Pedro Linhart and Mats Lanner, winners of the last two Madeira Island Open titles, return to the beautiful Portuguese territory in the Atlantic Ocean to make another attempt to capture another championship on the European Tour.
Linhart, born of American parents but now a Spanish citizen, resisted a powerful challenge from Europe's 1999 Ryder Cup captain Mark James a year ago to capture his first European Tour title at Santo da Serra.
The 36-year-old Spaniard birdied the 71st hole just as a play-off loomed and safely two-putted the last for a par and a winning 12 under par total of 276.
Linhart's closing 71, under extreme pressure from James, was a masterly effort as he clung on in the face of a thrilling charge from the man who led Europe's team against the USA at The Country Club, Brookline, last September.
The previous year saw another fairytale story as Lanner regained his playing rights in one superb week. After 17 years on Tour he could see no light at the end of a dark tunnel which had led him to lose his playing privileges by finishing 121st on the Volvo Order of Merit in 1996 and 196th the following year.
Still, he could compete in the Madeira Island Open at Santo da Serra, courtesy of a tournament victory on the sunshine Portuguese island in 1994. The 38-year-old found inspiration, rediscovered his zest for golf and conjured up one of the year's fairy tale stories by winning the Madeira Island Open for a second time.
Peter Mitchell, another past winner, is also in the Madeira field while five-time major winner, Seve Ballesteros, attempts to capture the 49th European Tour title of his remarkable career.
A host of European Tour winners hope to make hay on the mountain top course - Warren Bennett, Diego Borrego, Joakim Haeggman, Paul McGinley, Mark Mouland, Jim Payne, Ronan Rafferty, Wayne Riley, Andrew Sherborne and Des Smyth.
The Santo da Serra course was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones on a site where a nine-hole lay-out had existed since 1937. Opened in 1991, it is perched 2300 feet above sea level and ranks among the most spectacularly scenic venues on the European Tour.
Pine, mimosa and eucalyptus trees and exotic flowering shrubs add to the beauty of the steeply undulating course, which also boasts difficult, demanding greens.
Lanner said: "The course is on top of a hill and that's a key factor. If it is windy, the par five third and the fourth - a par three - are tricky. It's hard to hit the greens never mind make birdie.
"The key is not to make stupid mistakes due to the wind coming up from the ravine. That makes it hard to judge. The greens are tough, sloped, with a lot of breaks and hard to read. To win, you must play solid."
