Thomas Bjørn is delighted to be back at the Volvo China Open, 13 years after he finished second at the event's European Tour debut.
The Volvo China Open joined the Tour in 2004 as part of the 2005 season and has since gone from strength to strength as an ever-present fixture on the International Schedule.
The event, and the emergence of the Shenzhen International and WGC-HSBC Champions, has seen golf grow in China with Ashun Wu and Li Haotong making it back-to-back Chinese wins the past two seasons.
That duo also finished second at the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf last season, and Bjørn is happy to see the world's most populous nation embrace golf.
"It has always been a tournament I have enjoyed," said the Dane. "We have played at some great venues and we have enjoyed our relationship here in China, and certainly the one we have with Volvo and the China Open which has become special over the years, so it is a good event to come and play and hopefully some good golf to be played.
"It’s a remarkable growth really. The first time we came here, there was a general feeling of it being very new but now it is an integral part of our Tour and world golf as well.
"It has grown a lot from a tournament perspective, both the professional and amateur game, and they have so many good players coming through putting their stamp on the game.
"One of the big things for Chinese golf is now the Olympics and I think that will play a massive part in growing the game in this country even more.
They have so many good players coming through putting their stamp on the game - Thomas Bjørn
"Everything is taking steps in the right direction, I think maybe we thought it was going to happen a little bit quicker but this game has a funny way of taking its time and it always has done. It is a slow but good and sure progress and I think that is an important thing. I think things can happen too fast so I think Chinese golf is in a good place with this tournament and with its players."
Bjørn has played just four events since September due to injury and much of his focus will now be on his Ryder Cup Captaincy for the 2018 contest at Le Golf National.
"Playing with some of these guys that have all of the potential to go on and do great things, and watch them up closely, I know a lot of them very well already but you can never have too much information in my situation," he said.
"So it’s nice to watch them without putting any pressure on them because that’s not what it is about. Being out on the golf course, I know what they are capable of as golfers but it's more about knowing them that bit better."
One player he knows very well is countryman Thorbjørn Olesen, who will be aiming to make his Ryder Cup debut in Paris next year.
The 27 year old arrives at Topwin Golf and Country Club off the back of a top ten in Shenzhen having not missed a cut since October, and he is ready for a good week.
"I was struggling a little bit last week on Friday and Saturday and then on Sunday I found something in my swing and I was playing really nicely," he said. "It felt a lot better and I made quite a few birdies in the last round, so some confidence coming into this week.
"The layout of this course is great, a few greens are quite severe and you have to play some really good golf here."
