BEN Stow admitted to playing his best golf of the season at the Shot Clock Masters in Austria last week.

Stow, who has been struggling with a knee injury for the past 12 months, returned to form when finishing T23 at Atzenbrugg after shooting five-under over the four days.

The 25-year-old, from East Knoyle, is now targeting further success this week at the French Open Challenge Tour event, and hopes a clean bill of health can inspire him to another strong performance.

He said: “I played pretty good golf in Austria, probably the best I’ve played this year. It was nice to put some good golf together, especially after being out injured for a year. I haven’t got any pains now and I can do what I want.”

Last week’s event saw players compete against the clock, with only 40 seconds allowed for shots to be taken.

The rule was introduced to try and cushion the impact of slow play and Stow voiced his approval of the new format.

“I really enjoyed it. Personally I play quite quickly so I didn’t find it difficult,” he said.

“I think it was good for golf in general. I really enjoyed coming off the round and it being just over four hours rather than a long five hours.

“The venue flowed well, not too many people were waiting around and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

“I would like to say we will see more of this format, but I think the whole operation is quite expensive.

“The personnel needed compared to a normal tournament was very high.”

The Rushmore player is now targeting a spot on the European Tour after a positive campaign on the Challenge Tour. However, after spending almost 12 months out through injury, Stow is keen not to push too hard.

He said: “I want a successful season, if I win and graduate to the European Tour, that’s great. But as long as I feel like my golf is improving, then I’ll be pleased.

“There used to be a difference in the standard, but now the Challenge Tour has good players and a lot of strength in depth. In general, there are good players on both tours, but the courses are quite different.”