Mark Williams admits his focus has been elsewhere in recent tournaments, but after crashing out of the Shanghai Masters it will be back to business when he returns home.

The Welshman shocked the snooker world when winning a third World Championship title at the Crucible back in May – 15 years after his last success in the biggest tournament of them all. The 43-year-old rolled back the years to beat John Higgins 18-16 in Sheffield and has certainly been enjoying himself away from the green baize.

Williams topped his group at the recent Six-red World Championship but was eliminated in the first knockout round and he went down 6-4 to Barry Hawkins on Friday in the quarter-finals of the Far East event.

Snooker has been down the list of his priorities but the man from Ebbw Vale has made it clear that the day job will come first once he is back on home soil.

“I’m enjoying it so much now, not even practising,” he said. “It’s great. I’m just playing golf every day, a couple of beers with my friends, and really enjoying it.

“After this one when I go back home I will be back to the drawing board and practise hard. It will be back to normal.”

The veteran is priced at 13.00 to defend his world crown next year but there is still a lot of snooker to be played before the cream of the sport descend on South Yorkshire once again.

The UK Championship takes place between November 27 and December 9 at York’s Barbican Centre and Williams, 13.00 to claim the event, knows that he will need to take things more seriously if he is to be contender for honours once again.

“You could say I’m just getting away with it a little bit I suppose, because my cue hasn’t been out of the case,” he added.