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Simon Dyson at the 2007 USPGA

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Englishman Simon Dyson is confident that he can put a good defence of his KLM Open crown this week, live on Sky Sports.

Dyson, who beat Australian Richard Green in a play-off last year at Zandvoort, Netherlands, told Golf Night this week that his performance at the Scandinavian Masters, where he finished tied for 23rd, have given him a real lift.

And the two-time winner on the European Tour - his other success came at the Indonesian Open in 2006 - feels he has the right game for the course at Kennemer Golf & Country Club.

He said: "It is always nice to go back and defend where you have won and I am playing good, so taking a nice bit of form into it as well.

"It is just kind of 'linksy' and you have to be able to hit all kinds of shots, which suits my game because I like to shape it both ways. I can hit it high and low and you have to have a bit of everything I think.

"I seemed to see the shots around there last year and I just hope it is the same this year.

"Driving is important; you have to get it in position. On any links course there are a lot of places where you don't want to be, and staying out of them is key."

Dyson is hoping to improve on his record of finishing 11th on the first occasion he defended a title, and admitted that there is extra pressure as champion.

He said: "It is tough defending because everyone expects you to do what you did the year before.

"I defended in Indonesia and I think I finished about tenth or 11th, so not too bad, but hopefully I can do better at this one."

So what is going well in his game at the moment that fills Dyson with such confidence?

"Pretty much everything," he says, confidently. "I am driving the ball really good. My driver bust on the 14th in the Pro-Am and I had to find another one. Luckily I found one that I hit the same; my iron play is really good at the minute and I am hitting good putts, they are just not dropping at the moment.

"Well, they didn't drop this week but hopefully they will next. Just keep plugging away.

"You are just one week away from another brilliant win... or a weekend off. Hopefully I can take the form that I have got into next week. Last week gave me a massive boost in confidence, so I am going in very confident and hopefully I can do some good stuff."

Sky Sports' coverage of the 2007 KLM Open begins at 10am, Thursday August 23, on Sky Sports 2, and you will be able to watch all four days of action, live.