The Dane sealed his maiden European Tour title 12 months ago, firing eight birdies in a magnificent closing round of 65 to finish at 20 under par and four shots clear of Scotland’s Marc Warren.
The big-hitting 27-year-old has followed up his first win with a further seven top ten finishes this season, including tied third at the BMW PGA Championship – his best-ever result at a Rolex Series event.
China’s Ashun Wu is returning to Portugal for a second successive year, after claiming his third European Tour title at the KLM Open last week. He is feeling good, after some hard work on the practice range led to last week’s victory in The Netherlands, and after a tied seventh place finish on his debut appearance at the Portugal Masters last year, he feels it’s a place where he could find success again.
Scotland’s Connor Syme also has fond memories of the Arnold Palmer-designed Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in the golfing mecca of Vilamoura in the south of Portugal, where he claimed a tied 12th place finish in his first appearance as a professional last season.
This year he will tee it up amongst a field that includes Ryder Cup players Sergio Garcia and Thorbjørn Olesen, as he aims to add to the runner-up spot at the Shot Clock Masters earlier this year that could go a long way towards securing his European Tour card for a second season.