It’s been a difficult season for Australia’s most successful Japan Tour player but Brendan Jones is back on comfortable ground and looking for a good week at this week’s ANA Open.

Wrist surgeries in both 2013 and 2014 have
seen the Canberra golfer struggle for form and with just one top-10 for the
season it’s been a difficult year to date.

However, Jones has good history at the ANA
event with top-10 finishes in both 2010 and 2011 and he was 3-under after the
first round in 2013 when forced to withdraw.

With the Tour’s biggest events all played
in the second half of the season, Jones will be looking to play his way into
form, next month’s Japan Open signaling the beginning of the Tour’s most
important stretch.

Jones is one of eight Australasians in this
week’s tournament, joined by the inform Brad Kennedy, Matthew Griffin, Michael
Hendry, Won Joon Lee, Kurt Barnes, Peter Wilson and David Smail.

Kennedy has done everything but win this
year in Japan though has only one top-10 at this tournament in five starts.

However, on current form it would be hard
to bet against the Queenslander who already has two career Japan Tour titles to
his name.

Matt Griffin will also come into the week
with some confidence after carding his second top-10 for the year at his last
start.

Playing his first season in Japan, Griffin
has been on a steady curve of improvement since the start of the year, two top-10’s
and a T13 in his last three starts suggesting he has found his feet on Tour.

Big hitting Won Joon Lee is having the
opposite experience to Griffin after a fast start to the year.

Since going T3 and T6 in consecutive weeks
early in the season Lee has missed five cuts including his last two in a row.

Also needing a lift in form following a hot
start is New Zealand’s Michael Hendry. After winning the first event of the
season Hendry has been in mixed form, a T10 three starts ago followed by back
to back missed cuts his last two appearances.

For Australia’s Kurt Barnes the ANA Open
marks a return to a successful venue, the 34-year-old’s lone Japan Tour victory
coming here in 2011 followed by a runner-up result in 2012.

In what has been an indifferent season to
date with just one top-10 finish, Barnes will no doubt look to draw on those
good memories this week as he tries to get his season back on track.