Des Smyth will return to the exotic location where he made European Tour history last year when he lines up as defending champion in this week's Madeira Island Open at the Santo da Serra course.
Twelve months ago, the genial Irishman held off the challenge of England's John Bickerton to claim his eighth title on The European Tour International Schedule, but more importantly it saw him become the oldest winner in the history of The European Tour.
Smyth, who closed with a 66 for an 18 under par total of 270, was 48 years and 34 days old when he sank the winning putt, surpassing the previous record held by Neil Coles who was 48 years and 14 days old when he won the 1982 Sanyo Open.
Smyth, of course, went on to represent the Rest of the World against the United States in the inaugural UBS Warburg Cup at Kiawah Island last November where he was a revelation, winning all three of his matches, and will be looking for similar inspiration in Madeira this year, his 29th as a Tour professional.
However, should any competitor require inspiration they need only look around them for the charming Santo da Serra Golf Club provides one of the most picturesque settings on the current schedule.
Opened in 1991, the steeply undulating course with its challenging greens is perched 2,300 feet above sea level and the beauty of the surroundings, including the pine, mimosa and eucalyptus trees and exotic flowering shrubs, is enhanced by many spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean.
The tournament too has quickly established itself as one of the favourites thanks largely to the excellence of the layout, redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Senior on the site where the original nine-hole course has existed since 1937, and the propensity for enthralling golf and exciting finishes.
Before Smyth, the champion on the Portugese territory was Sweden's Niclas Fasth, who claimed his maiden European Tour title in 2000, a foundation he used to build his career to new levels of excellence, culminating in qualification for The European Ryder Cup Team this September.
Fasth, who finished second behind Ernie Els in the Dubai Desert Classic, will not feature in Madeira this year but took time out to describe what will face the competitors this week.
"The course is not one of the longest we play on Tour but it can be very tricky," said the 29 year old Swede. "It is very much up and down and across stretches of water and hollows. There are a lot of spectacular holes along the mountainside stretch, especially on the front nine."
One of the most spectacular holes on the course is the par three fourth. It might be the most pleasing aesthetically but it will not be a creature of beauty to players who misjudge the demanding tee shot.
Said Fasth: "It is a fairly long par three with actually nothing to hit but the green and the bunker behind it. If you miss it long you are in the sand and if you miss it short you're gone. You're not going to walk off there with four pars easily, you have to work for them. It tends not to be a hole you bogey either, it's either a par or a double bogey or worse. It's tough and can really affect your whole round because it's the toughest hole on the outward nine and comes so near the beginning."
