Sergio Garcia may have celebrated a milestone birthday last week but he insists his outlook remains the same as he prepares to tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.
The Spaniard burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old in 1999 as he won his first two European Tour titles and famously went toe to toe with Tiger Woods at the US PGA Championship just months after turning professional.
Since then he has become Europe's all time highest points scorer in The Ryder Cup and in 2017 famously ended his long wait for a Major Championship at the Masters Tournament.
He may have turned 40 on January 9 but with five European Tour titles in the last three seasons, he is showing no signs of slowing down and remains as hungry as ever.
"I've never really been big on like birthday celebrations or anything like that," he said. "Obviously we do celebrate them, don't get me wrong, but 40, to me, it's just one more than 39.
"I feel good. I feel like physically I feel healthy.
"I'm excited to hopefully see some good results as the year goes on with all the work that we've been putting in."
Garcia also does not feel there is any greater pressure on him to achieve as he enters his fifth decade, with a CV that already ranks him alongside the greats of the modern game.
"Before I won the Masters, my career already felt like a great career," he said. "Obviously after winning the Masters it's even better, and with everything I've been able to do worldwide and Ryder Cup-wise and stuff.
"Don't get me wrong, I would love to get the second one and hopefully more.
"I've been fortunate that physically I've been good throughout my whole career, so that gives me opportunities of playing a lot of Majors like I have done for all these years. Hopefully I'll give myself some more good options, that's what I'm working for.
"But it's not like do or die. If we get the second or the third or whatever, it will be great, but if it doesn't, I'm happy with everything that's gone on in my life."
Garcia has an excellent record in the desert having won the Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters and he would love to claim his first Rolex Series title at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
"Excited to start the year hopefully the best way possible," he said. "It's a very good tournament to start the year with and a nice run of tournaments the next couple of weeks."
