Ricardo Gouveia is hopeful that a strong start to the 2024 campaign can help him establish himself as he starts his sixth full season on the DP World Tour.
The Portuguese topped the European Challenge Tour Rankings in 2015 and the following season finished 54th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex with the help of a tie for third at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
He kept hold of his card in the following two seasons but finished outside the top 100 and found himself back on the Challenge Tour in 2020, graduating again in 2021 before once again losing his playing privileges.
A third promotion last season now sees him back on the DP World Tour and after making the cut at last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic, he started the Ras Al Khaimah Championship with a bogey-free 65.
And while Gouveia appreciates that the season is very much a "marathon", he is eager to try and relieve the pressure before the year reaches the business end.
"It's a marathon but it's good to have a good start to not let it all rely on the last few events," he said.
"It's been kind of my trend since 2017 when I'm on Tour so I want to get off to a fast start and keep playing well throughout the season.
"Consistency has been an issue for me but I think I have a solid base in terms of the team around me and I have a bit of experience as well so hopefully that pays off this season."
The 32-year-old is a proven winner, having claimed two wins in each of his successful Challenge Tour seasons and another in 2014, and he believes he can win on the DP World Tour if he uses all the experience gained over the last decade.
"Mentally I've had some challenging times," he said. "I think everyone in professional golf has them and I just hope I can draw on those experiences and get over that hurdle.
"Trusting myself out here, trusting that I have the game to win out here."
