The Open will hog the limelight but for Matt Jones and Cameron Percy the stakes are equally high at the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship in Alabama this week.

Both players are within touching distance of the FedEx Cup top 125 and with a depleted field teeing off at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Thursday both know what an important week this may ultimately be.

Jones sits 138th on the standings and Percy 135th and both have shown enough form in recent weeks to suggest a potential run this week.

Percy earned valuable points last week with a Sunday 67 at the John Deere tournament, a round that will have boosted his confidence heading to the first tee Thursday.

While Percy missed the cut in his lone appearance at the event last year, four rounds in the 60’s at TPC Deere Run last week suggest his game is in good shape and his motivation will be high.

Jones makes his debut in Alabama after just his second missed cut of the season at the John Deere but, like Percy, has plenty to play for.

The 2015 Australian Open champion lost full playing privileges by the narrowest margin possible in 2016 and after a year of limited opportunities will be keen to get back.

Percy and Jones are part of a seven strong Australian contingent, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Brett Drewitt, Mark Hensby and Steven Bowditch also in the field.

Hensby, on the comeback trail after several injury interrupted years, is playing the tournament for the second time having finished T6 in 2015.

The 43-year-old shared the lead through 36 holes that year and after an inconsistent season on the Web.com Tour would dearly love to recreate that form this week.

Stuart Appleby, too, has fond memories of the course after finishing T10 in his lone appearance last year and having shown flashes of his best at last week’s John Deere tournament will be one to watch.

Robert Allenby missed the cut in his only appearance here in 2016 while Brett Drewitt and Steven Bowditch make their debuts this week.