Ripper GC star Matt Jones highlighted the pathway that The International Series offers young Australian professionals, and believes a number of compatriots playing on the Asian Tour could be his successors on the LIV Golf League if they continue to impress.
Jones delivered a strong performance over four rounds at the Link Hong Kong Open, finishing on 11-under par and T26 at Fanling.
As the longest serving member of Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC team alongside Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert, he was delighted to see the progress being made by Australians such as Travis Smyth and Maverick Antcliff but played down any suggestion that he is under pressure from the latest wave of talent from Down Under.
The 44-year-old from Sydney said: “I don’t feel any pressure at all, I've done it for a long time now. Those kids, those guys, they are young. Now someone has to come through and take over a spot eventually, but hopefully not too soon! Hopefully I keep playing well enough to keep a spot on the team for as long as I can. But I'm sure there will be some new young blood coming through shortly.”
Antcliff and Smyth are just two shining examples of young Australian talent turning to The International Series as a valuable career pathway.
Antcliff has competed in every event this year and delivered impressive performances, including a T4 finish in Oman, T10 in Macau, and T7 in Thailand. Smyth delivered a series of standout performances, including a T10 finish in Oman, a T14 in Macau, and a T5 in Morocco.
Both are in the top 20 of The International Series Rankings, meaning they are almost guaranteed to be in the LIV Golf Promotions event that will offer an additional spot on the 2025 roster to the champion after four days of competition at Riyadh.
Jones will get more sight on the Australian talent emerging through the series as he is competing in the next two events, International Series Qatar and the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. The two elevated tournaments which will conclude the rankings race and settle who finishes first and claims a coveted spot on the LIV Golf League for 2025.
The Sydneysider was close to success on the International Series in 2023, but was beaten in the longest sudden-death playoff in Asian Tour history, losing on the tenth playoff hole at the St Andrews Bay Championship to young Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra.
Jones is impressed by the progress being made by The International Series, and said: “It's great. I mean, the field this week is good (at the Link Hong Kong Open) and I'm sure next week is going to be even better (International Series Qatar). I'm looking forward to it, and I think it's a great partnership they've got with the PIF and LIV Golf on the Asian Tour.”
Referring to his chances in the next two weeks, the two-time PGA Tour champion said: “I have never seen either of the golf courses so it's going to be all new. It's going to be a Wednesday start, so we haven't got much time, I'm flying out here at six o'clock tonight to get over there.”
Jones who has also recorded two Australian Open wins in 2015 and 2019, admits he is disappointed with his performance on the LIV Golf League after recording just one top-10 finish.
He said: “It was a disappointing season. I didn't play too well. I mean, great team wise but individually, I didn't play anywhere near where I wanted to, or I think I should, I kind of played today (his final round in Hong Kong) like I did all year, which was very poor. If I played like I did the first three rounds and made some putts it would have been different.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
