Tapio Pulkkanen may have played 50 rounds at Infinitum's Lakes Course but he insists it is a very different test from when he played it with Finland as a junior.
The 2017 European Challenge Tour Number One used to practise in Tarragona with his national team and you could be forgiven for thinking that he was putting that knowledge to good use at the 2022 ISPS Handa Championship in Spain.
He followed up an opening 64 with a 67 to head into the weekend at nine under but the 31-year-old insisted the layout was very different from his junior days.
"I think I've played 50 rounds here," he said. "I think the course is tougher than it's been, there's more rough and the greens were a little bit firmer than I expected.
"It's been a good set-up this week."
Pulkkanen was able to get his first round finished despite a delay of more than two hours on Thursday, but he struggled to get going on day two.
He birdied the sixth but gave the shot back on the eighth before another gain on the ninth kickstarted his round.
Further birdies followed on the 11th and 13th and while he bogeyed the 15th, a smart up-and-down on the last put him in an excellent position as he chases a first DP World Tour win.
"I kind of struggled on the front nine, there was some really tough pin positions today and I had to make some good pars coming to the ninth hole," he said. "Then I made a birdie on nine and finished well on the back nine and I'm happy to finish minus-nine total.
"I think tomorrow I'm just going to concentrate on my own game and just try to play well like today and yesterday and then look at the leaderboard maybe on Sunday and see where I am."
