ROSS FISHER is aiming to take advantage of the absence of defending champion Lee Westwood from this week's Portugal Masters.
Westwood won last year's event in Vilamoura by two shots from Ryder Cup team-mates Francesco Molinari and Padraig Harrington, ending a run of more than two years without a title.
However, the WorksopS player will not be competing in this year's event because he is resting following a recurrence of a calf injury.
So Fisher, another member of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup side, will head for the south of Europe looking forward to the warm conditions, following two weeks of tough conditions in Wales and Scotland.
He said: "Let's hope it's sunny there. I could do with some good weather. It has been very nice in the past. I've had enough rain in the last week and a half to last me a lifetime so a bit of sunshine will be very nice.
"I really enjoyed playing at Oceanico Victoria last year. It's a lovely course - pretty long, which suits my game. I've got a good record there and went close a couple of years ago. It's a place where I usually seem to do well so hopefully that's the case again."
The 29-year-old from Cheam has acclimatised well following last Monday's Ryder Cup success at Celtic Manor.
Fisher's victorious Ryder Cup team-mates Miguel Angel Jimenez and brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari are also in the field in Portugal, as are Europe's vice-captains Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn.
It will be Jimenez's first competitive action after his fine performance in South Wales at the Celtic Manor, where he won a crucial point in the final day singles by beating Bubba Watson.
