Jorge Campillo returns to the scene of a childhood triumph as he looks to finish a disappointing 2021 Race to Dubai with a flourish, starting at this week's Mallorca Golf Open.
The home favourite was crowned Spanish Under-14 champion at Golf Santa Ponsa, beating off competition from fellow European Tour winner Pablo Martin, and he turned that into a stunning amateur career which has continued to flourish in the paid ranks.
The 35-year-old won in back to back seasons in 2019 and 2020 but currently sits 110th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, with just one top ten in 2021.
A slow start to the season where he missed eight of ten cuts put him behind the eight ball, but he is now hoping to channel some good memories from years past and have a strong week on home soil.
"I still remember that day like it was yesterday," he said. "I still remember a few shots, one that I hit on two.
"It was a nice day, we were tied going into the last day - me and Pablo Martin and one other guy. It's always a good memory to come back here after that win.
"I totally remember the day, it was a special day for me.
"It's been a tough season. A tough start and then I had some good weeks but I never finished on top of the leaderboard so it's been quite tough.
"I still have three tournaments to go and I think I'm playing better now. Hopefully I can win one of these three events coming up, if not I'll just get ready for next year."
This week in the Balearic Islands is the culmination of three events in a row in Spain, making it six in total on the 2021 Race to Dubai.
That is the most regular events of any country in 2021, and 2010 Open de España champion Alvaro Quiros is delighted to see the game once again thriving in his homeland.
"Without a doubt, winning in Spain is more special than anywhere else, and more so if you do it in the circumstances that I did being my first Spanish win on Tour, with my mother present there, and to top it off it was Mother's Day," he said.
"It went well. If that made me excited, I think a win this week, considering how tight I am with respect to keeping the card for next season, would be just as celebrated or more.
"Having been on the circuit for so many years means that I have been able to experience the good times of having up to seven tournaments in Spain and also the bad years when they all disappeared.
"So it is a luxury to be able to see how everything is recovering step by step, because for us it is fantastic.
"Being from the south, I run away from the cold, and these tournaments give me life and I think I speak for the vast majority of Spaniards."
