Title-holders Phil Edwards and Barry Hurt are playing down expectations ahead of the defence of their Glenbrae PGA Fourball Championship, supported by SkyCaddie.
The pair head to Fulford Golf Club near York for the £30,000 54-hole tournament between October 3 and 5 as the team everyone is looking to beat.
As defending champions they did not have to qualify for the final but that does not concern them.
"I don't think there is any additional pressure," said the 35-year-old Edwards, who has been at Notts Golf Club for three years.
"You just have to go out there and play your normal game.
"I think we have always enjoyed playing together because we know each other so well and the format means you can lean on someone else if you are not playing so well.
"We didn't have a bogey last year. Every time Barry had a bad hole I played okay.
"We had 25 birdies over 54 holes and we didn't have a birdie on the same hole, which was amazing really."
Last year the pair finished on a 191 total of 25 under at Hesketh Golf Club to win by single shot, indicating just how close the competition is.
Hurt, who has been at Bulwell for just over a year, agreed with his Nottinghamshire partner's approach.
"It is nice to go and defend something. There are no expectations but we will try to do the best we can," said the 33-year-old.
"I think we are pretty much playing it down. We are not putting ourselves under any pressure so we can go out there and enjoy ourselves."
Another midlands professional who knows what it takes to win the national fourball title is Spencer Edwards, who runs his own academy at Stonebridge Golf Club, near Meriden.
He won the tournament in 1991 with Mike Deeley in the one year regular playing partner Steve Russell was not available.
However, the two are play as well as ever having finished joint-top in the regional qualifier and also won the Warwickshire Fourball title at Coventry Hearsall.
"We were four under for 18 holes in the morning and eight under in the afternoon and won by three," recalled the 37-year-old Edwards of their Warwickshire success.
"We have played in two fourball events this year and have won them both.
"We have got a good combination. We know each other's games because we have been playing together for 20 years."
Edwards has given Russell, recently installed as professional at Bridgnorth, some putting tips in a bid to sharpen up his game.
"Steve's game has come together after I gave him some putting lessons," he joked.
"Steve was in denial for 15 years. I just kept going at him and gave him so much of a headache that he couldn't hack it any more.
"He has always been a solid player from tee to green but he has finally done something about his putting.
"And because I won this title back in 1991 he said he wants to win it desperately because he wants a national title.
"It would be great for him if he could take the title back to Bridgnorth as any national title is a good one."