Veteran Jones rediscovers self-belief ahead of season-opening Token Homemate Cup

Australian veteran Brendan Jones will be seeking to extend his fine run of form as he returns to Japan to tee off at the season-opening Token Homemate Cup in Mie prefecture on Thursday.

Fresh from winning the New Zealand Open last month, the 48-year-old will bid for his third victory in the ¥130,000,000 event following his successes at the Token Tado Country Club Nagoya in 2012 and 2019.

Jones is part of the stellar 132-man field that includes 14 out of the top 20 finishers of last year's Money Rankings and he believes he will enter the week as a genuine contender, provided he can complement his good track record in the tournament with the momentum built from the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Besides winning in New Zealand, Jones also notched two top 10s by finishing tied-fifth and tied-eighth respectively at the TPS Sydney and NSW Open.

"I've played well here in the past and won a couple of times. I've got a lot of good memories here," said Jones, who's one of the most successful international players on Tour with 15 wins to his name.

"I've played a bit more golf coming in here which I normally don’t do and my form has been pretty good.

"Hopefully the form that I've had over the last six to eight weeks can continue. It gives me a great foundation to build on."

Jones added that being able to end his four-year title drought last month has made him believe in himself again.

But at the same time, he also prefers to remain modest when it comes to setting expectations.

"It's been a while since I won. Getting back into the winners’ circle makes you feel good about things," he said.

"Winning the New Zealand Open was amazing, that was a bonus whether or not I felt that I was too old to be winning again.

"But I don't have any goals. The younger guys on this Tour are getting better and better while I'm approaching 50 now.

"I understand that it's going to get harder and harder for me.

"But I'm in good form right now and I'd just like to ride it out and see far I can go."

Jones will be joined by 15 other international players with compatriot Anthony Quayle, Justin De Los Santos of the Philippines, American Todd Baek and South Korean duo Sang-hyun Park and Sang-hee Lee among those to look out for.

Jinichiro Kozuma is the tournament's defending champion while prize money king Kazuki Higa and last year's runner-up Yuto Katsuragawa are among the notable absentees.

Higa is scheduled to play on the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open as part of his preparations for the Masters next week while Katsuragawa is taking part in the Korn Ferry Tour's Chile Classic.

Michael Hendry of New Zealand, who won in 2015, is among the other former winners in action this week alongside  Takumi Kanaya (2021), Atomu Shgenaga (2018), Yusaku Miyazato (2014), Tadahiro Takayama (2005, 2011), Koumei Oda (2009, 2010), Katsumasa Miyamoto (2008), Hiroyuki Fujita (2004), Toru Taniguchi (2002) and Shingo Katayama (2001).

Ends.