Brendan Jones will be looking to make it two wins from three starts as he begins his title defence at The Crowns tournament in Nagoya on the Japan Golf Tour today.
Jones' season got off to a perfect start when he won the first tournament of the tour, the Token Homemate Cup, by two strokes after shooting a final round of nine under par for just the second time in his life.
The win took Jones by surprise. ''It's unusual for me to get straight back into it and win tournaments,'' he told The Canberra Times after the win. ''Normally it takes me a couple of events to get ready, but I felt good when I got back to Japan this year and it just goes to show being happy off the golf course is giving me the confidence on it.''
While his opponents were busy perfecting their swing and their short game, a sleeping baby and a happy wife were the key to Jones' early success. Defying his trade as a professional golfer, he doesn't play in the off-season.
''Once my last tournament finishes in early to mid-December, then I don't really want to touch a club until mid-March. It's unusual, but it seems to be working for me.''
When pressed, he admitted he had ''played nine holes with my dad just after Christmas''. For someone who spends five months of the year living out of a suitcase in hotels, away from his wife and two young sons, getting out on the golf course isn't a priority when he's home in Canberra.
The 37-year-old was looking to back up his first win last weekend at the Tsuruya Open on one of his favourite golf courses, but after an even par start, he came close to missing the cut before salvaging a 13th place finish ''without really making anything''.
''Winning is getting harder and harder the older I get - the young kids coming through are getting better and better at an early age.''
But having already taken home one winner's cheque, he's set a new goal for the rest of the season.
''I've got my world ranking now into the mid-80s, so if I can win another couple of times, I'll go close to the top 50 in the world … I've got to 52 a couple of times, but never cracked the top 50.''
So is he looking to get back on the PGA tour?
''Absolutely not'' is the emphatic reply. ''I enjoy going over to America and playing in the majors and the World Golf Championships but I don't want to play there full time.''
