Brian Harman was delighted to be enjoying a new experience as he embarked on a career first at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The Open champion is this week teeing it up in his first DP World Tour event not co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR, while also experiencing Dubai for the first time.
Harman revealed his status as a Major Champion has given him more freedom in his schedule to take in new golfing experiences and he was delighted not only to see the some new places himself but also be able to help take the game to less traditional arenas.
"It's been kind of the first opportunity in my career to broaden the horizons a little bit," said Harman, who is playing in his third Rolex Series event. "So when I got this opportunity, I jumped on it. Really, really happy to come see a different part of the world and it's beautiful.
"I think there's some golf-starved areas of the world and I was just thinking about how cool it is, this game, how we can use it as like an avenue to go see places that you wouldn't otherwise get to see.
"This is really the first big opportunity I've had during our normal tour schedule to take some time and go somewhere else, I'm very happy to do so.
"I think the more exposure that we can get across the globe, you know, like I show up here and the build-out here just blows you away.
"There's a place for golf all over the place. So anywhere that's willing to spoil us like this, it's like they deserve to have a good field."
It would not be unfair to say that Harman was a surprise - although not a shock - winner of last season's Open, arriving at Royal Liverpool 26th on the Official World Golf Ranking but without a victory for six years.
It is testament to his consistency that he has been inside the top 100 in the world since October 2020 but now sat inside the top ten and with a Major win and a Ryder Cup appearance under his belt, he is seeking to consistently be at his very best.
"The only expectations that I have are to try to get my game into the correct form," he said.
"You can't really control what happens. You know, sometimes you're in good form, you don't make all the putts and you just get beat.
"But the more times that you can be in form, in position, in contention, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get in form to get in contention a little more often.
"And you know, when you're not in form, you don't have the opportunity to win golf tournaments.
"We all have these lulls. You kind of peak and then it sort of falls off for a while. When my game falls off, it stays falling off for a little too long.
"So I'm trying to get the system back and be able to get back to where it's supposed to be most often."
