It’s been 28 years since Rodger Davis became the only Australasian to hoist the Spanish Open trophy and after a one-year absence from the schedule nine Australasians will be on hand to try to double that number when the tournament returns this year.

Davis held off a red-hot Nick Faldo in 1990 with a superb final round 66, the scalp a significant one as the Englishman was just two weeks removed from claiming his second Masters Green Jacket.

It was a good week for the Australians as Peter Fowler shared second place alongside Faldo and a repeat performance in 2018 would be most welcome.

Marcus Fraser spearheads the Australian challenge with fellow European Tour winners Brett Rumford, Jason Norris and Andrew Dodt also in the field alongside Jason Scrivener, Adam Bland and Nick Cullen.

New Zelanders Ryan Fox and Josh Geary round out the antipodean contingent, Fox coming into the week after a two-month break.

His last event was the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth where a T26 finish was disappointing after a T3 result the previous week in Malaysia.

However, the New Zealander isn’t the only well rested player of the group with the last full field event on the European Tour being the Hero Indian Open a month ago.

Jason Scrivener, Marcus Fraser, Andrew Dodt and Jason Norris all played at the DLF golf Club that week though only Fraser and Scrivener survived the 36-hole cut at one of the quirkier courses in the Professional game.

Nick Cullen is the Australian with most to gain this week as he steps up from the secondary Challenge Tour to take his place in the field.

The American based left hander, who won the 2014 Australian Masters, continues to pursue a full card on one of the world’s bigger Tours and this week presents a big opportunity.

He has teed up just twice in 2018 with a T18 result at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth in February and a T25 at the Challenge Tour’s Kenya Open last month.

Also looking for good results this week are Q-School qualifier Josh Geary and Japan Tour regular Adam Bland.

Geary has made just one cut since joining the Tour this season while Bland’s last outing at the WGC Mexico Championship produced an excellent T18 finish.

Bland is making the most of several opportunities that come with a runner up result in the 2017 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, both this week’s start and the one in Mexico among the benefits of that achievement.