Kobe, Japan, September 25: Australian Scott Hend will be looking to navigate his way out of a recent slump when he resumes his chase for a second Asian Tour Order of Merit crown at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.

The 46-year-old Hend claimed his 10^th Asian Tour title in Malaysia earlier this year but has yet to replicate that fine form as he struggles to find the right set of clubs over the last few months. Hend has uncharacteristically missed eight cuts in 14 starts worldwide since his victory.

By switching back to an old set of clubs this week, which include the same irons that helped him to his victory in March, Hend is hoping to rediscover some of his best form when he gets his campaign underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club.

American Micah Lauren Shin, placed ninth on the Order of Merit, will be banking on a feel-good factor when he challenges for top honours at the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1,338,067) event. He came close to securing his second Asian Tour title in Japan in May before finishing in tied-second place.

Taehee Lee, the highest-ranked Korean in third place on the Merit rankings, is eyeing a good showing as it will ensure that he stays inside top-four at the end of next week to earn a coveted spot at the upcoming World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions.

Yikeun Chang, who broke through in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago, has set his sights on more successes when he tees off for the 10^th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship. The 25-year-old Korean believes he still has an outside chance to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions should he put up noteworthy performances these two weeks.

The race to finish inside top-three on the Panasonc Swing will also heat up this week as the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the concluding leg of the 2018/19 edition.

The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the fourth event to be sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this season. The tournament is also returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club this week following a seven-year lapse.

Did you know?

• Scott Hend of Australia claimed his 10th Asian Tour title at the Maybank Championship in March and became only the second player on Tour, following Thai star Thongchai Jaidee, to break US$5 million in career earnings.
• Hend topped the Merit rankings previously in 2016. He is the first Australian player to achieve the feat. He trails leader Jazz by about US$240,000 in second place on the current money list.
• All of Hend’s wins have come in Asia but he has never won in Japan.
• Hend is the fourth player after Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng to obtain 10 wins or more on the Asian Tour.
• Hend played the tournament when it was first held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in 2012. He signed for rounds of 70 and 73 to miss the halfway cut by two shots then.
• Micah Lauren Shin sits in ninth place on the Order of Merit, thanks to two top-three finishes in Japan and Malaysia so far this season.
• He won his maiden Asian Tour title at the 2017 Resorts World Manila Masters after he triumphed on the first play-off hole. The victory came after he called a ruling on himself and was penalised two strokes for having 15 clubs in the bag in the final round.
• He was named the rookie of the year that season after finishing 12th on the 2017 Order of Merit.
• Taehee Lee sits in third place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, thanks largely to his breakthrough win on home soil in May.
• Lee enjoyed a solid season on his domestic circuit in 2018, claiming one victory and four top-10 finishes. He claimed his first career victory in 2015.
• Lee will qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions if he can stay inside top-four on the money list till the end of next week, which is the qualifying cut-off.
• Yikeun Chang is the second Korean, following Lee, to win on Tour this season. He won his maiden Asian Tour title in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago.
• Prior to his breakthrough, Chang has enjoyed runner-up finishes at the 2017 Yeangder Heritage tournament in Chinese Taipei, the 2018 GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the 2019 Bank BRI Indonesia Open.

Kobe, Japan, September 25: Read what players have to say ahead of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship, which starts on Thursday.

Rahil Gangjee (Ind) – Defending champion

I think I’m done being the defending champion. I think it’s time to be champion again. I am really looking forward to it. It’s coming together for me the last few weeks. I’m getting used to playing in Japan too. Last year, I was playing new courses in Japan every week.

I started from just making the cuts to finishing midway and then top-20 and top-10 two weeks ago. It’s been a great progress. It’s nice to be back defending my title this week. I still remember that bunker shot which was a surprise to me.

I didn’t expect to hit that good bunker shot. But luckily, I did. And it was perfect. It’s another great opportunity to play in a place where golf courses are awesome. Japan is a really nice country to be in anyway. I think I’m privileged to be able to spend time here.

I went to my coach, maybe two three months ago. And what we worked on a few things that has kind of set in now. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% now but I’m getting there. So it’s a work in progress, but I’m really comfortable now.

