Justin Rose hopes to start 2018 in the form he finished 2017 when he tees up in this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.
The Englishman produced ten consecutive top-ten finishes to end the last calendar year, including three victories.
Two of those were back-to-back successes at the WGC-HSBC Champions and Turkish Airlines Open which almost saw Rose snatch the Race to Dubai title from long-term leader Tommy Fleetwood.
Now the World Number Six is hoping he can pick up where he left off following a break from golf over the festive period.
“I think I finished the season with ten straight top-tens, and that's not been done by me and probably not been done by many,” Rose said.
“So that was a really solid, consistent run of golf. And then to throw three wins in there and have a couple of other chances where, as a player, you look back at tournaments you win but then tournaments you feel like you could have or should have won - that was a really, really strong run of golf, and looking forward to just keeping that momentum going as soon as possible.
“I kept the body moving, kept the body fit, but didn't really focus too much on the golf side of things. I think that's important. I always do that. Always spend, maybe it's a week, maybe it's two weeks, maybe it's two-and-a-half weeks where I don't touch a club around Christmas.
“I think it's really important to miss the game. I kind of like to have that itch to play again, then I know it's time to go.
“I knew that I needed to take some time off, but I'm not taking a prolonged break just to keep the momentum up.
“I'm excited. I'm really enjoying my golf. I think that I'm looking at it very long-term. I'm looking at five years, really of what I can really achieve in the next five.”
Rose's compatriot Paul Casey is also looking to make a statement at a venue where he has an impressive record, having helped Europe to victory in the EurAsia Cup last week.
Casey was victorious at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 2007 and 2009 and returns to the event for the first time since 2014 after rejoining the European Tour.
“It's really cool to be back,” Casey said. “What do they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder? Quite cheesy, but no, really, really cool.
“I've been thinking about it since the middle of last year. Actually I knew what I was doing from July onwards as to rejoining the Tour. So for quite a while, been very excited to get back out here.
“Last week was brilliant. Great fun to be part of a team, playing for Captain Bjørn. Good to get the victory. We needed to do that, and then this week, a golf course I know well.
“Two victories, yeah, it's cool. It's like being back at school and kind of haven't seen everybody for two or three years. Not many people on the range are more excited than I am to be here this week.”
