That was before the days of COVID and travel restrictions that put the event on ice until this week when the men’s and women’s events come together at Victoria and Kingston Heath.

That, of course, means Jones is still the defending champion, yet the 42-year-old has been afforded a quiet week on the commitment front courtesy of the presence of recent major winners Cam Smith and Minjee Lee, plus the likes of Adam Scott, Hannah Green, Karrie Webb, Geoff Ogilvy.

“They have all been pretty low key for me, this is very low key,” Jones told Golf Australia magazine off his defence. “All my wins it has been very quiet because normally the field is pretty strong and you’ve got someone like Adam and Cam Adam this week and they pull all the attention.

“It’s great. There is a couple of commitments, I am going to do a clinic shortly, which is great. But everything is good, it’s just nice to be back here.”

Something that probably wouldn’t be considered “great” is the lack of his own clubs for the first two days of practice on the Sandbelt.

Jones will have brother Brett, who competed alongside him at the US PGA in 2015, on the bag this week. PHOTO: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

Jones’ bag failed to make it all the way with him from home in Arizona, but was due to arrive at his hotel late Tuesday.

Needing to familiarise himself with the co-hosts, Jones took advantage of having brother and fellow professional Brett as caddie this week, with the older Jones having brought his clubs down from Sydney in the hope of a game, instead lending them to the two-time PGA Tour winner for two days.

The lack of clubs didn’t stop Jones heaping praise on the layouts that finally welcome back our national Open to the famed golfing region after 20 years. The hope to promote Australian golf courses a nice segue for Jones to suggest his new employer, LIV Golf, will do the same when they head to Adelaide next April.

“These are true quality golf courses from what I have seen the last two days,” he said. “To be coming back and see the bunkers into the greens, you don’t see that anywhere in America, hopefully a lot more Americans get to come over and experience.

“I mean we will get to bring a few of them over here to The Grange to see similar, but not the same, and I am sure they will fall in love with it too.

“They have all been pretty low key for me, this is very low key. It’s great. There is a couple of commitments ... But everything is good, it’s just nice to be back here.” - Matt Jones.

“That’s the plan, LIV is definitely directed to probably a younger age bracket. And the kids I am going to go teach right now hopefully they know I play LIV and they know there are other options to play golf if you want to.”

The constant focus of the golf world on LIV Golf has been a quieter part of the last two weeks of big event golf in Australia, with all and sundry simply happy to see our biggest names back on our shores.

However, if come Sunday Jones were to win a third Stonehaven Cup bearing the Golf Saudi logo on the chest of his shirt, it is fair to say the topic might just get a little more air time. And he might have a few more commitments on his plate too, which will suit just fine.