World Number Four Collin Morikawa is excited to return to United Arab Emirates as he lines up to play his first European Tour event of the season at the 2021 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic.
The 23-year-old finished fifth in the 2020 Race to Dubai standings, mainly courtesy of his maiden Major victory at the 2020 US PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
He made the trip to Dubai for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in December in a bid to become the first American to claim the Harry Vardon Trophy, but Lee Westwood pipped him to the title after a second placed finish.
Morikawa managed a top ten placing alongside 2017 European Tour Number One Tommy Fleetwood in the event and and he is looking forward to tackling Emirates Golf Club.
"I'm excited to be back," Morikawa said. "It's obviously a long trip over here from the West Coast, 12 hour time difference, but for me it's exciting, come out here and compete with some guys that I know and some guys that I've obviously seen a lot.
"This week is going to be a great test obviously. The course is in great shape for the most part. Off the tee you have to hit some really good tee shots and you have to keep it in the fairway. I look forward to it.
"Done some pretty good prep. Started off the year on a decent note, and look forward to having a solid week here."
The performance at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai boosted Morikawa's confidence heading into this season and the California native has already notched two seven placed finishes on the 2021 PGA Tour in the United States.
Morikawa insisted he did not have any second thoughts on travelling to the Dubai despite the global health crisis and praised the European Tour's "amazing job" regarding the testing and regulations in the tournament bubble.
"Yeah, it's huge," he added. "Last fall I didn't really play great golf, and I think it really all started when I came back out here for the DP World Tour Championship and was able to notch a top ten (finish) and realise, 'okay, the game is somewhat trending in the right direction'. I had to kind of do a little reset.
"Obviously it was a new year. Set some new goals but I came prepared, came ready and I'm starting off the year hopefully on a really strong foot for the rest of the year.
"I'm just trying to play golf in really great weather... no, I'm kidding.
Dubai before and after pictures, @TopgolfDubai edition 😲#ODDC pic.twitter.com/zpALdUOKUs
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 26, 2021
"You know what, this has been an event I kind of knew I was going to come out and play. There were no second thoughts.
"Obviously with what's going on with COVID and regulations and bans to travel in and out of countries, you just have to be aware and stay up-to-date with what's coming at us. You never know.
"Now we have to test coming back in. But for my sake, the people around me, my team, all we're trying to do is be as safe as possible.
"I think The European Tour has done an amazing job with this bubble. It's very different; I said it last time I was out here, it's very different than what we have in the US but they are doing it right.
"Guys aren't testing positive and even though we're stuck in our hotel rooms and out on the golf course, at the end of the day, we can come out here and play some golf, which is everything we could ask for."
