Brendan Jones says an unexpected ticket around the world has given him a golfing spark again as he prepares to tee off at the International Series in Singapore on Thursday.
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The Royal Canberra member wound back the clock earlier this year to win the New Zealand Open and gain entry to tournaments that weren't on his radar.
In the past few months he has been to England, Scotland, Japan, Korea, back to Japan and now Singapore as he chases more success in the twilight of his career.
The 48-year-old conceded the travel was more arduous than it was in the earlier days of his career, but it has also helped him find an enjoyment for the sport after two COVID-interrupted years.
"Winning in New Zealand early in the year opened a door for me that I hadn't planned - I have taken advantage of these big tournaments," Jones said.
"Now here I am in Singapore - that's a lot of travel and I just haven't had that form I had earlier in the year.
"... If I were 20 years younger it [the travel] would be fantastic, but knocking on the door of 50, it is a little more difficult than it used to be. But at same time I have enjoyed it - it has added a little bit of a spark to my career.
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"I know I'm nearer the end than the start of my career but to have the opportunity to play these bigger events in England, Scotland and here, has given me a bit of excitement after 20-odd years on the Japan Golf Tour, and I hope the golf turns around for me and I can get excited about the golf on the course."
Jones has won 16 times since turning professional in 1999 and he'll be chasing success again at the Asian Tour's marquee event at Tanah Merah Country Club.
He has struggled to recapture the form that saw him win by three shots in Queenstown in May, but is hopeful things will turn around in Singapore.
"The win came out of the blue. Last year I had taken time off for COVID, I sat out for around two years, and I found it very hard to pick it up," Jones said.
![Brendan Jones has been on a whirlwind tour since winning in New Zealand. Picture by Katherine Griffiths Brendan Jones has been on a whirlwind tour since winning in New Zealand. Picture by Katherine Griffiths](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/1d8b702b-e4d8-4d2e-a661-ce7ef44e48fd.jpg/r0_218_4256_2611_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"The way I used to play and the way I have been showing I could play were two different things and at the start of this year I came in fresh, and I surprised myself. I finished fifth in Sydney and had a T8 the week after my New Zealand win, and I felt my game had turned around.
"But I just haven't had the consistency I always had. Going forward I am going to play a lot more on the Asian Tour - it is on a great trajectory and the International Series events have been fantastic, I have loved the ones I played and being in the category (tournament winner). I look forward to playing them going forward.
"As I get close to 50, I want to pick and choose more, and I think next year I will be able to do that. I'm looking forward to playing places I haven't been and hopefully the game will come around a bit. The Asian Tour has always been a great opportunity in my opinion, and now with the alignment with LIV, it has a lot more to offer."
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