The KLM Open might be returning to a venue for the first time in five years but Matt Wallace still feels a great sense of familiarity at an event he holds an enviable record.
The Englishman is making his fifth appearance at the historic event, with three top tens to his name including a third-place finish when it was last staged at The International in 2019.
That year he carded a course record 63 and he is hoping he can create more fond memories as he makes his first start on the DP World Tour this season among players he played alongside before earning his PGA TOUR card.
"It's great (to be back on the DP World Tour) and to be so close to an amazing city like Amsterdam," he said.
"It’s nice to see familiar faces, it feels normal to an extent seeing people who you grew up playing with and had success with, so it is really nice to see.
"Then there are some people who have done really well, a good friend of mine Laurie Canter won in Germany [at the European Open] so it is nice to see him and congratulate him. It’s nice to be back."
Asked what he put his fine results over the years in the Netherlands down to, he replied: "I don't know. Maybe it's the weather that is kind of identical to England. Lots of rain, lots of wind.
"But the people here, Daan [Slooter] the promoter is a really good friend of mine now so I will always try and do my best to come back here and play."
After three years at Bernardus Golf, this year sees the event return to The International, near to Amsterdam, for the first time since 2019 but Wallace has already noticed some elements that will mean the challenge he will face is in contrast to what he faced when it last played host.
"I heard they put the rough up, so I was interested to see how that was and they definitely have," he explained.
"It's going to be playing a little bit different to the last time where you could hit driver a lot of the time. It was a little bit firmer then; we had a little rain last week so it's relatively soft. So, it will be playing long, if there's wind like there is today, it should be a different test."
Wallace arrives in the Netherlands as one of the pre-tournament favourites, with his best result of the season on the PGA TOUR coming last month with a tie for fourth at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
While he was unable to earn qualification for last week's U.S. Open, the 34-year-old believes that could be to his advantage in his bid to land a fifth DP World Tour title this week.
"[I’m feeling] good," he said. "I've had two weeks at home, had a week off doing nothing, which was nice. I then had a full week of preparation, which I haven't been able to do this year.
"So, I’m coming into this week ready, not having to do too much on the range to be ready for the tournament and get ready for another KLM [Open]."
The KLM Open is one of the most innovative events on the DP World Tour schedule and Wallace saw first hand one of its most memorable moments.
In 2019, in the 100th edition of the tournament, 100-year-old Susan Hosang made headlines as she held her own in a 'Beat the Pro' competition that featured Wallace.
