\u201cThat\u2019s probably the main thing that people tell me. My first year out on DP, I think that was almost like 250 grand or something for the year in expenses. So to have those kinds of numbers coming out for expenses, it\u2019s a surprise for a lot of people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially for guys that want to try and give it a go, you do need to have some kind of financial backing before you go out there and give it a crack. That\u2019s definitely a side of it that you don\u2019t really think about as an amateur.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou obviously realise that you do need money behind you, but it\u2019s a lot more than you think. So, it\u2019s really important to build relationships with guys that you play with throughout the years that own businesses or stuff like that. You can kind of work out and try and get some sponsorship to help you out when you\u2019re first starting out, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about whether basing himself offshore would be more beneficial financially, given the tour sees him travelling all over the world, Jones said it was simply another variable that had to be weighed up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt probably would be easier to be maybe in Europe, but then obviously you get a place and then you\u2019re spending rent. You\u2019ve got rent every week that you have to pay. I\u2019m only paying rent when I\u2019m home in New Zealand. So that\u2019s a lot of a cost that I don\u2019t have to incur. It\u2019s a big juggling act and something that I actually have been thinking about: moving elsewhere to try and be closer to tournaments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not quite as easy as just jumping up and moving and it almost could be worse financially. Being home and having the time off in between events is a good mental break so I can go into tournaments more fresh and be able to score more and hopefully make more money that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a stint on home soil, including a tied-14th finish at the New Zealand Open<\/a>, Jones had been slated to play in events in India over the past couple of weeks. However, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the HotelPlanner Tour withdrew its sanctioning of last week\u2019s tournament, as many had to travel to the event via the Middle East.<\/p>\n The tour has also rescheduled tournaments in the United Arab Emirates that were planned to be contested next month.<\/p>\n Not going to India has given Jones more time at home, and he will be among the line-up for this week\u2019s New Zealand Super 6s at the Manawat\u016b Golf Club as the Charles Tour<\/a> gets underway for the season.<\/p>\n For years, the Charles Tour has provided a testing ground for New Zealand\u2019s golfers \u2013 particularly those, like Jones, who have hopes of pursuing tour life abroad. While this weekend\u2019s tournament is a short-format event, Jones said the chance for rising players to test themselves against some of the best in the country has helped to develop the talent pool.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was coming up through the ranks there, like 2021, 2022, I started having some good finishes in the Charles Tour events and got to tee it up a lot with guys that have kind of been there and done that. The likes of Josh Geary, Mike Hendry, I played with them a lot when I was coming up through the ranks there and you just get a feel for how good you have to be, especially when you get to play with those kinds of guys over 72 holes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can kind of compare, if these guys have been playing on tour for this long, this is basically the base level that I have to get to. So it\u2019s cool for all the amateurs to have the opportunity to play with the pros. Golf New Zealand, they do a good job with pairing up the amateurs with the professionals in the first two rounds of the tournament so they get to see how their games fare over the course of 72 holes in a tournament.\u201d<\/p>\nKiwi golfer Sam Jones gives his ball to a young fan during the New Zealand Open. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n