm one of those guys, I'm still sniffing around trying to win a Race to Dubai if I can so I'm trying to grab as many points as I can this week," he said.
"I got very close many, many years ago. I think the year Harrington won it might have been something crazy - if Sergio (Garcia) had made a par on the last I would have clinched the title, instead he made a bogey and that's what it came down to.
"That's what seasons are all about, one shot is very important. I'm there or thereabouts.
"I'm 44, I'm just happy I'm still in the mix. If you look at Morikawa and Rahmbo (Jon Rahm) and these guys up there, I'm happy I'm playing in an era against these guys. Yes I'm behind but it's fun to have a bit of a challenge and chase these young bucks.
"I've always been a ball striker and that's sort of carried me through my career but the other aspects of the game that need work, it drives me.
"Seeing how hard these guys work and how good they are. Every year the golf gets better and better and better and this new crop of players that are shining right now are spectacular."
Casey has not finished outside of the top 30 in any European Tour event he's played this season but admitted to feeling some fatigue after a 2021 that has seen him play on both sides of the Atlantic as well as in the Olympic Men's Golf Competition and the Ryder Cup.
I'm one of those guys, I'm still sniffing around trying to win a Race to Dubai if I can so I'm trying to grab as many points as I can this week
But after three weeks off and with just two events of the 2021 Race to Dubai to go, he is feeling energised and ready to go in Dubai.
"The form coming in is probably not great," he said. "I feel good this week - I've just had three weeks off. Ball striking is getting back to where it normally is.
"You've only got so much fuel in the tank and maybe it's just been slowly leaking out. I've given it so much this year and there's been some great moments but there are the big things that take the energy out - Ryder Cup, Olympics and things like that and all the Majors.
"Sometimes you just need to sort of hit the reset button, I think the three weeks off puts me into a good position going into these last two.
"I feel energised, I feel ready to go. I've just had three weeks off and this will be my final two events of this season so I'm really excited.
"Any time I turn up I'm turning up to try and give it my best and try and win the tournament. I've had one victory in Dubai earlier this year and I'd love to add another one to that."
Casey made his European Tour debut in 2001 and with 15 wins from his 320 events across the globe, he has seen it all.
But 2022 sees a new era with the European Tour becoming the DP World Tour and Casey is excited by the development.
"Exciting stuff. I was disappointed it wasn't called a world tour about 20 years ago!" he said. "I always thought we should be the world tour, we play pretty much everywhere.
"It's about time so I congratulate DP World on this announcement. It benefits the players but it benefits everybody that is out here on Tour.
"It's not just the players making money that trickles down into caddies and support staff and media and everybody - the whole family benefits from this so fantastic news."