Scott Hend (Aus)

I have been struggling with my game the last couple of months. I have been changing clubs and fiddling around with it. I changed back to an old set of clubs this week and hopefully get back to ground zero and start over again.

It will definitely be nice to win another Order of Merit. Jazz has got a fairly big lead obviously. I can’t play as many events as he did. So I have to take advantage of every opportunity I can when I play and try to play well.

But on the other hand, like I said I am struggling with my game a little bit. It will be difficult to try and chase him. The only way I can chase him if I play well and he don’t play very good at all. He’s in a good position right now and we’ll see at the end of the year.

After I won the Maybank Championship, I had to change my clubs because they were all worn out. I have used like seven sets of new clubs in six tournaments now. Really struggling to find anything. I have tried like four different brands of drivers as well. So basically just trying to get back to where we were.

I am not having a practice round this week. Still trying to recover from jet lag. I took three flights to get here so I just want to reserve some energy by not playing any practice round. I played here in 2012 and I remember this is a course where you can make a lot of birdies but you can also get into troubles out there.

It’s a course where you need to keep the ball in play from tee to green in order to give yourself opportunities for birdies.

Micah Shin (USA)

It’s nice to be back in Japan. I had a good finish the last time I came here. I am definitely hoping for a good week again. I am feeling alright. The game is good too. I really like it here in Japan. The course is in beautiful condition. It’s really nice.

I played the course yesterday and I was like ‘Can it get better than this?’. You can’t really afford to miss the fairways and greens out there. The greens are not easy too. You got to hit it straight out there.

The season’s been kind of like a roller coaster for me. It’s been up and down. I had good results and bad results. It’s been two years since I last won. I was injured last year so I wasn’t expecting much. This year, I had a few disappointing finishes. They were good finishes but disappointing because I was close to winning.

This week I just want to play steady. I don’t want to play too aggressively. I have not set any targets for myself. I just want to focus on my game and see how it goes.

Taehee Lee (Kor)

The course is in a really good shape. The weather is nice too. I feel good coming to play here. There are a lot of good players here but I will try to have fun this week. I’m sitting inside top-five on the Order of Merit now thanks to my win on home soil a few months ago.

I will focus more on the Asian Tour now and hopefully seal up my spot in the upcoming WGC-HSBC Champions. Since winning, I have gone to play in India and Chinese Taipei for the first time. It’s been a good experience. The course in India is nice and the hotel is great. But the weather was too hot that week and I struggled with that.

The course in Chinese Taipei needs more time to get used to. The grass is different and it’s difficult if you’re playing there for the first time. It’s been a good learning curve. I am sure it will be better the next time I go.

Yikeun Chang (Kor)

I am still feeling very good with my game, even though I didn’t play well last weekend. Winning in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago has given me a lot of confidence in my game. I am looking forward to this week.

The condition of the fairways here is one of the best that I have seen in my whole life. It’s that good. I love this course but you need to hit the fairways too. The roughs are pretty long as well. You have to hit the fairways and the greens. If you can do that, you will get rewarded.

The mindset for every tournament is still the same, even though I have won. I know my game is in good shape right now. If I play my own game, I feel I can win. My next goal, however, is to try and qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions next month.

I have this week and next week to try and boost my rankings before the cutoff date. It’s two big events so it’s important for me to play well. I should have a good chance if I can finish inside top-two. That’s my current goal.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

It’s nice to be back in Japan. The course is looking good. It’s my first time playing this course. I am getting used to playing in Japan now. It’s different grass here and the people you play with here are different too. It’s been good. It’s a good learning curve for me.

Apart from the language barrier, everything else is good. Golf is still the same for me. You still try to play your best out there and tackle different courses every week. But in Japan, it seems like putting is always the key. Whoever putts better will win.

Every golf course I arrive to in Japan is pretty much a new course to me. I have to learn every week but for the other guys out here, they might be playing the course for years already. It has been a good experience though.

This week, I hope to get back on track, back to the form I was in earlier this year. I haven’t had a good finish for awhile so hopefully this will be a good week. I will try to find back my good form and post a good finish this week.

Rory Hie (Ind)

It’s been quite surreal, being able to play in big events like this week’s Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship now and seeing my name in the winners’ category on the entry lists. It certainly is something I was hoping will happen one day and when it happens, it’s amazing.

I haven’t had time to celebrate my win back home. I just went home to sort out my visas and then straight to Korea last week and Japan this week. There have been a lot of positive responses back home. Everyone has been congratulating me.

I haven’t really met them in person but my social media have been overwhelmed with their messages. It’s the same mindset again this week. I am just trying to get my mind busy with the golf course, like I did in India. I was pretty much on top of it with my course management.

I am going to try and replicate that this week. I feel like I have figured out the formula that is going to work for me for the rest of the season so will stick with it no matter how I play. I played this course back in 2012 and it’s nice to be back. It’s one of the nicest courses that I have played in Japan. It’s beautiful here.

Zach Murray (Aus)

It’s been really good for me since I won in New Zealand. Had a little bit of time off right in the middle of the year but the last three events have been pretty good overall. I played well in Indonesia and last week in Korea.

The course is looking good here. It’s in great condition. It’s penalizing at the same time but it should suit most players. I enjoy playing in Asia. It’s nice and easy to get around. Not much of a challenge for me in Asia to be honest.

I am just trying to manage my time better and make sure I’m playing enough golf to keep myself in form and yet remain rested and all. It’s the same for me every week. It’s just about playing well and give myself a chance to go for the win on Sunday.

Kobe, Japan, September 24: In-form Rahil Gangjee of India is hopeful of putting up a strong title defence when the 10^th edition of the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship gets underway at the prestigious Higashi Hirono Golf Club on Thursday.

Gangjee sensationally ended a 14-year title drought when he claimed his second Asian Tour title at the tournament last year. The 40-year-old plans to dominate the field again, albeit on a different course, when he tees off for the ¥150,000,000 (approx. US$1,338,067) event.

Gangjee will spearhead the 132-man field alongside Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Australian Scott Hend, Yosuke Asaji of Japan and Korea’s Taehee Lee, who are the leading four players on the current Asian Tour Order of Merit.

More than 50 Asian Tour winners will feature in the talented field and they include Zach Murray of Australia and Rory Hie, who became the first Indonesian player to win on the Asian Tour when he triumphed in India two weeks ago.

The Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship is the fourth event to be sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this season. The tournament is also returning to the Higashi Hirono Golf Club this week following a seven-year lapse.

The race to finish inside top three on the Panasonic Swing series will also heat up this week with the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship being the concluding leg of the 2018/19 edition.

The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate point ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments – 2018 Thailand Open, 2018 Panasonic Open India, 2018 Indonesian Masters, 2019 Maybank Championship (Malaysia) and 2019 Panasonic Open Golf Championship (Japan).

The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the 2019 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin leads the current rankings with 2,919 points while countrymen Panuphol Pittayarat lurks in second and Jazz in third.

Did you know?

• Rahil Gangjee ended a 14-year title drought when he won his second Asian Tour title at the 2018 Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
• He became only the second foreigner, following Australian Brendan Jones in 2010, to win the prestigious event.
• Gangjee finished second on the 2017/18 Panasonic Swing, thanks to his victory at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship last year.
• Gangjee first won on the Asian Tour in 2004 in China where he beat a top field that included Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo.
• He had several close finishes since then, most notably at the 2014 Panasonic Open India in 2014 when he lost in a play-off to S.S.P. Chawrasia.
• Gangjee enters the week in good form, having secured his first top-10 finish on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago and a top-20 finish in Korea last week, which is his best result on the Asian Tour so far this season.
• Jazz Janewattananond is the only player to have won more than once on the Asian Tour so far this season. He claimed his third title at the season-opening Singapore Open in January and secured his fourth victory at the Kolon Korea Open in June.
• At the age of 23 years 6 months and 27 days, Jazz becomes the youngest ever player to achieve four wins on Tour. India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar held the record previously after he won his fourth title in 2012 at the age of 24.
• Jazz is the highest-ranked player in the talented 132-man field this week. He leads the current Asian Tour Order of Merit and is ranked 60th on the latest Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
• Apart from the two victories, Jazz has also notched five top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour this season.
• Jazz also enjoyed a tied-14th place finish at the PGA Championship in June which was the best-ever result achieved by a Thai player at the PGA Championship.
• Rory Hie became the first Indonesian winner on the Asian Tour when he won wire-to-wire in India two weeks ago.
• After earning First Team All American golf honors at Cerritos High in California, Hie played college golf as a freshman and sophomore at University of Southern California 2006-2008 before turning pro in 2009. Hie was ranked as high as sixth as an amateur before he turned professional. 
• Prior to his breakthrough, Hie’s best finish in 2019 had been a tied-fifth at the OB Golf Invitational on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). He was poised for a top-10 finish at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open last month being tied-fourth after 54 holes, but a final round 74 dropped Hie to tied-22nd. 
• Hie made his debut at the Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship in 2012, when the tournament was last held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.
• Zach Murray secured his 2019 Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School last December after finishing fourth in the 90-hole event.
• The 22-year-old Australian, who hails from Victoria, won his first professional victory at the New Zealand Open earlier in March. It was only his third start on the Asian Tour.
• Murray led from start to finish when he won the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open (an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia) as an amateur golfer in October 2018. One month later, he made his professional debut at the Australian Open.
• Prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks, Murray was ranked as high as 19th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Sentosa, Singapore, September 23: Pressure does not care about form and can be very cruel.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent had the chance to seal his maiden win on the Asian Tour after going into the final round of The 35^th Shinhan Donghae Open with a two-shot cushion.

