Rory McIlroy is targeting a Dubai Desert Classic hat-trick and a third consecutive win in Dubai as he returns to a familiar hunting ground this week.
The world No 2 heads to Emirates GC as defending champion after his three-shot win last year, following on from a maiden professional victory at the same venue in 2009.
McIlroy is also a two-time winner in Dubai at the DP World Tour Championship, most recently in November to end the year as Race to Dubai champion for the third time in four years, with the Northern Irishman previously referring to the city as being 'like a second home'.
The four-time major winner suffered another near-miss at the Desert Swing opener in Abu Dhabi last month, where a tie for third was his fourth top-three finish at the event in the past five years, but feels his game is in better shape heading in to this week.
"There's a couple little things that I took from Abu Dhabi and worked on last week," McIlroy told a pre-tournament press conference. "Hopefully you'll see my game just a little bit sharper.
"I've just been trying to work a little bit on my putting, trying to get a little more consistent with that.
"But the ball-striking's right there. With those slight adjustments, another week's practise, hopefully I can play a bit better than what I did in Abu Dhabi.
"The game feels good and I'm looking forward to getting started. "It (Dubai) seems to bring out my best golf.
"I guess the last couple of times I've played here I've done pretty well, so I'm sort of going for three in a row in Dubai with winning here last year."
McIlroy begins his title defence alongside Louis Oosthuizen and former Dubai champion Henrik Stenson, who returns to action having pulled out of the Qatar Masters.
Stenson underwent knee surgery in December and missed last week's event to continue his recovery, but features in the event he last won in 2007.
"I don't expect to be 100 per cent this week, either, but it should be good enough once again," Stenson said. "It's going to be that way for the next couple of months I guess.
"It's just finding that balance, how much you can do, and just keep on icing it and keep on doing the exercises and eventually you'll be out of trouble.
"It was hard to miss Doha last week. I was ashamed to miss it, but felt like I had to give it a rest last week.
" I couldn't go straight back into playing 11 days of golf more or less coming out of surgery, so it was the wise decision. Hopefully I'm good to go this week and it's great to be back."
Watch the Dubai Desert Classic throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Live coverage gets underway on Thursday from 4am. Or watch without a contract, from £6.99 with NOW TV