Following a fantastic season in 2008, Graeme McDowell wants to step up another level this year and prove himself amongst golf's elite.
The 29-year-old makes no secret of his ambition to be mentioned in the same breath as players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. He has always wanted to be the best at his chosen sport, so that means he is constantly looking at ways to improve his game.
Since turning professional in 2002, he has altered his swing, taken a different approach with his putting, worked on his fitness, and tried to include as many positive elements as he can.
All of that tweaking paid off last year when he won both the Ballantine's Championship and the Barclays Scottish Open to cap off a fine season.
They may have been the third and fourth tournament wins of his professional career, but there was a four-year gap from when he last won an event, so it understandable that he felt a mixture of relief and delight when he got back to winning ways.
The Portrush native has attempted to bring that good form into 2009 as he looks to keep moving up the rankings and being in contention for Major titles. An impressive showing at the US Masters suggested that he is going in the right direction.
"The Masters was a good week for me," McDowell told setanta.com in an exclusive interview.
"Top European was probably more a reflection on a disappointing week for the Europeans more than a great for myself.
"I was happy and satisfied with my week as it was my first weekend at Augusta, so it was nice to play as good as I did."
By setting the bar even higher this year, McDowell hopes to not only rise to the challenge of playing alongside some of the best players in the world, but to beat them to top spot in the tournaments that he plays in.
Part of his plan for setting higher standards is being selective about what events he actually chooses to play. One of the reasons for this is that he is a lot more motivated when competing in a tournament that has a star-studded field.
Another driving force for him is the longing to be part of a successful Ryder Cup team as he felt that he didn't do himself justice in Valhalla last year when Europe lost to America.
"The Ryder Cup is definitely something that I have my eye on," he confirmed.
"Last year, Valhalla did nothing but fuel the fire, so when the points kick off in September I'm sure everybody will be getting excited again.
"I want to be playing my best golf by then so I can give myself the best chance of getting on that team for next year."
While he will have to wait until next year for the Ryder Cup to roll around again, McDowell is determined to keep improving and show that he can be one of the best golfers in the world.