Viktor Hovland is embracing the challenge posed by Le Golf National as he prepares to make his debut at the FedEx Open de France.
The Norwegian has tackled the famed layout before at the 2024 Olympic Games but this is the first time he has been able to tee it up in Continental Europe's oldest national open.
He finished in a tie for 30th at the Olympics and while he is hoping for a better week this time around, he knows he has a tough test ahead.
"This is a great golf course and I got to play here at the 2024 Olympics," he said. "And I didn't play my best, but I was really impressed by the golf course.
"And looking at some of the people that won here, it's a good history and looks like a really cool tournament. So wanted to be here.
"I think it's one of those places where if you play well, tee to green, if you hit the ball well, you can really separate yourself.
"It's very demanding off the tee. I think the rough was maybe a little bit thicker in 24 for the Olympics than it is now. I understand the summer has been very warm and it's hard to maybe grow as thick of a rough.
"But there's a lot of water, especially on the back nine, there's a lot of just demanding and intimidating shots that I think if you know where the ball is going, you can really separate yourself and, yeah, play well.
"I think it's just a very fair golf course. It's probably one of the best courses I've played in Europe, especially in a tournament."
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Hovland has become known in recent years for making changes in his swing and team as he searches for the magic formula that can take him from one of the world's best to Major Championship victories and beyond.
Despite all that work behind the scenes, he has been an ever present in the world's top 30 for over six years and is back on the cusp of the top ten after a solid summer run since his win at the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour.
The latest part of that run was a top 30 at last week's BMW PGA Championship and Hovland is hopeful that he will be able to put all aspects of his game together soon.
"Man, it was rough last week, it really was," he said. "Especially with the wind at certain places, some of those tee shots I was very uncomfortable on.
"Honestly, very happy with how I was able to kind of make the cut and shoot under-par every single day, because I made some really nice up-and-downs.
"I've been putting quite well the last couple of months and I continued to putt well last week.
So I'd say from around the greens and on the greens, I was very happy with the game.
"But I'm still struggling a little bit to find sort of consistency tee-to-green and that's where kind of all the focus is right now."