It may seem advantageous but the margin for error has also shrunk with the possibility of drama that lies ahead when the first tee shot is hit.

And it did for Vincent, who bogeyed his first hole before a mixture of two more bogeys and three birdies denied his day of glory on a Sunday again.

“It was just tough, not a lot went my way and I didn’t play very well. You know, I left a few shots out there as well but when you look at the overall picture, I would have had to at least shoot four under today to match that score which is going to be tough any day out here,” said Vincent.

A victory would mean the world to Vincent but having seen victory slipped by his grasp on numerous occasions, the Zimbabwean knows he will make peace with pressure and win one day.

“I still haven’t finished outside of the top-three, so still not bad. I learned a lot and got a lot to work on but heading in the right direction. I put myself in contention to win a tournament, that’s important for me.

“You know this has been a big tournament for me in my career, where it’s kind of boosted the rest of the year, so I’m hoping that this is going to do the same and carry me forward in these next few events,” said the Zimbabwean.

With his third place finish, Vincent moved up to sixth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, while South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, who won again for the first time since 2012, made a huge leap up to ninth place from the previous week’s 95^th position on the money list.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattanond continues to hold prime spot atop the Order of Merit despite ending his week in Korea in tied-32^nd place while Australia’s Scott Hend, who did not feature at The 35^th Shinhan Donghae Open, remains in second place.

The Asian Tour heads to Japan for the Panasonic Open Golf Championship which will take place at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club from September 26-29.

Ends.

Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos       Player   Order of Merit (US$)

1            Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) $769,297.49

2            Scott HEND (AUS) $528,160.94

3            Yosuke ASAJI (JPN) $296,523.73

4            Taehee LEE (KOR) $284,661.95

5            Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) $260,100.96

6            Scott VINCENT (ZIM) $234,723.16

7            Zach MURRAY (AUS) $221,011.92

8            Jbe KRUGER (RSA) $210,624.31

9            Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) $187,218.98

10          Johannes VEERMAN (USA) $177,288.30

11          Yikeun CHANG (KOR)  $170,703.36

12          Sanghyun PARK (KOR) $140,473.49

13          David LIPSKY (USA) $137,309.79

14          Prom MEESAWAT (THA) $123,386.86

15          Sadom KAEWKANJANA (THA) $118,336.53

16          Janne KASKE (FIN) $114,708.67

17          Berry HENSON (USA) $106,792.21

18          Dongkyu JANG (KOR) $104,405.57

19          Richard T. LEE (CAN) $98,972.88

20          Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) $98,850.98

Incheon, Korea, September 22: South Africa’s Jbe Kruger ended his seven-year title drought on the Asian Tour by signing off with a six-under-par 65 to win The 35^th Shinhan Donghae Open by two shots on Sunday.

Kruger has not won another Asian Tour title since his lone win in India in 2012. However, he showed he was ready to make his comeback to the winner’s circle with a commanding performance where he did not drop a single shot in his last 37 holes at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club.

