Levy aiming for historic hat-trick at China Open

That first professional win was the first of Levy's four European Tour titles to date and firmly established him as one of the new breed of up-and-coming young players on one of the world's most competitive tours.

Currently No 65 in the world rankings and 24th in The Race to Dubai standings, Levy has enjoyed a solid start to the 2018 season with three top-10 finishes from events staged in the Middle East.

His performances in Dubai (fourth), Oman (tied fourth) and Abu Dhabi (seventh) have given him a boost as he sets his goals for the rest of the year.

"I've played well since the start of the season," Levy said. "I'm happy with the way I'm working, the way I'm swinging and the way I'm playing.

"It's a good time for me. I think it's the best I've been swinging in my career, so I just enjoy it and try to hit the best shots I can."

The most obvious target for Levy is a place on Team Europe when the Ryder Cup makes its debut in Paris at Le Golf National in September.

Every French professional will want to be one of the 12 players in the team this year and Levy certainly did himself no harm by shooting a course-record 63 at Topwin Golf & Country Club while playing alongside European captain Thomas Bjorn just 12 months ago.

"I'd be lying if I said the Ryder Cup isn't a target for me," said Levy.

"It would be a dream to play in the Ryder Cup in France and I will be doing all I can to make the team."

If Levy manages to pick up the Volvo China Open Scandinavian Horizon trophy for an unprecedented third time, he would be well on course for a 2018 Ryder Cup charge.

The Open is a tri-sanctioned event between The European Tour, the Asian Tour and the China Golf Association.