After successfully negotiating the "horrible experience" of qualifying school, Brendan Jones feels ideally placed to make an immediate impact on the Champions Tour.
The New South Welshman stormed home at Q-School in December to claim the fifth and final automatic qualifying spot, making him the 10th Australian to have full playing rights on the lucrative US senior tour in 2025.
Richard Green was the leading Australian last year, finishing third on the money list, which was topped by Kiwi Steve Alker.
Jones and Alker are both in Arrowtown this week to contest the $A1.8 million New Zealand Open.
Alker has no doubts the Australian has what it takes to succeed straight away on the senior tour.
"The key is staying in shape and staying injury-free," said the 53-year-old Alker.
"Brendan has played all over the world; he'll be just fine.
"He's got enough game, I've played enough with him last year and he's in a good place.
"The big thing over there is getting that mindset of trying to win every week."
Jones will make his Champions Tour debut at the Cologuard Classic in Arizona in early March, just four days after he turns 50 and becomes eligible.
The likes of Alker and Green are great role models for success on the senior tour.
Getting the job done at Q-School was a further boost in confidence for a man who has won 15 times on the Japanese Tour.
"Q-School was a horrible experience and the way I did it too I was stressed right until the 72nd hole," Jones said.
"But knowing I can get through that gives me confidence that that would be the hardest thing.
"Now that I'm on the tour, if I play the way I can, I can have hopefully quite a few good years out there.
"Being one of the youngest and in relatively good condition, not having many injuries and things like that ... if I go and do my thing, there will be some good finishes coming up."
Before he joins the senior ranks, Jones feels ready to contend again at this week's NZ Open, a tournament he won just two years ago at Millbrook Resort.
"There's not many tournaments I turn up at and I'm just happy from the word go," he said.
"Around here, even before I had the success of a couple of years ago, I just turned up here and I was happy.
"It's the first tournament that I put into my schedule every year, and knowing what I've got around the corner after this, I feel like a kid again."
