The big-driving Muswellbrook touring professional has enjoyed some of his greatest moments on the world’s 27th best-ranked course, including qualification for the past two British Opens.

Today Barnes begins his attempt to earn a hat-trick of appearances at the Open by returning for the 36-hole Australasian leg of the international qualifying competition.

In 2010 Barnes won the event by two shots and last year finished runner-up to Matthew Millar.

But the greens at Kingston Heath were cored six weeks ago and have not fully recovered.

After playing a practice round yesterday, Barnes said there would be a few added challenges for his short game.

‘‘Everybody has got to play to it and you’ve just got to find a new way to get it around,’’ Barnes said yesterday.

‘‘I enjoy playing the golf course now I’ve figured out how to play it properly.

‘‘It’ll be a bit different this year as the greens will be a bit softer and slower, but I made those adjustments today and we’ll see how we go for the next two days.’’

Confidence is high in the Barnes camp after he enjoyed the best season of his career.

That included victories on the Japan Golf Tour, at the ANA Open at Sapporo Golf Club in Hokkaido, and at the OneAsia Tour’s SK Telecom Open in South Korea.

The new year has already started brightly for the 30-year-old who was one shot off forcing a play-off in the Victorian Open with overnight leader Scott Arnold on Sunday at the Spring Valley Golf Club.

Barnes carded a blistering final round of 66 to finish 273 (71-68-68-66), 11 under par, including eagles on the par-five seventh and 17th holes.

‘‘It was a great way to get the Christmas cheer out,’’ he said.

‘‘Obviously there were a few parts of my game that were scratchy for the first few days, but a little bit of work got the kinks out and it was certainly good form to be taking into the next two days.’’

On the 18th hole Barnes had a tough putt to make birdie and force Arnold to a play-off but it went wide.

‘‘I over read the putt,’’ Barnes said.

‘‘I knew it wasn’t breaking as much as you think.

‘‘It was a makeable putt but it was a poor shot to get to where it was.’’