Tommy Fleetwood is eager to further etch his name into DP World Tour history as we return to the event where it all began at this week's acciona Open de España presented by Madrid.
As the Tour celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the trip to Club de Campo Villa de Madrid takes on added significance, with the Spanish Open being the first event ever held on Tour in 1972.
Antonio Garrido was the winner that week and since then he has been joined on the trophy by the likes of three-time winner Seve Ballesteros, Arnold Palmer, Bernhard Langer, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Pádraig Harrington and a host of the great and the good of world golf.
Fleetwood has some illustrious wins of his own, including the Open de France - the only national open in continental Europe older than this one - and he is relishing the chance to get his hands on yet another storied trophy.
"It’s an amazing opportunity and being literally the first event, I am looking at the trophy and it is one of the oldest trophies that we have got," he said.
"It is so important to keep these events going and have the chance to support the event and coming to play is a great thing and I feel very lucky. Players love having their names on trophies, especially ones that have a long history to them, so I will be doing my best this week to do so.
“It has been a long time. We always come on holiday to Spain but I haven’t played golf here for a while. It’s great to be here and be part of an event that I haven’t played for a very long time."
Fleetwood is looking to end a near three-year winless run this week but in that time he has been one of the most consistent players in the game, not missing a single cut in a regular DP World Tour event - a run that stretches back to June 2018.
Top fives in two Major Championships and at the Genesis Scottish Open in 2022 show his game is not far away, and the Englishman is feeling good about his golf.
“It is pretty good," he said. "I always work hard, I enjoy working at my game, I enjoy playing golf.
"Overall I feel pretty comfortable with how I am playing, how my practice is going and for the most part I have been pretty consistent in tournament play.
"I haven’t played a lot so there is always a certain element of scoring or rustiness that’s involved but overall I feel ahead of what I thought I might be considering the amount of time I had off.
"I feel positive about the upcoming events and how I am playing, and I will keep pushing forward, progressing, and will see what we can do."