Trailing overnight leader Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe by two shots, the South African made his move quickly with a birdie on the second hole, followed by another pair of birdies on holes seven and eight.

After making another birdie on 11, Kruger knew he would have a chance of winning and charged ahead with three straight pars before pulling ahead with another set of birdies on 15 and 16 to eventually close with a winning total of 15-under-par 269.

Korean-American Chan Kim matched Kruger’s final round efforts with another 65 of his own to finish in outright second place while Vincent could not hold on to his overnight lead, slipping to third place after posting a 71 at The 35^th Shinhan Donghae Open which is being tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Korean PGA and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

Ends.

Did you know?

• With this win Jbe Kruger secures a two-year exemption on the Asian Tour after being ranked 95th on the Order of Merit the previous week.
• The South African did not make a bogey in his last 37 holes of the tournament, going back to the 17th hole on Friday.
• He had a Driving Distance average of 286 yards, Driving accuracy of 67.86%, Greens in Regulation (GIR) of 76.39 and Putts per GIR of 1.69.
• Kruger last won on the Asian Tour in the 2012 Avantha Masters in India, a tournament that was co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
• Hailing from Northern Cape province in South Africa, he has also recorded four career wins on the Sunshine Tour. The latest title coming at the Sun Carnival City Challenge in 2017.
• The 33-year-old got his nickname Jbe from the initials in his full name, James Barry Kruger.
• He currently holds the record for most Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) tournaments played in a 12 month period: 41.
• Chan Kim is a former member of the Asian Tour. He topped the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2013.
• He finished third on the JGTO money list in 2017, thanks to three wins.
• Kim came in second at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour in July where he earned his spot to The Open.
• He is currently leading the driving distance stats category (320.34) on the JGTO.
• Scott Vincent, the only Zimbabwean member on Tour, has never finished outside the top-three in his last four outings at the Shinhan Donghae Open.
• He finished tied-second in 2016, tied-third in 2017, second last year and third this week.
• Vincent claimed his first international win at the Landic Challenge 7 held on the Japan Challenge Tour in June.
• He has not missed a single cut in eight starts so far this season.
• Vincent was crowned the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2016 after ending his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.

Jbe Kruger (Rsa) Fourth round 65 (-6) Total 269 (-15)

It all changed on the seventh hole when I made my second birdie and I could feel the momentum then. It was in the Lord’s plan whether I would win again today. But as for me, I started to feel good and after the 11th hole, I had a good feeling it was my time again. I would say what went right today was probably my putting. I obviously didn’t hit it as well as I could have but my chipping and my putting saved me multiple times and that’s why I didn’t make bogeys. I’m a professional and this is what I do for a living, so I will probably go where the money is, go there and play well. I have been a big fan of playing in Japan, but you can’t really get into that Tour if you haven’t gone to Q school. But now, things have changed. This course is a Jack Nicklaus design golf course. It’s the same as my own course, so the first time I came here, it literally looks identical. It has the same lines, the same kind of grass. Everything is exactly the same and it almost feels like a home away from home. So, you know I’ve heard someone say “horses for courses” and that’s the truth, because you generally play well at the same courses all year long.

Chan Kim (Usa) Fourth round 65 (-6) Total 271 (-13)

Yeah I played really solid and gave a good fight today. Obviously, you know, we were expecting some bad weather but it held up pretty well. It was pretty windy but it was definitely scorable conditions. It’s quite a bitter pill to swallow after finishing so close. I finished second and third quite a bit this year, so I’m just still waiting for that first win of the season.

Scott Vincent (Zim) Fourth round 71 (Even) Total 273 (-11)

It was just tough, not a lot went my way and I didn’t play very well. You know, I left a few shots out there as well but when you look at the overall picture, I would have had to at least shoot four under today to match that score which is going to be tough any day out here. So, the way Jbe played it was going to be tough to beat either way. But obviously with my position going in, I would have liked to have a slightly different result. But hey, I still haven’t finished outside of the top-three, so still not bad. I learned a lot and got a lot to work on, but heading in the right direction. I put myself in contention to win a tournament, that’s important for me. You know this has been a big tournament for me in my career, where it’s kind of boosted the rest of the year, so I’m hoping that this is going to do the same and carry me forward in these next few events.