LIV Golf star Lucas Herbert put on a putting masterclass to win the International Series Japan presented by Moutai last week, at Caledonian Golf Club.

The 29-year-old from Australia topped the Putts per Greens in Regulation (GIR) category with 1.531, with Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai second on 1.583. Herbert also ranked third in Putts per Round with 26.75, behind only Korean Younghan Song, with 26.25, and Atiruj, on  26.5.

Thanks to his brilliant performance on the greens, Herbert impressively posted under-par scores on 37.5% of the holes, and led both the Most Birdies and Most Eagles categories for the week with 23 birdies and four eagles respectively.

His other stats for the week were also strong: Driving Distance 307.2 yards (10^th), Fairways Hit 64.29% (T18), and  GIR 68.06 (T35).

Younghan Song. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Japan’s Yuta Sugiura was very good at keeping bogeys off his scorecard, making only two for the 72 holes and four less than anyone else who made the cut. He also produced solid stats in the Putts per Round and GIR categories with 27.5 (T9) and 72.22% respectively.

Song not only topped Putts per Round but also led both the Putts per Round and Putts per GIR categories after three rounds, and was sixth in Putts per GIR with 1.617.

Statistics Categories leaders at the International Series Japan presented by Moutai (of players making the cut):

• Putts per Round – Younghan Song (KOR): 26.25
• Putts per GIR – Lucas Herbert (AUS): 1.531
• GIR – Sarit Suwannarut (THA): 79.17%
• Fairways Hit – Bio Kim (KOR): 92.86%
• Driving Distance – Ervin Chang (MAS): 322 yards
• Most Eagles – Lucas Herbert (AUS): 4
• Most Birdies – Lucas Herbert (AUS): 23
• Fewest Bogies or Worse – Yuta Sugiura (JPN): 2
• Scrambling – Jinichiro Kozuma (JPN): 80.00%
• Bounce back – Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Jinichiro Kozuma (JPN): 50%

Lucas Herbert has moved to the top of The International Series Rankings following his stunning five-shot victory at the International Series Japan presented by Moutai at the weekend.

The Australian, who plays for Ripper GC on LIV Golf, led from the start after a course record-equalling nine-under-par 62 on Thursday at Caledonian Golf Club, and although he was five adrift with three to play on Saturday, he roared to victory thanks to two eagles in his closing three holes which got him a three-way share of the lead going into the final day.

A closing 64 was enough to see off nearest challengers Yuta Sigiura of Japan and Younghan Song of Korea, and the dominant display underlined Herbert’s rich vein of good form this season that has already generated three top-five finishes and three top-20 results in seven LIV Golf League events.

“The strength of the field was very good. I have played in Japan a few times over the years, and the field strength is always good,” said Herbert, who is becoming something of a specialist in the Land of the Rising Sun as his last tournament win was also there, at the ISPS Handa Championship in 2023.

“It’s tricky. It feels like I am playing an away game against these guys on their home turf. Their games are all structured and built to play really well in Japanese courses. So it is tough to beat them at their own game at times.

Lucas Herbert gets the biggest of hugs from his caddie, Nick Pugh. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

“That’s why the two wins I have had in Japan have felt quite special, because it feels like winning an away game like in other sports when you are beating these guys on their home venues, against home crowds too.”

Herbert shot up 20 positions to pole on the rankings thanks to the 180 points earned, and he leads the International Series Macau presented by Wynn winner Carlos Ortiz of Mexico and International Series India presented by DLF champion Ollie Schniederjans by 22.95 points, with Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed tied fourth, a further 70 points behind.

American Schniederjans missed both the Macau and Japan dates because of injury, and will be hoping for a return in time for International Series Morocco from 3-6 July.

The winner of The International Series Rankings earns a place on the ensuing season’s LIV Golf League – a lifechanging opportunity on the groundbreaking franchise.

May 11: Lucas Herbert scripted a grandstand finish by making an eagle on the par-five 18th hole for the second day in a row and extended his winning margin in the US$2 million International Series Japan presented by Moutai to a dominant five shots.

On Sunday at the par-71 Caledonian Golf Club in Chiba, the 29-year-old Australian won his maiden Asian Tour and International Series title. Once he moved into solo lead, he was never challenged as he closed with a seven-under-par 64 to reach 20-under for the week, five ahead of his playing partners Yuta Sugiura and Younghan Song.

Sugiura played solid golf and was bogey-free for the third time in four days, but his putter let him down in a round of 69. He was the best-placed Japanese player in the field. Song’s quest for a first win in Japan continued, but a birdie on the last helped him tie Sugiura for second place at 15-under.

American Cameron Tringale (66) rolled in a 15-foot eagle putt on the last to finish solo fourth at 14-under, one ahead of Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (65) and Japan’s Shunya Takeyasu (67).

Lucas Herbert of Australia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

It was a remarkable run by Herbert, who was five shots behind the leader with three holes to play in the third round, before engineering a 10-shot swing against his closest rival with two eagles in the last three holes on Saturday, followed by the 64 that included seven birdies and the eagle on the 18th.

With his wire-to-wire win, Herbert moved to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, as well as The International Series Rankings. It was also his first international victory in almost two years, having won the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship, also in Japan.

The Ripper GC star, who played a full season on the Asian Tour in 2016, started the day tied for the lead at 13-under alongside Sugiura and Song. The 33-year-old Korean immediately moved ahead with an eagle on the second hole, but Herbert hunted him down with birdies on the second, fourth and fifth.

Herbert made a bogey on the par-five sixth hole, and it seemed he used up all his bad shots on that single hole as he twice flirted with the trees on the left and was left with horrible downhill lies. Even though he had another bogey coming in – at the 15th – he was rock solid throughout and shut the door on the chasing pack.

Yuta Sugiura of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

“I was thinking about it down on the 18th green, that finish yesterday really set it up. It would have been much tougher, I think, to play the group in front, or maybe two groups in front, had I parred in and to try and come back from behind today,” said Herbert.

“Being able to tie the lead last night, and sleep thinking that I didn’t have to chase anything down today, was a big factor. And then, very happy with the way I played today, I think it was the low round of the day, so that’s always going to make it hard to beat when you start the day tied for the lead.”

The second-hand putter he found at a thrift shop in Korea last week was smoking hot again as he completed the round in just 23 putts, but Herbert also credited his new driver (a Titleist GT3 with a Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7x shaft) that he has been using to good effect this year. It has resulted in three top-10s on LIV Golf, where he is now fifth in the standings.

“I’ve played really well this year, and I think the driver was a big part of this success. So, I’ve got to thank Tom Davies, who works on my clubs. He was the one who put it in my hands. I had other thoughts of what I might be using this year and he encouraged me to give it a go. It seemed to have worked out pretty well,” said Herbert.

“The way I’ve been playing this year, it’s been building to get a win at some point. So, it’s nice to get it done here, especially in Japan, which is one of my favourite places. It’s nice to feel like some of the hard work that I put in has paid off. Holding that trophy is a pretty good feeling.”

Cameron Tringale of USA. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Sugiura, 23 and regarded as one of Japan’s brightest young prospects, felt he could have posted a much better score if his putter had cooperated over the past four days.

“I think I played good golf for four days. This week, my putting didn’t go as well as I wanted, but I hit some good shots, so I’m looking forward to my future tournaments,” said Sugiura, who won the 2023 Dunlop Phoenix Open on Japan Golf Tour as an amateur.

“I made some good putts yesterday, so I thought today would go well, but it was difficult because I kept missing birdie chances, just like the first two days.”

Song struggled with his shot-making on the back nine, and despite finding numerous tough spots, limited the damage to just two bogeys.

“I started off really well, but I missed some putts at key moments and things didn’t go well on the back nine. However, Lucas putted really well and there’s no doubt he was the better player today,” said Song.

“I played with Lucas yesterday and today. These guys are good with their shot-making, but they’re also really good with their short games. He wasn’t making many putts yesterday, but he made a lot of putts today. I think if I work hard on my short game, I can do it as well.”

International Series Japan presented by Moutai was the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League. The next event in the schedule is the International Series Morocco, which will be played July 3-6.

May 10: In a dramatic finish to the third round of the US$2 million International Series Japan presented by Moutai, Lucas Herbert made an eagle two on the par-four 16th, followed by a regulation eagle on the par-five 18th to catch up with Yuta Sugiura and Younghan Song on top of the leaderboard.

The 29-year-old Australian, leader by one at the start of the day, seemed to be struggling with his game and was five shots behind with three holes to play at the par-71 Caledonian Golf Club in Chiba.

However, the Ripper GC star on LIV Golf scripted a rousing finish. He drove the green on the reachable 16th and converted a 21-foot putt. On the 18th, he struck his second shot from 188 yards to 10 feet for a two-under round of 69.

That lifted him to 13-under for 54 holes, joining Japan’s Sugiura (66) and Korea’s Song (68).

Moments earlier, Sugiura made a bogey on the 18th after smashing his 78-yard wedge shot over the green. That undid a magical eagle on the 345-yard 16th, where he had hit his drive to six feet.

Yuta Sugiura of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

England’s Sam Horsfield had set the marker in the clubhouse at 11-under, thanks to a blistering round of 63. He was nine-under through 16 holes, but made a bogey from the bunker on the par-three 17th and could not make a birdie from 12 feet on the 18th.

Australia’s Travis Smyth and Guatemala’s Jose Toledo both shot matching rounds of 68 to move to T5 at 10-under.

Herbert made an early bogey on the third hole, and then dropped a couple of shots around the turn to be two-over for the round as he walked to the 16th tee.

“It was a frustrating day heading into the last three holes, but golf is a funny game like that. You can turn around a very frustrating day and make it pretty productive. So, got the lead after all three rounds. Hopefully, I will have the lead after all four rounds,” said Herbert, who matched the course record with a 62 on the opening day.

“I was just slightly off. It was a little tricky with the wind, which was gusting around everywhere. I didn’t think that was super easy. Just wasn’t that far off, and probably just trying a little bit too hard. I thought today was a really good opportunity to try and stretch a lead out and get a long way away from the field.

“Once I kind of let go of that mentality, I was able to come back and refocus on what was in front of me.”

Younghan Song of Korea. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Asked what he needed to do on Sunday to get his first international title in almost two years – his last win was also in Japan at the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship, Herbert said: “We shoot five-under tomorrow, I’d say it’s probably good enough.

“I haven’t played with Sugiura before, but I just played with Song, who is also leading going into tomorrow. They are both 13-under and are obviously good players. So, we will just have to roll with the punches tomorrow. If they are making a lot of birdies, I am going to have to try to go with them.”

Sugiura leads the home challenge and will be looking for his first Asian Tour victory. The 24-year-old is no stranger to winning, having won the 2023 Dunlop Phoenix Open, one of the most prestigious titles on the Japan Golf Tour, as an amateur, followed by the Japan PGA Championship last year.

Bogey-free through his first two rounds of successive 67s, the promising Sugiura started and closed Saturday with bogeys, but shot his best round of 66.

“Today, I could make more putts than the last two days which led to a good score. It’s nice to finish on top of the leaderboard and play in the final round in a good position. I want to try my best to win and also enjoy the nervousness of playing in contention,” said Sugiura.

Sam Horsfield of England. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

“Of course, it would be great to have a bogey-free round, but it feels like birdies don’t come easily when you play golf with that as your main goal. So, while the bogey on the first was the result of a mistake (a poor tee shot), it couldn’t be helped.”

Song, who defeated the then world No.1 Jordan Spieth to win the 2016 SMBC Singapore Open for his only win on the Asian Tour, birdied the last to join the leaders.

“My putting was great at the start and I was happy with that, but in the middle, my shots weren’t that great. I thought I just had to hang in there and keep pushing until the end. So, I changed my mindset and played accordingly. Overall, I think today went well,” said Song, a regular on the Japan Golf Tour who is searching for his first win in the country.

“I do want to win, and if my shots come out well, I think I can be in a good position. I want to focus on my own game. I hope I can showcase my full potential and have a good round.”

International Series Japan presented by Moutai is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

May 9: Lucas Herbert protected his overnight lead despite a wobble in the middle of his second round, carding a two-under-par 69 to reach 11-under at the halfway stage of the $2 million International Series Japan presented by Moutai.

The 29-year-old Australian dashed off the blocks on Friday morning, making two birdies in his first two holes. He then added another on the 14th, his fifth hole of the day, to reach 12-under. However, a sprayed drive on the 15th led to a double bogey, followed by a brace of bogeys on the next two. He responded with five birdies over the next 10 holes for a round of 69.

At 11-under, Herbert was one ahead of the chasing pack led by Japan’s Shunya Takeyasu (68) and Korea’s Younghan Song (67). Takeyasu made just one bogey in difficult afternoon playing conditions, while Song carded a bogey-free four-under-par 67 as both moved to 10-under.

Another player who took advantage of the calmer morning conditions at the par-71 Caledonian Golf Club was Japan’s Yuta Sugiura (67). A second consecutive four-under round moved him to eight-under par total, and three behind the leader, where he was joined by South Africa’s Ian Snyman (66).

Younghan Song of Korea. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Herbert, who matched the course record at Caledonian Golf Club in Thursday’s opening round with a 62, took solace in the fact that he made more birdies in his second round.

“Obviously, a bit up and down. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity to get off to such a good start there, and not really capitalising on it. I felt like I could have stretched the lead out and run away a little bit and put some ground between me and the field,” said Herbert, a four-time winner on major tours across the globe.

“But I’m still leading. I still fought back nicely and made some good putts there later in the round to make some birdies. So, yeah…it’s a little bit frustrating to only shoot two-under, but I made eight birdies today. I think I made seven birdies and an eagle yesterday. So, the good stuff is there. I just need to clean up some of the bad ones and I’ll be fine.”

Song, who made a hole-in-one yesterday, may not have been as spectacular in his second round, but he was solid with two birdies on either half of his round.

“My shots were solid today, so I was able to create more birdie opportunities compared to yesterday,” said the 33-year-old, a winner of the 2016 SMBC Singapore Open, which was co-sanctioned by the Asian and Japan Golf Tours.

Shunya Takeyasu of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

“This is my third tournament of the year, and I usually get better as I play more events. But this course is tough – it’s really challenging to judge the wind. I’m not focused on winning right now. My goal this week is simply to stay committed and play with confidence.”

Takeyasu, who has made only one bogey (on the par-four 13th hole), was best-placed among the Japanese players in the field.

The 32-year-old, who cut his professional teeth on the Asian Development Tour and won the 2016 PGM UMW Championship in his second start, felt he handled the conditions well.

“I played consistently. Although I did not make some key putts, I managed to hang in there through some tough stretches. So overall, I feel like I played a good round of golf,” said Takeyasu, who worked hard on his putting towards the end of 2024.

“I adjusted my weight position at address, and that has made my stroke feel more comfortable. Also, starting this year, I’ve been working with a putting coach for the first time, which has also helped improve my putting.”

Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang (63) and New Zealand’s Nick Voke (64) were both bogey-free in shooting the two lowest rounds of the day. Playing in windier afternoon conditions, that helped Chan climb 76 positions from outside the cut-line to tied fifth, while Voke jumped up from tied 55th place at even-par.

Joining Chan and Voke in tied fifth place at seven-under par were Asian Tour members, Guatemala’s Jose Toledo (69), Australia’s Travis Smyth (67) and LIV Golf’s American stars Cameron Tringale (69) and Caleb Surratt (67).

International Series Japan presented by Moutai is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

May 9: Lucas Herbert protected his overnight lead despite a wobble in the middle of his second round, carding a two-under-par 69 to reach 11-under total halfway through the second round of the $2 million International Series Japan presented by Moutai.

The 29-year-old Australian was off the blocks in a flash on Friday morning, making two birdies in his first two holes, and then adding another on the 14th, his fifth hole of the day, to reach 12-under. However, a sprayed drive on the 15th led to a double bogey, followed by a brace of bogeys on the next two. He responded with five birdies over the nest 10 holes for a round of 69.

At 11-under, the Ripper GC player was one ahead of Korea’s Younghan Song, who carded a bogey-free four-under-par 67 and moved to 10-under-par aggregate.

Another player who took advantage of the calm morning conditions at the par-71 Caledonian Golf Club was Japan’s Yuta Sugiura (67). A second consecutive four-under round moved him to eight-under par total, and three behind the leader.

