Matt Fitzpatrick launches the defence of his DP World Tour Championship, Dubai title knowing another victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates would make him the first player to win the event three times, while it could also land him the 2021 Race to Dubai crown.
The Englishman is one of six players who could finish the season as European Number One but, coming into the week sitting sixth in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, he would need to win the event and have other results go his way.
However, Fitzpatrick has such a good record at this week's host venue that the prospect of a surge to Race to Dubai glory cannot be ruled out.
The 27-year-old won here in 2016 and 2020 and is so familiar with the Earth Course that he joked he could play it blindfolded.
Fitzpatrick said: "It's really nice to be back, nice memories for myself, from 2016, and then obviously last year as well.
"You know the course like the back of your hand. I played this morning in the Pro-Am, and I'm thinking I could probably play it blindfolded anyway. So it is very nice to come out.
"The big thing for me is the greens are just so pure. They get really fast, they get firm. Already I feel like it's quite firm.
"And statistically speaking why it suits me is because there's a few more long irons, and apparently on paper I'm a bit better with my long irons than my mid irons and short irons. A few more of those, which helps. And like I said, the greens are so good."
The Ryder Cup star feels last year's victory in Dubai helped him make a fast start in 2021.
Fitzpatrick, who won the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters last month to become a seven time European Tour winner, said: "I feel like getting the win at the end of last year gave me some good confidence going into the start of the year, which probably showed in my performance as I played really well, got off to a great start. My game was as good as it's ever been, apart from some of my approach play.
"And then winning Valderrama, for me it felt like a bit of a justification for how well I played the Ryder Cup, but obviously I had nothing to show for it.
"I felt like it was coming, and it did in the end, which was great, at Valderrama.
"I feel like every year I'm growing as a player. Obviously the game always changes. Various aspects might get better, might get worse.
"So it's always like a balancing act with that. But in terms of mentally, trying to get better, have more confidence going into the weeks, and that's what I feel like has happened this year.
"I'm turning up to weeks feeling like I've got more of a chance of winning if I play well, or if I have a good week on the greens, whereas maybe 2016, for example, going to tournaments and don't really know what to expect and a bit unsure. So it's definitely changed for the better."
