One, he’s now got a card on the lucrative PGA TOUR Champions for the first time, with his first seniors tournament coming up next month.
Two, his waistline has increased from a size 32 to a size 34.
Before venturing to the United States for his PGA TOUR Champions debut In Tucson, Arizona after coming through Qualifying School at the end of 2024, Jones has stopped off at his favourite tournament of the year, the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport, at Millbrook Resort.
It’s his second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event of 2025 after missing the cut at last week’s Webex Players Series Sydney event at one of his home clubs, Castle Hill Country Club.
“I missed the cut by plenty, so there’s a bit to work on, but this time of the year I’m always fresh,” the 2023 New Zealand Open champion said.
“It doesn’t generally take me a lot to get back to where I want to be and I’ve got some pretty exciting times ahead, so hopefully the enthusiasm that I’ve got for the game right now is going to be enough not just for a good week this week, but for the year ahead.”
Jones is looking forward to being a rookie in USA, thinking that at age 50 – his milestone birthday comes on Monday – this year could be his best chance to cash in.
And far from being a “fat belly,” the moniker many Seniors Tour players wear, Jones looks as fit as when he was in his prime, winning 19 titles worldwide, although he’s quick to say that is not the case.
“It’s funny because I’ve always been a size 32 waist and ever since I’ve sort of joined the Champions Tour in December, the waist size is going out,” the Canberra resident said.
“So yeah, I can see that my body’s changed. I haven’t worked as hard on my fitness as what I should, but hopefully I will get into some sort of rhythm and I can do that again. But going to the US where it’s burgers everywhere, it’s going to be hard to avoid.”
The 2023 New Zealand Open champion will be on the Coronet course for round one on Thursday, teeing off at 8:35 am local time and he’s confident of again being in the mix on Sunday.
“These two courses here at Millbrook, I think it bring a lot of people into the equation” Jones said.
“It’d be nice to have a little bit more distance, but you’ve got to position your ball on the greens here as well. I think there’s no reason why a 50-year-old can’t win.”
The 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport begins on Thursday with a cut for the top 60 players plus ties to compete over the final two rounds at the weekend at Millbrook Resort chasing a total prize-purse of NZ$2 million.
