Even with the switch to Yas Links, two-time champion Tommy Fleetwood hopes to lean on previous successes in his bid to capture a third Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
“It's going to be a completely different test,” Fleetwood, competing on tour for the first time since November, said on Tuesday. “I think I've played this course once, maybe twice. But being honest; I remember very little about it.
“But you obviously draw on that I've had success in the area. First event of the year, you never quite know what to expect. I always feel very aware that I haven't played a tournament for a while and you feel rusty.
“But once you get going and get into, you start to pick up things about your game and feel a lot more in the flow of things. Draw on all the good experiences I've had in this event, and take the next two days to learn about the course, and start again.”
Since the back-to-back triumphs, Fleetwood has tended to begin the season in Abu Dhabi well. In his past two starts, he finished tied-2nd and tied-7th.
“I've been saying for a while, no matter where you play now, the standard of golf is so high, the margin for error is so small, and no matter where you are you're not going to get away with playing mediocre,” the world No 41 said.
“You have to turn up and give it some of your best form or highest level to compete with everyone out here. But it's great for the sport and it's great for this event to have so many great players here.
“I love playing over here. I love golf over here. I love how popular it is. But I've had success here, so there's a lot of good things going for me this week, and just excited to get going.”