Ballantine's Championship:Ireland's Graeme McDowell is back in Korea at a venue that kick-started his season last year and spurred him to victory in the Scottish Open at loch Lomond. The Portrush man has since made a Ryder Cup appearance and was the highest placed European in the US Masters earlier this month.

He believes he owes much of the success over the last year to his play-off win over Indian Jeev Milkha-Singh in the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship.

"It's always nice to come back to a venue where you've won. You remember a lot of the great shots you've hit," he said after arriving back to the Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju.

"Winning this tournament last year was pretty special for me. It was my first tournament victory in four years, so it was huge for a number of reasons. It really got my season off and running.

"With it being a Ryder Cup year, I had great aspirations to make the Ryder Cup team.

"And there's no feeling quite like winning, the confidence you gain from it is second to none. It drives you on and it pushed me into having a great season.

"There's no doubt, I look back and see winning the Ballantine's Championship last year as a big jumping block for the rest of the year."

To retain his title McDowell will have to beat the likes of world number nine Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and three-time Major winner Ernie Els.

"It's been a long time since I defended a title, since 2005. But just because I won last year, it doesn't mean I have any right to come and win the tournament again this weekend," he said.

"Yes, I like the golf course, but we've got a great field here this year, a lot of good players, and we're all level par standing on the first tee tomorrow morning.

"Having said that, I feel like my form is good enough and if I can play my own game, I can certainly compete this weekend."

The omens are good ahead of the €2.1million event that is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, after his team won the pro-am today.

"It felt pretty nice out there this morning. Obviously this course has been good to me, but the win today wasn't really much of my doing," reported McDowell afterwards.

"I played quite nicely and made a few birdies, but it was all down to my team, believe me."