Alejandro del Rey riding high in Bahrain after breakthrough DP World Tour triumph

Alejandro del Rey is determined to capitalise on the confidence gained from his maiden DP World Tour title when the International Swing continues with the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

The Spaniard has shown plenty of promise since graduating from Qualifying School in 2022, but victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship is the undoubted high of his professional career so far.

Already a winner on the Alps Tour and HotelPlanner Tour, back-to-back bogey-free 66s over the weekend proved decisive as he claimed a four-shot victory to enter the DP World Tour winner’s circle on his 70th start.

As a result, the 26-year-old is relishing playing with the pressure off his shoulders as he looks to eat into Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner Tyrrell Hatton's lead at the top of the International Swing Rankings.

"For the first couple of hours after the win, I just didn't even know where I was," he said.

"But finally had some time to enjoy it, think about it. They were good celebrations.

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"I talked to family and friends and I was telling them it's great and I did celebrate a little bit, but I will celebrate better when I get home and I am just trying to focus on these next two weeks.

"If I'm going to be out here playing, I might as well really play for something and try to do my best again this week and give it a good go."

The winner of the International Swing will gain entry into every event on the Race to Dubai's Second Phase, the Back 9, and a US$200,000 bonus.

And having opted not to play in any of the opening five events of the season at the tailend of last year, Del Rey is thrilled to have made such a quick start to his campaign.

"I got a little bit nervous because I was playing well but I had missed the cut in Dubai," he reflected.

"You start thinking, ‘oh, I've missed too many tournaments’ and did I take the right decision. It just feels awesome to get the win so early in the season.

"Momentum is huge. I definitely know that I'm playing well enough to win and we'll just try to keep it as long as I can."

Del Rey - a graduate of Arizona State University - enjoyed success as an amateur, forming part of Spain’s winning side at the European Amateur Team Championship in 2017.

Among his team-mates then were Angel Hidalgo, who won his maiden DP World Tour title last season, and he is thrilled to be part of a strong crop of Spanish talent on the circuit.

"It's great to have people you can enjoy time with every week out here," he said.

"We do play some games on the golf course, we play cards, we enjoy dinners together. So, it's very nice that I had them out there on the 18th green when I won."