Graeme McDowell returns to a happy hunting ground this week at the UBS Hong Kong Open and is hopeful that familiar surroundings can inspire him to a first European Tour win of the season.

– Hong Kong: Ian Poulter makes mad dash to Asia
– Joy of golf: Presidents Cup’s welcome shot in arm
– GALLERY: The Presidents Cup’s past winners

The 36-year-old finished is without a top-10 since finishing ninth in Dubai Desert Classic, but has shown encouraging signs since missing the cut at the PGA Championship in August. He returned to action at the Porsche European Open and then went under-par in 11 consecutive rounds.

McDowell, who has finished in the top 20 on all four of his previous appearances in the Hong Kong Golf Club, said: “I think I’m really close. I’ve been hitting it much better the last few months. Sort of there or thereabouts at the Dunhill Links, and then also at the British Masters.

“I feel like I’m really close. It has not been the kind of year I’d hoped for but that’s the game of golf. You’ve got to take the rough with the smooth. Got to keep working and keep trying.

“So, I feel like sort of turning the corner and the motivation, the confidence is coming back to me, and looking forward to being on leaderboards very soon.

“I had 11 rounds under par in a row since coming back to the European Tour. I think that helps with the confidence, familiar players and familiar venues, and just feeling comfortable.”

Meanwhile, Ian Poulter said he only has himself to blame for requiring a last-minute dash across 12 time zones to play in Hong Kong.

The 39-year-old was 46th at the start of last week, when victories by Emiliano Grillo and Andy Sullivan combined with other results to drop him down to 51st, thus making him ineligible for the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

He would have been unable to play the 13 events required for European Tour membership, meaning he’d not be considered for the Ryder Cup next year.

“To drop that far in the world rankings was not expected,” Poulter said. “I knew when the cut-off was and I am very good with the rankings and doing the calculations.

“Obviously this wouldn’t have happened if I had played better, but even still, dropping the way I did in the last couple of weeks was drastic. It was an incredible drop.

“It’s really bizarre. It’s put everyone in a bad position and I am just really grateful to everyone for helping me out. It’s down to bad play and poor management of my schedule and neither of things are good.

“I guess that’s the risk you run when you have two tour cards and you are trying to play two schedules. We got this one wrong, but I am here to try and play as good as I can.”

Poulter faces stiff opposition from a strong field which includes Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose, as well as American pair Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson.