With two victories in his last four starts on the DP World Tour, Pablo Larrazábal is feeling comfortable about the increased focus around him as he looks to bolster his chances of a debut Ryder Cup appearance with a record third BMW International Open title this week.
The Spaniard celebrated reaching his forties last month by winning his ninth DP World Tour title at the KLM Open, just four weeks on from claiming the title at the inaugural Korea Championship Presented by Genesis.
Since the BMW International Open was first played in 1989, there has been no player who has won the BMW International Open on three separate occasions, but that is a piece of history Larrazábal can create this week at Golfclub München Eichenried.
“It is always great to be back to a place that gives you so much,” he said.
“I have so many great memories of this place. I have played some of my best golf around here, so it is always great to be back at Golfclub Eichenreid.
“BMW always treat us like superstars, so it is always great to be back in Munich.”
As if a shot at history wasn’t enough motivation for Larrazábal to continue his rich vein of form, the upcoming Ryder Cup is also under the spotlight as the countdown to the biennial spectacular reaches the 100-day mark on Wednesday.
Ranked tenth on the European Points List, with a little over two months left in the qualification process, his titles have put him firmly in the picture for a debut appearance as Team Europe look to reclaim the trophy from United States’ hands.
Such has been his standard of play, European Captain Luke Donald will be teeing it up alongside Larrazábal over the opening two rounds this week in Germany as the former World Number One keeps an eye over several hopefuls in the field – something he is relishing.
“I know Luke Donald is having an eye on me,” Larrazábal told the DP World Tour. “I knew he was going to choose to play with me one of these weeks, but I have had this pressure during my career. I play with pressure. I like pressure.
"I am going to have a bit of pressure playing with the Captain but I am used to the pressure and whatever the way it goes will go.”
I play with pressure. I like pressure - Pablo Larrazábal
Should Larrazábal make the team at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, he will join a long list of illustrious Spaniards to represent their continent at the Ryder Cup.
Having been on site as a teenage fan for Europe’s triumph at Valderrama in 1997 when Seve Ballesteros captained the side, Larrazábal knows it would be an amazing achievement in his career but is not looking too far ahead.
“It is a dream of mine,” he said. “The Ryder Cup is the result of the work you do day after day. If I was nervous in Korea in the last few holes and in Holland I can’t imagine how much pressure I could have in a Ryder Cup.
“The Ryder Cup is at the end of September, and we are in June so many things can happen in three months.
“If it happens, it happens. If not, I will be pushing for Europe anyways.”
Larrazábal first won Germany’s longest running professional golf tournament in 2011 in a play-off with Sergio Garcia at this week’s venue and then lifted the trophy again four years later by holding off Henrik Stenson.
"I like the golf course. It is a golf course that you have to hit it very well off the tee," he said.
"You don’t have to be long. You have to be on the fairway. There are a lot of short and mid irons in so you have to control the golf ball, the speed.
"It is a golf course that you have to play with your 15th club (pointing at his brain). That is probably why I have been successful on this golf course."
Having broken into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career earlier this month, it is easy to understand why the Spaniard is describing this period as the best golf of his career.
“The golf game is giving me back after all the hard work that I have put in over the years,” said Larrazábal, who also won twice last season.
“I am the happiest man in the world right now.”
As one of ten players to make the prompt return to European soil following last week’s U.S. Open, Larrazábal jokes jetlag may be the source of him losing sleep rather than the Ryder Cup but a third victory in as many months this week would go a long way to booking his ticket.
In his 13 previous appearances at the BMW International Open, he has recorded six top 20s in addition to his two victories.
But it is his tie for third in 2010 when he lost out to David Horsey after a double bogey-bogey-par finish that he credits as being a significant learning curve and inspiration for what he has since achieved.
“It was important because at that time I only had one win at the French Open,” he said.
“To have that second win in 2011 after losing the tournament in 2010 was very important. It is not easy to throw golf tournaments away the way I did that year.
“To be able to come here and to shoot low on Sunday and win that play-off with Sergio is in the books as one of the best play-offs in DP World Tour history.
“I was very proud to beat Sergio in a play-off because he was one of my idols growing up. It was a dream come true and since then I have won another seven titles.”
