Almost a year after dropping of The European Tour, former Ryder Cup star Gordon Brand Jr is back in the big time.
The 48 year old will join a world class field, including the likes of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Adam Scott, competing in the BMW PGA Championship over the fabled fairways of Wentworth Club’s West Course this week.
Brand's return, secured after topping the West Region's Order of Merit, will stir the memories given that at his peak he was runner-up in 1991 and 1992, losing out to Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer respectively.
But this new Millennium, Wentworth Club has been a venue that has not proved as generous to Brand, despite a career that earned him more than £3,000,000 in prize money, eight Tour titles as well as the Rookie of the Year award.
Those are dim and distant memories for Brand, who has played 595 tour events - placing him fifth on the all-time appearance list, before deciding it was time to quit the Tour.
"I came off in July last year because I'd had enough of it," said Brand.
"When you're playing well it's a great place to be but when you're not playing well it's horrible travelling everywhere and getting no reward."
Brand, attached to the Players Club in Bristol, decided to return to his roots and found himself at home on the PGA regional circuit.
Victory in the region and good showing at the inaugural PGA play-offs has given him new vigour and without the heartache of trying to earn a crust in the process.
"I'm close to home now and thoroughly enjoying myself. I've had a break and I'm a lot more relaxed about everything.
"It was completely different way of life when I came off because I didn't know what to do.
"But golf is all I know and I've done some teaching in connection with the Gloucestershire Golf Union. I've also done a little bit of radio work too.
"I turn 50 August next year so there's the prospect of playing on the Seniors Tour."
However, his immediate focus is on Wentworth where he's looking forward to meeting up with a few old friends.
"I still give a few of them a ring every week and gloat when they don't do that well," he joked.
"I'm looking forward to catching up with a few of them and ribbing them but it'll just be good to see a few familiar faces and playing a practice round with them.
"As for the tournament, it's one I found to my liking as Wentworth suited my game.
"In the early days I did well there finishing second back to back in the 90s. It was a course I enjoyed playing but the last six or seven years I haven't as my performances there haven't been much to write home about and sum up why I came off tour.
"But I'm going there this time with a totally different attitude as I have relaxed a lot more since coming off the tour. I'm not going there to win my card back I'm just going there to do my best and to enjoy the week."
Brand is one of ten PGA qualifiers and will be joined by Greig Hutcheon, Simon Thornton, Gary Marks, Jon Bevitt, Richard O'Hanlon and Simon Edwards - the PGA's six other regional order of merit winners, Glenmuir Club Professional Champion Paul Wesselingh, PGA play-off qualifier Craig Lee and Powerade PGA Assistants' Champion Brett Taylor.
