Thomas Pieters may have burst onto the world stage with his stunning performance at The Ryder Cup but he has not been entirely satisfied with his 2016 season.
The Belgian claimed back-to-back wins at the D+D REAL Czech Masters and the KLM Open in 2015 to get himself off the mark on the European Tour but a star was born when he claimed four points as a rookie at Hazeltine National.
A win at the Made in Denmark plus four further top fives - including the Olympic Men's Golf Competition - adds up to a remarkable campaign for the 24 year old who is playing in just his third European Tour season.
But Pieters does not feel he has been in enough positions to win, something he will be looking to do at this week's Portugal Masters.
"A goal of mine is to win each season," he said. "I think that just shows that you're getting better and that you keep putting yourself in that position to actually win and I haven't put myself in position as many times as I'd like. I've had maybe four or five chances.
"I've had a lot of health issues when I first started the season but now I'm doing good and obviously I'd like to have a nice end to the season and hopefully finish in the top 10 to the Race to Dubai, that would be nice.
"I'm controlling the ball very well and just being more mature in taking the correct decisions. Sometimes not going for a flag where I used to be a bit too fearless maybe, hitting at every flag and see what happens. Just taking the smart decisions sometimes."
I'd like to have a nice end to the season and hopefully finish in the top 10 to the Race to Dubai - Thomas Pieters
Countryman Nicolas Colsaerts blazed a trail for Belgian golf when he made the Ryder Cup Team in 2012 and Pieters is hopeful that his raised profile can get more people playing golf in his homeland.
"More people watch me," he said. "More people come up to me, even when I was home last week, nobody really recognises me in Belgium, but now people start to. I'm not sure if I like it.
"When people start to recognise a golfer on the street, I think we've had a nice rise in people starting to play, pick up the game and hopefully we get some more courses."
Defending champion Andy Sullivan believes this week's winner will be in the twenties under par while Eddie Pepperell has suggested that Victoria Clube de Golfe could serve up the first 59 in European Tour history.
Pieters is one of the biggest hitters in the world and he too is expecting low scores, although he admits the lack of rough could nullify his distance advantage.
"It's wide open," he said. "There's no rough. But then you have to get careful because you know there's no rough. So you might lose your focus and start hitting it everywhere.
"I love an open course, but there's literally no rough out here. It's going to make it easier for everybody."
