Kazuki Higa became the first player from Japan to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit after comfortably securing the coveted title at the Saudi Open presented by PIF today.

The diminutive star became the biggest name on Tour by shooting a four-under-par 68 at the season-ending event – played at Dirab Golf & Country Club, near Riyadh – to finish in seventh, on 16-under.

Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren won the tournament after shooting a 67 to top the leaderboard on 23-under, by one from Australian Jack Thompson

Higa’s performance meant he finished the year with 2,082.34 points on the Merit list, 199.84 ahead of Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent in second. Vincent returned a 68 for 15th place, having needed a dramatic turn of events this week to overtake Higa.

Vincent has the consolation of winning The International Series Rankings three weeks ago, paving the way for his return to the LIV Golf League.

Higa also becomes the first player to win both the Asian Tour’s Merit list and the Japan Tour Money List, which he claimed in 2022 – during a season when he triumphed four times.

Kazuki Higa.

The 30-year-old succeeds American John Catlin as the Merit champion. Catlin, who tied for 15th today, and ended the year in 43rd position on the list.

“I am so, so happy. This is a great honour,” said Higa, who, remarkably, is on a run of 18 tournaments in a row.

“I just love playing golf. That’s what it about. I can’t wait to get home to see my family.”

As well as the prestige of claiming the Merit title and joining an elite group of players to have done so since 2004, it also brings with it an exemption into The Open through the International Federation list. A place in the PGA Championship is also available via the list, depending on the player’s position on the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I have worked very hard for this. I felt that last year changed things, all the hard work started to pay off and it’s amazing to see it all pay off this week,” he added.

Higa stormed out of the gates at the beginning of the season with three straight top 10’s, posting a T8 at the season-opening Smart Infinity Philippine Open, a T5 at the International Series India presented by DLF and a T2 at the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport.

However, it wasn’t until September that it became clear just what his peers were up against.

His recorded back-to-back wins at the Shinhan Donghae Open, in Korea, and the Yeangder TPC, in Chinese-Taipei, that month, before adding a T2 at the International Series Philippines in late October. That result in the Philippines saw him regain top spot on the Merit list from Vincent, and from there on in he could not be caught.

Higa finished the year first on the Asian Tour very much by design. After winning the Japan Tour Money List three years ago he set his sights on success overseas and played a full season on the Asian Tour for the first time the following year.

He also underwent something of a transformation by putting himself through rigorous weight training and aerobic exercise programs, so that he could hit the ball further.

Kazuki Higa.

It was a new level of commitment that he described earlier in the year as practicing “like I brush my teeth every day”.

He also did not sign a driver contract so he could use a club that suited him best and he worked on how much he draws and fades shots – all with the aim of gaining yards.

It all worked. His average distance with the driver was 284.41 yards until last year, but he is now flying it 297.91 yards.

Standing only a 158-centimetres tall he is now punching well above his body weight.

He is also known for being an expert frontrunner, with most of 13 victories achieved from the front.

Two of those wins also came on the Asian Development Tour: at the BTI Open in Bangladesh in 2018, and the UMC Championship in Malaysia the following year. An early precursor for what was to come on the main tour.

Pictures by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.