After months spent touring Europe and three gruelling stages of European Tour Q-School between September and November, Queensland’s Deyen Lawson this week returns to the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia for the AVJennings NSW Open.

With a Challenge Tour card secured for 2020 and a refreshed outlook, Lawson will relish the familiarity of the Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club layout when he tees off on Thursday 28 November.

“It’s really good to be back in Australia, just coming to a place that you know. You speak the same language and it’s not a foreign country to me so everything’s a lot easier,” Lawson said.

“I’m feeling comfortable and knowing that my game is good enough to compete when it’s good gives me a lot of confidence coming back.

“Being from Australia you know the courses, you know where to hit it, you know the weather conditions, everything. It makes it a lot easier.

“I’ll just approach it like any other tournament, play my own game and try and do my best. If I’m able to play really well hopefully I’ll be there abouts on Sunday and give myself a chance come the last day.”

Lawson narrowly missed a European Tour card for next year after bowing out in the final stage of the excruciating test that is Qualifying School, but the 28-year-old holds his head high at the conclusion of a year that saw him contest against some of the best in the world.

“This year I think I’ve grown mentally more than anything,” he said.

“I feel a lot better because obviously you’re sort of thrown in the deep end and you’ve just got to try and find your way.

“The standard over there is next level, one of the best in the world, so I think I’ve learned a bit of everything. I’ve just gotten better, the game’s gotten sharper and if it doesn’t you’re just going to get left behind pretty quick.”

The biggest lesson Lawson has taken from 2019 is the importance of balance when playing on one of the world’s largest tours.

“It was a massive learning experience. Going to a new country every week, the standard of play, the courses, the players, the travel, a bit of everything. It’s been great,” he said.

“Just knowing when to practice is a big thing. Like knowing when to get into a tournament and when you need to take time off.

“Sometimes you need to get to the tournament a little bit earlier, because coming from Australia you want to get there early as it takes a day or two more to get your body moving after being on a plane for 30 hours. Just little things like that that can give you the extra edge playing.”

A field of 156 players, including some of Australia’s international stars, will compete over four rounds for their share in the $400,000 prize purse, World Golf Ranking Points and exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2020 season.

Australian golfing legends Peter Lonard, Brett Rumford and Marcus Fraser will feature alongside numerous up-and-coming amateurs where a top-10 result will earn the player a place in the 2019 Emirates Australian Open field.

Young-guns Taylor Cooper, Jediah Morgan, Jay Mackenzie, Corey Rae, Jake Riley as well as Jonathan Ledger, Neven Basic, Andrew Brennan, Jeremy Fuchs and Tim Hart enter the field following their efforts at Monday’s pre-qualifying rounds.

At just 14 years of age, Hunter region teenager Riley will be one to watch throughout the tournament as he cut his teeth against Australia’s best.

The 2019 AVJennings NSW Open tees off at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club on Thursday 18 November with the winner to be crowned on Sunday 1 December.