As a six-time winner and Ryder Cup player, Thomas Pieters is one of the most high-profile players, if not the most high-profile, vying to win a DP World Tour card through Qualifying School.
It was 13 years ago that the Belgian came through all three stages of qualifying to first earn his playing rights.
From there to now, his career has been filled with some incredible highs including six DP World Tour wins and a memorable appearance representing Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in 2016 in which he won four points from five matches.
But having resigned his DP World Tour membership to join LIV Golf in 2023, the 34-year-old is now intent on playing his way back onto golf's global Tour for the 2027 season by finishing among the top 15 and ties at the Final Stage of Qualifying School.
Not only for myself, but for my colleagues, I think it's quite nice if I earn my way back.
While he will be exempt as a past champion for the KLM Open and will be a big draw at the Soudal Open, his national open, he also wants the ability to plan for a broader schedule in 2027.
"I decided a couple months ago that I wanted to play Q-School. I told my sister, can you please enter me because I want to do this," says Pieters, who made his return to DP World Tour action at the FedEx Open de France in September.
"Not only for myself, but for my colleagues, I think it's quite nice if I earn my way back.
"I'll have some starts next year for sure, but it would be very nice to get a card this week and just be able to make a schedule as well.
"I was talking with one of my best friends while I was coming over here, and life is so weird, you just don't know what's going to happen.
"But if you would have told me 13 years ago when I was at Q-School, I would win the tournaments I have won and played the Ryder Cup, I would have definitely taken it.
"To be back at Q-School though is funny in a way."
The fact he is at the Final Stage of Qualifying School, where experienced players and up-and-coming talent meet, in the same week that the stars of the DP World Tour are playing for the same Rolex Series glory he achieved in Abu Dhabi in 2022 is not lost upon him.
As such, having not played at Q-School since first earning his card in 2013, Pieters admits getting accustomed to the gruelling nature of competing for six days is a "difficult mindset".
"Besides the really, really young guys coming out and those who have just turned pro, nobody really wants to be here," he says.
"But you have to use your perspective on the situation.
"I know why I'm here, and obviously everybody else here has the same desire.
"I've got one job to do this week and that's it really."
Prior to arriving at INFINITUM on Tuesday, 80mm of rain fell on Monday and the two courses - the Lakes and Hills - will play very soft.
With his longtime caddie Adam Marrow astutely going through the numbers, Pieters is speaking as he goes through his final preparations by walking the back nine at the Hills course.
"Although the course has obviously taken a lot of rain, they've obviously done a good job so far getting it prepared.
"But it's going to be quite tricky, I think, because the greens are not in the best conditions."
However he performs, Pieters is realistic that 2027 will be a year of adjustment but one in which he hopes to be back playing tournaments with great tradition such as the KLM Open - a title he has won - and other national opens.
Determined to return to the winner's circle before too long, another factor that excites Pieters is the prospect of re-establishing friendships on Tour, namechecking an encounter with England's Tom Lewis at Qualifying School.
"Everybody is in a different situation, but I definitely want to get one of these cards," he says.
"Then go home and just look at it as that's step one done and then next year is going to be like a transition year for me, I guess.
"One of the things I want to do though is win as quick as possible. I've seen [Eugenio] Chacarra, [Adrian] Meronk do it.
"That's the way to get back on with the best possible category, obviously."
