Sergio Garcia is hoping a golden year in sport for Spain will inspire him to a British Open triumph at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.
The 28-year-old Spaniard is a big sports fan, especially of football and tennis, and has been thrilled in the last month to watch compatriots winning Euro 2008 and close friend Rafael Nadal the French Open and Wimbledon.
Asked what the prospects were of an Iberian hat-trick, Garcia said he was relishing the prospect.
"It would be great," he said.
"Obviously this year has been solid for me so far and then with the Spanish football team winning the Euro Cup and Nadal winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon - just trying to keep up with my fellow countrymen."
In the absence of Tiger Woods through injury, Garcia, one of the finest current exponents of links golf, is the bookies' favourite.
Last year he came within a fraction of an inch of winning The Open when his 10-footer for par lipped out on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie.
He lost the ensuing four-hole play-off to Irishman Padraig Harrington and was devastated by the reality of coming so close to breaking his duck in the majors.
Twelve months later, Garcia insists the wounds have healed and his game is where he wants it to be as he once again gears up for the particular challenges of links golf.
"It's really not that big a deal, you know," he said of his failure of last year.
"There's a lot of worse things than losing an Open in a play-off out there. Like I have said before there were a lot more positives coming out of that week than negatives."
Garcia feels he has notably improved his suspect putting this year as he has reverted to playing with a more natural stroke.
He scored the biggest win of his career to date in May when he won the highly-regarded Players Championship.
A second place finish in the European Open two weeks ago outside London, when he closed with a fine 66, showed his form is still good and once again the entire Garcia clan is with him for what's become an annual family fiesta.
The feeling is growing this could be his year and Garcia, while not wanting to sound over-confident, knows he has the ability to finally go all the way.
"I feel good with my game. I feel good with myself. I feel like I'm getting better as a player every tournament I go around," he said.
"I'm learning more things about myself and I've just got to make sure that I keep believing in myself and I will have a chance."
If he does join Spain's footballers and Nadal as a winner on Sunday though Garcia is in no doubt what will matter most to his compatriots back home.
"It's football in Spain. Football is the biggest."
