Jon Rahm is feeling refreshed and ready to go as he returns to a happy hunting ground looking for a first Race to Dubai title at the season ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The Spaniard won on his last outing on the European Tour at the Mutuactivos Open de España but has not played competitively since then and did not even touch a club for a month as he took a well earned rest ahead of the eighth Rolex Series event of the season.
It has been a whirlwind for the 25-year-old since he turned professional just over three years ago and quickly rose to the very top of the world game.
He has won five European Tour titles - including a record three Rolex Series crowns - played in a victorious Ryder Cup team and risen as high as Number Two on the Official World Golf Ranking.
He won here at Jumeirah Golf Estates in 2017 en route to claiming the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award but will need to finish second this week to have any chance of claiming the Harry Vardon Trophy.
"It's an exciting week, always," he said. "I love Dubai, I love the golf course, I love the tournament.
"It's a really fun one to come and play and it's nice to actually be here and have a chance to win the Race to Dubai if I take care of business this week, which I haven't had before.
"I've had six weeks off since my last competitive round so it's a little break that I needed. I've come back from taking quite a bit of time off and just deciding to rest more than practice and travelling around the world.
"It's the first time I've done that in a very long time so I really don't know how it's going to go. I'm hoping it's going to be good. I am feeling good, feeling rested and looking forward to the week.
"After Spain I stayed home for a week, actually, just from my event in Spain. After that, I think it was three more weeks in Arizona where I truly didn't even step on a golf course.
"Basically ever since I became a good amateur in Spain, it's almost been ten straight years of non-stop.
"At first it was hard to let down and step away from it a little bit and then, honestly, nothing special. Just being a 20-year-old, enjoying time with my friends, enjoying time with (fiancée) Kelley.
"We spend so much of our life making decisions just for me and for my golf game that it was nice just to tell her for a month straight, 'what do you want to do?' instead of what do I need to do. It was very nice to be able to do that."
Another former winner of this event still in the running for the Race to Dubai is Matthew Fitzpatrick, who arrives full of confidence on the back of two top tens in his last two events and four second places this season.
"Technically my best year in terms of World Ranking points," he said. "The only thing that's missing so far is the win but a chance to fix that this week.
"I have two top tens and my game feels like it's trending sort of in the right direction. It's a shame that the year is coming to an end and there's not a Major coming up soon but it's been a good year and I feel pretty confident right now.
"When I first ever came here it wasn't a golf course that people thought I could do well around but it's a golf course I love. I feel like it suits my game. I have good iron play and really good putting and that's the big difference, really."
