After losing 0–6 to Jimmy Robertson in the International Championship in September 2016, Jones did not play in a tournament until the 2017 Snooker Shoot-Out, five months later; he beat Sanderson Lam 80–7 in the first round - his first win in a ranking event since 2007 - but was eliminated at the last-64 stage, 27–34 by Darryl Hill.