David Polkinghorne August 05, 2012
Brendan Jones in action during last month's British Open. Photo: Getty Images
A sniff of a top-two finish on the Japan Tour money list has Brendan Jones’s competitive juices flowing again and it has him confident going into this week’s US PGA Championships at Kiamah Island Golf Resort, in South Carolina.
The Canberra golfer currently leads the Japanese money list and if he can maintain his position he would be guaranteed spots at three of next year’s majors, as well as the World Golf Championships events.
It’s something that has him excited about golf, but it will come at a cost.
Jones might need to add a few more tournaments to his schedule, which would mean more time away from his wife Adele and sons Keiran, five, and Curtis, one.
His young family lives in Canberra and Jones is normally away in blocks of three weeks – playing three tournaments in Japan before coming home.
Now he might need to increase that to blocks of four tournaments as he looks to book himself a card at the world’s biggest events.
‘‘Somehow if I can keep my form up and finish either one or two on the Japan money list then next year’s schedule is going to be a lot easier to make for me,’’ Jones said.
That increased schedule starts this week with the US PGA.
Jones flew out yesterday to compete in the tournament for the fifth time, but he didn’t take his clubs with him.
When he flies back from Japan he normally leaves them at Callaway HQ in Tokyo and did the same after winning the Chlorella Classic, not realising he might need to take them to the USA this week.
So he’s had them couriered to South Carolina instead, which he thought gave them a better chance of turning up anyway.
‘‘I’ve never done that sort of thing before [mail my clubs], I’ve always travelled with my own clubs,’’ he said.
‘‘Flying through America it’s 50 per cent of the time your clubs are going to turn up, 50 per cent they’re not.
‘‘It’s a terrible place to travel to with golf clubs, but it’s nice to know they’re already there.’’
He had his best major result at the US PGA at Hazeltine in 2009, finishing 24th after being in top-five contention up until the final nine holes.
‘‘I know I can compete when I take my game with me,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve had a good couple of weeks, making the cut at the British, winning last week in Japan.
‘‘Making the cut’s always good but I think I’m a better player than just making cuts, I’d like to start to compete a lot more than I’ve been doing.’’
The US PGA starts early Friday morning, Australian time.