“I actually took a medical leave from the Challenge Tour… with some bowel issues and with some sacroiliac issues as well,” he tells Golf Australia Magazine ahead of his opening round at the Queensland PGA.

“It was pretty brutal. Six months at home. I was just in tears on the couch, not being able to even move very well,” Barron admits.

Now healthy and grateful, he’s cherishing playing locally and savouring time on the course.

He credits a specialist team for helping him get back to being on the course and feeling good again. Explaining that a Sydney gastroenterologist “put together a really good plan for me and my guts”. After colonoscopy, endoscopy and detailed testing, the verdict was that he was in really good shape once he’d disciplined his diet and treatment. On the road this remains a struggle.

“it’s a little bit more difficult to be as strict on the diet and be as clean as I was when I was at home,” he admits

Though he adds that “for the most part, I’m feeling pretty good.”

Barron also overhauled his fitness routine, which includes stretching and Pilates. “I’ve just been smashing the Pilates… one-on-one sessions twice a week for probably three or four months now,” he says with a grin.

“So, the body is starting to feel like it can support itself again a bit more,” he reports, happy that the hours in rehab are paying off.

The Pilates can be a humbling experience for those new to it, as the Perth native admits, he wasn’t sure why he was shaking so much on those opening sessions.

“Fortunately for me, I think I'm doing some pretty basic stuff.

“I don't think I'm doing anything too difficult, which even though it is difficult for me, I said to my physio on the second session, ‘why am I shaking so much?’

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“When I was laying on the reformer just trying to move,” he laughs.

Barron has learned to work smarter, not harder. He notes that with this new focus on health, his game and preparation for tournament weeks have sharpened.

“With my focus being on just being healthy and just enjoying my time out on course, the results have come,” Barron says.

He admits he used to push a bit too hard, especially early in tournament weeks.

“Before, I was probably just trying to absolutely smash myself and make sure I felt like I was ready to go. Now, it’s more so just doing enough to remain sharp, and making sure I have enough time off to give the body a bit of a rest as well,” he explains.

Jason Scrivener (left) took Barron under his wing in Europe. PHOTO: Getty Images.

The old grind-for-results obsession has given way to balance and perspective.

The years away playing abroad, especially his 2024 season on the DP World Tour taught Barron plenty of truths about life the road. “Being away from home was really difficult, I’m definitely a big home-body and I love Perth,” he admits.

“I think everyone that hangs around me knows that because I never stopped talking about it,” Barron adds with a grin.

Still, he relished the adventure. Experiencing new cultures and new places.

“I’d also experienced a lot of places for the first time. That was really cool,” he adds.

He calls Tour life in Europe “just like a moving circus”.

“You’d finish up on Sunday, by the time you rolled into the next place, the grandstands were up, there were trucks and people everywhere it was just such a huge production,” he recalls.

“I reckon I'm probably like a 14 handicapper on the latte art.” - Haydn Barron.

Fellow West Aussie Jason Scrivener took Barron under his wing during that first DP World Tour swing, helping him find his feet on the road.

“I was fortunate that I spent a lot of time with Jason Scrivener, who's become one of my best mates over the last couple of years now.

“I think I would have been even more lost without him,” he admits.

Barron doesn’t write down an extensive goal lists, but he is clear on what he wants to achieve. Winning on the DP World Tour remains “almost my ultimate goal,” he says.

He admits he learned something important about his mindset on that first trip to the big time. Once he reached Europe, he shifted from progress to survival.

“My goal was always to get to the European Tour... when I got there, my focus shifted to how do I stay here rather than how do I continue to progress,” he explains.

For too long during the season he had simply held on. Now he’s vowed to aim higher. “Second time around, I will look for some greater goals to keep me going,” he adds, determined to push for more than just cuts and top-40s.

Off the course, Barron is typically laid-back. He’s a keen photographer, loves spending time with his Golden Retriever, Hamilton, and is a self-confessed coffee addict. When asked how his latte art is, he said “I reckon I'm probably like a 14 handicapper on the latte art.”

“I can have a good day. I think my eight handicap rounds might be single figures, but I've got a few 20 overs in there as well,” he laughs.

He’s also a die-hard Collingwood fan – sporting the Pies cap on his head, he laughs: “I’m a big, big Collingwood fan”.

Now that the footy season is over, he’s happy to spend weekends with family, ply his trade on the PGA Tour of Australasia and – “brewing up some good lattes, mate”.