Jet-setting Jye Pickin has returned home from a demanding but educational stint on the European Hotel Planner (Challenge Tour), ready to apply his newfound experience at this week’s Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying event at Teven Valley Resort.

The former NSW State Representative and Golf NSW Future Program member competed in two Challenge Tour events during the Australian winter – the Rasmus Bank Championship in Austria and the UAE Challenge in Dubai.

Despite both tournaments ending with twin missed cuts, Pickin described the experience of competing against some of the best European talent as invaluable for his development.

“They’re pretty good, definitely a lot better than what I expected,” Pickin said. “I could definitely see most of those guys winning on the main tour in Europe. The level of golf over there is very impressive.”

The European adventure proved to be as much about life skills as golf skills for the young professional. From organising flights and accommodation to navigating different languages, Pickin said he had to learn to adapt quickly to the demands of international tournament golf.

“You definitely learn a lot about yourself off the golf course,” he remarked.

“Putting all that aside, trying to play good golf is definitely a challenge, but it’s something I’ve experienced now.”

Back on home turf, Pickin is among the favourites for the $50,000 Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying event here at Teven Valley Resort, just outside Ballina on the NSW North Coast.

The Teven Valley course, with its Zoysia grass, presents a different challenge to the type of turf Pickin is accustomed to playing on, which, he noted, seemed to be “a lot bouncier” than typical Aussie courses, especially around the well-contoured Craig Parry designed putting surfaces.

“You definitely have to use your golf imagination around the greens,” Pickin explained. “It’s going to be a great week.”

The 36-hole tournament, which begins tomorrow, is the first of six regional qualifying events being held in the lead up to November’s Ford NSW Open.

Pickin’s form is already trending in the right direction; the 24-year-old finished just a couple of shots shy of victory at Red Cliff last week, an experience he described as “awesome to be in the mix” on the final day.

“It was good to be there on the Sunday, in the mix, feeling competitive. I might not have got the job done, but it was all about feeling good out there.”

Looking ahead, the PGA Tour of Australasia Rookie has mapped out an ambitious summer schedule. – He intends to play almost continuously through to Christmas.

“I’m playing all of these RQs, then the PNG Open in a few weeks, the Northern Territory, and then there’s a strong run of tournaments in Western Australia in early October.”

The highlight of Pickin’s summer will be the Ford NSW Open in early November – which he noted was “practically a home game.”

“It’s awesome to have such a big event somewhere close to home,” he said. “I know lots of family and friends will be out there.”

Pickin, who discovered during his rookie season last year that his “love for competition golf just ramped up,” said despite the disappointments of missing cuts so far from home, the European experience had only strengthened his resolve.

“Even if you do miss a cut or something like that, you’re always eager to get back out there and have another crack,” he said. “That’s what I love.”

With his European elocution complete and such a welcoming course here at Teven Valley, Pickin could well kick-start his summer campaign on a winning note in the next couple of days.

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The Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying Series is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.