THOMAS BJORN is aiming to become competitive again after five injury plagued months which has kept him away from the golf course.
The popular Dane will tee-up in this week's inaugural AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, a European Tour event, a welcome return to action for the 44-year-old who has has managed just five starts on The Race to Dubai this term, with his last appearance coming almost a month ago at The Masters.
And while the 15-time tour winner admits he is still not 100 per cent fit, Bjorn is eager to prove he can still cut it after problems with his back, which is any golfer's worst nightmare.
"I've not played much golf this year because of injury, and the tournaments I have played have been the difficult ones, so it will be nice to get out and play some golf again and be competitive," said Bjorn. "Hopefully I can do that this week and get those things going inside me which makes me compete.
"It's a good place to come and I'm happy with the way my game is shaping up. I'm able to practice more after the injuries, so I'm feeling better. I'm not 100 per cent but I like what I see in practice. I'm taking baby steps in the right direction, and that's important.
"It's a long year ahead but I'll take it one step at a time. I went to Indonesia and did well a couple of weeks ago, so it's small steps. I still have to manage my injuries and keep myself fit to play, but I can put in more hours now which is important. I'm making good progress."
The European Tour International Schedule these days spreads well beyond the Continent's borders. Some purists are not overly fond of this, however, the island paradise of Mauritius and the Heritage Golf Club course is a perfect venue for Ryder Cup veteran Bjorn.
"It's a funny course in the sense it is really difficult, or really easy - there's not much in between," he said. "You have got to look to be prepared for those tough holes then take care of those short par fours and the par fives. It's a good test of mental strength when you change round so much in a round.
"If you come in thinking you'll do your work at the course but also enjoy yourself, it's probably a good approach.
"There are too many good things here not to enjoy some of them, but if you try to enjoy all of them then it will affect your golf. It's a balance, but what a place to come, enjoy yourself and play some golf.
"This is a wonderful golf course. It is a little bit different in that there are a lot of tough holes and some stretches where it isn't that difficult. It's a mixture between the two."
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