Martin Kaymer is delighted to be back in a part of the world that holds fond memories for him as he prepares to do battle with a strong international field at the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World.
Two time Major Champion Kaymer has enjoyed huge success in the UAE, winning the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship title on three occasions and recording four top five finishes at the Dubai Desert Classic.
The German comes into this week's event in fine form, having recorded top tens in each of his last two starts on the European Tour, and he is looking forward to competing at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Kaymer said: "Once you have early success in your career on the golf course or in an area it's very difficult not to like it. Especially in Abu Dhabi, that was the first win of my career.
"I just really enjoy this part of the world, not just because of the golf but we stay in lovely hotels, the food is good, the people are nice, you usually have great crowds at the tournaments. The whole package suits me.
"Coming to Dubai at the beginning of the year and the end of the year, it’s always nice that you start and finish in great tournaments.
"When we play the Emirates Golf Club and here, it’s a great atmosphere. Good people, good golf, great fields and you want to play well and perform well – fortunately I could do this over the last few years fairly okay.
"It’s a very enjoyable place to play and compete against the other guys."
This week's brand new tournament will be played on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, marking the first time the layout has hosted a European Tour event.
Next week its neighbouring Earth Course will host the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, bringing the 2020 European Tour season to a close.
World Number 39 Bernd Wiesberger is one of the other star names in a highly competitive field this week.
The Austrian knows what to expect from the host course, having practised on it many times before.
He said: "The Fire Course is different to the Earth Course, I’ve played it a bunch of times in practice leading up to the first couple of events of the year.
"I’ve got a pretty good idea of what we are facing.
"It’s in very good nick, but a course where you need to score low. Just like next week.
"Foot on the gas for all eight rounds, finish the year strong and we’ll be back in January."
