Jesper Parnevik will attempt to win his third Volvo Scandinavian Masters title in the space of five years at Barsebäck, near Malmo this week.
The Ryder Cup player produced a stunning performance in 1995 over the same course when he fired three rounds of 67 and one of 69 to beat a high quality field by five strokes.
Then last year Parnevik secured his second title in Stockholm at Kungsängen Golf Club, this time shooting a closing 71 to force Darren Clarke into second place.
Now the colourful Swede, who has already won on the US PGA Tour this season, is bidding for his hat-trick at Barsebäck, a venue which previously saw Nick Faldo land the Volvo Scandinavian Masters crown just two weeks after becoming Open champion for the third time in 1992.
Parnevik, who succeeded compatriot Joakim Haeggman as champion last year, has often admitted that the pressure of playing in front of a vociferous home crowd had proved difficult to master.
He said: “It’s always nerve-wracking to play in the leading group on Sunday at home. The crowd want you to win, almost demanding it, and that puts pressure on you.
“I didn’t play very well at all over the first six holes of the tournament, but thanks to the enthusiastic crowd I played better and better. I’m very glad that I won because after winning in 1995 I didn’t know if I would get a second chance.”
Now, in fact, he has a third opportunity – and the quality of opposition will not make things easy for him. Parnevik tackles some of the leading players on the European Tour, including six-time Volvo Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie.
Montgomerie, in fact, will be chasing an additional target when he bids to add to the Scandinavian Masters title he won in 1991. As winner of the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, the powerful Scot heads a special new Volvo Bonus Pool in operation for the first time this year.
Six of the top ten players in the current Volvo Bonus Pool table are in the field at Barsebäck.
The Volvo Bonus Pool is open to Members of the European Tour who support a minimum of two of the three Volvo title-sponsored tournaments, one of which must be the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo in October.
A total of 350,000 euro is allocated to the Volvo Bonus Pool, to be awarded to the leading five players in the table. Montgomerie is currently in pole position with the 303,350 he earned for defending his Volvo PGA Championship in May.
Former winner, Craig Stadler from the United States, will line-up in the field along with a host of 1999 winners on the European Tour including Miguel Angel Martin, Jarrod Moseley, Gerry Norquist, David Howell, Van Phillips, Jean-Francois Remesy, Jarmo Sandelin, Dean Robertson and David Park.
