Welshman Stuart Manley had less than a few hours home in Cardiff after securing his Tour card for 2014 that all he had time for was change his suitcase, kiss his wife Nicole and also plant a kiss ‘more importantly as he said’ on the family dog, Griff.

Manley returns to the European Tour after a three year absence having finished 10th among the leading graduates at last Friday’s six-round conclusion to the 2014 Race to Dubai Q-School in Spain.

It was the 34-year old’s 10th visit to the Q-School as he now sets his sights on retaining automatic Tour membership later next year for the first time in his career.

But while Manley now strives to improve his current 346th World Ranking representing Wales at this year’s World Cup of Golf, the Welshman detailed his frantic travel plans from Spain back to the family home and then onto Melbourne to represent his homeland at Royal Melbourne.

“I got home very late, in the early hours of Saturday morning, changed my suitcase, kissed the wife and the dog and jumped back in the car and picked my friend up, my best friend who is my caddy for this week and left Saturday afternoon,” he said.

“I then got to Heathrow, got a flight 10 o’clock Saturday night, into Dubai, Dubai down here, then I got in here seven o’clock Monday morning.

“Then after this week I literally go from here back to Dubai, Dubai Jo-burg, Jo-burg Nelspruit, drive from Nelspruit down to the Dunhill Leopard Creek, play that. It’s a great venue so I am really looking forward to that. Then go straight from there then to Hong Kong, then back from Hong Kong back to Durban and then finish for Christmas.

“But then I am pretty excited to get my card back. I just want to get down and play a few events and get some money on the board, you know.”

Manley had visited Melbourne once before in his career but unfortunately he never managed to get a start in the 2005  Heineken Classic as the Welshman explained.

“I came down in 2005 having just got my card rookie season and I was first reserve on the Sunday before so I thought I’d come down, hopefully get a start but it didn’t work out,” he said.

“I walked the golf course, didn’t actually play Royal Melbourne, but that was my first time down here.”

Manley made up for not played the famed Alister MacKenzie designed layout with birdies on his opening two holes before his only bogey at the fifth hole and then managing birdies at 10, 13 and 16 for his four under par score.

“The greens are electric and I have not played on any as fast,” he said.

“I am not quite used to this really from where I am and the European tour. I don’t think they’re as quick, you know, but they’re very scary.”