Jon Rahm has set his sights on matching the record of his idol Seve Ballesteros and becoming a three-time winner of the Open de Espana.
Rahm claimed a two-shot victory in the 2018 contest and finished five strokes clear of Rafa Cabrera Bello in his title defence a year later, the season he claimed Race to Dubai victory, while the 2020 event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The world No 1 headlines a strong field on home soil at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid this week, where victory would see him become the first three-time winner of the Open de Espana since Ballesteros managed it in 1995 to claim the last of his 50 European Tour titles.
"Obviously, it is a very important tournament for me," Rahm said. "To have won back-to-back titles it is something unique but now to have the opportunity to win it a third time in a row it is very important.
"I am not sure if in history someone has won it three times but to have the opportunity to achieve it is very special to me. Also, because it will mean I will equal someone like Seve (Ballesteros), who won it three times.
"Every time you have the opportunity to make history is unique, so hopefully I can do a good job this week to have a chance to win it on Sunday. "
Rahm is making his first appearance since top-scoring for Europe in their record-breaking Ryder Cup defeat to Team USA at Whistling Straits, with the US Open champion experiencing plenty of ups and downs during a turbulent 2021.
"So much has happened during the last five months that they feel like much longer," Rahm added. Good and bad things at the same time.
"Missing the Olympics was a blow, then what happened at Memorial, but then I won the US Open, then me becoming a father. There's been a bit of everything, some good and some bad, and finally the Ryder [Cup], which clearly wasn't the week we expected."
Watch the Open de Espana throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf.