Fleta Page June 26, 2012
Canberra's Brendan Jones has qualified for the British Open. Photo: Jeff Haynes
Brendan Jones has scraped into next month's British Open, despite having written off any possibility of making for the major, finishing in 22nd place when he needed a top-four finish in the Japan qualifying tournament on Sunday.
''I'd done calculations in my head and I couldn't work out any way that I would have qualified to get into the tournament,'' Jones said.
''I was relieved that I had almost a month off until my next tournament, because I just need to recharge the batteries.''
But Jones will have to settle for a three-week break, with a spot in the major falling his way.
The top two on the Japan Tour money list were also guaranteed entry, along with the top four finishers in last week's Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open.
But as it happened, tour leader, Hiroyki Fujita finished in the top four on Sunday, and third on the money list, Toru Taniguchi, had already received an exemption into The Open, leaving the Canberran, as No.4 on the money list, with a ticket in.
An exhausted Jones arrived home yesterday afternoon, where he will have some down time before working with his coach to fine-tune his preparation for the British Open.
''The US Open, then last week, plus the seven tournaments that I'd played in pretty quick succession before that; it's taken its toll,'' he said.
''My game's not as sharp as it was, and I think I needed a few weeks off.''
Having missed the cut in the US Open, Jones is upbeat about the next major, which starts on July 19, saying his game is more suited to the British than the US Open.
''My two previous British Open experiences have probably been two of the top three or four highlights of my career,'' he said.
''I think it's going to be more exciting in the next couple of weeks when it's sunk in. I'd let it go, I thought my time had passed and this wasn't going to be the year, and was looking forward to a break.''
BRITISH OPEN
July 19-22 at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, England.