Matthias Schwab hopes to build on his encouraging start to the 2021 Race to Dubai as he tees it up on home soil this week in the Austrian Golf Open at Diamond Country Club.
The Austrian finished in a share of ninth place at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and improved on that on his last outing at the Kenya Savannah Classic, finishing tied seventh at Karen Country Club.
Teeing it up in his national Open, the 26-year-old hopes that home comforts can drive him to further success this week.
“It’s always nice to have a home Open,” he said. “I’ve played here quite a lot of times, so I almost feel like I’m at home – I live three hours from here. I think the first time I played here was 11 years ago as an amateur and I’ve come back five, six or seven times.
“I know the course, I know the people that work here. I know the head of the club and they are all very friendly; I’d say they’re all fans of me, so I like to come back here and I hope to have a good week.
“I’m still quite new to the Tour. I consider myself quite new, so a lot of times I go to places for the first time and I have to learn the course, the layout and the strategy. Here, I don’t have to do that. I’ve played the course enough times and I know the changes that have been made over the last few years.
“The local knowledge is nice to have. I feel good about the course; I know where to go and where not to go. Obviously it will play a little bit different in the conditions we face this year, but it’s definitely a bonus week for us.”
With the field braced for cold temperatures during the week, Schwab, an avid skier in his spare time, is relishing the challenge posed by Diamond Country Club this week.
“If we base this week off Monday and yesterday, especially, it will be quite brutal,” he said. “Yesterday I decided not to play or really hit any shots because it was freezing. It will get over seven or eight degrees, but will feel more like three or four, so it will be quite tough. I’ll still try to enjoy myself and stay as warm as possible.
“I’ll just try and stay warm but not wear too many layers, which could affect the swing and mobility. Finding a good balance between those two will be important. I think the course will play quite tough, so I think par will be a solid score and you need to take advantage of the gettable holes.”