Asian Tour members, Guatemala’s Jose Toledo (69) and Australia’s Travis Smyth (67), joined LIV Golf’s American stars Cameron Tringale (69) and Caleb Surratt (67) to be tied at seven-under total.

Younghan Song of Korea. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Herbert, who matched the course record at Caledonian Golf Club in Thursday’s opening round with a 62, took solace in the fact that he made more birdies in his second round.

“Obviously, a bit up and down. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity to get off to such a good start there, and not really capitalising on it. I felt like I could have stretched the lead out and run away a little bit and put some ground between me and the field,” said Herbert, a four-time winner on major tours across the globe.

“But I’m still leading. I still sort of fought back nicely and made some good putts there later in the round to make some birdies. So, yeah…it’s a little bit frustrating to only shoot two-under, but I made eight birdies today. I think I made seven birdies and an eagle yesterday. So, the good stuff is there. I just need to clean up some of the bad ones and I’ll be fine.”

Song, who made a hole-in-one yesterday, may not have been as spectacular in his second round, but he was solid with two birdies on either half of his round.

“My shots were solid today, so I was able to create more birdie opportunities compared to yesterday,” said the 33-year-old, a winner of the 2016 SMBC Singapore Open, which was co-sanctioned by the Asian and Japan Golf Tours.

Yuta Sugiura of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Song, still searching for his first title on Japanese soil, said: “This is my third tournament of the year, and I usually get better as I play more events. But this course is tough – it’s really challenging to judge the wind.

“I’m not focused on winning right now. My goal this week is simply to stay committed and play with confidence.”

Sugiura, the reigning Japan PGA champion, was best-placed among the Japanese players, and the only one to be bogey-free after 36 holes.

“I was bogey-free the last two days, which is great. There are a lot of chances this week, so I’d like to make a few more of those short birdie chances I had. But overall, playing bogey-free definitely feels great,” said the promising 23-year-old.

“It wasn’t great at the start of the week, but I had a sense that it would gradually get better. I think I’ve managed to get things into a good place this week. My shots were a bit off, but I started feeling some improvement last week. Then during the practice round this week, things kept getting better little by little, and by the second round, I really felt like I was hitting it much better.”

International Series Japan presented by Moutai is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

May 8: Armed with a second-hand putter purchased from a thrift shop while having dinner last week in Korea, Australia’s Lucas Herbert waltzed his way to a two-shot lead and tied the course record with a bogey-free nine-under-par 62 in the opening round of the $2 million International Series Japan presented by Moutai.

The putter, called Code 01 Forged with an old Yes C-groove face, was smoking hot throughout the day, but especially in the first seven holes as he quickly joined morning leader, Shunya Takeyasu of Japan, at seven-under-par with six birdies and an eagle.

The eagle came on the par-five second hole, where Herbert smashed a 5-wood to 20 feet, and converted the first of his long putts for the day.

Takeyasu played in the morning groups and handled the windy conditions well in a bogey-free round of seven-under 64. Korea’s Younghan Song was in third place, aided by a hole-in-one on the sixth hole, as he closed with a 65.

Local Hero Shugo Imahira, who is trying to find his way back into the form that carried him to world No.30 in 2019, did his chances no harm with a first-round 66, which tied him for fourth place with compatriot Ren Yonezawa, Guatemala’s Jose Toledo, American LIV Golf star Cameron Tringale and Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai.

Shunya Takeyasu of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

The 29-year-old Herbert is part of the all-Australian Ripper GC team on LIV Golf and was in Incheon last week for LIV Golf Korea. He has had three top-five finishes already but felt he could have done better with how he hit the ball.

While heading to the 2018 Open Championship, his golf bag was lost in transit, and he never found his favourite C-groove putter. The moment he saw the putter with the same face, he immediately bought it, and the move paid rich dividends at the par-71 Caledonian Golf Club.

Even though he made only two more birdies after that start, which tied the course record earlier held by Japan’s Tadahiro Takayama in the opening round of 2017 Asia Pacific Open Diamond Cup, Herbert was delighted with his outing.

“Very happy with the way I played. Slowed down a little bit towards the end. Would have been nice to play the last four holes a little better and maybe have a run at a 59,” said Herbert, who finished third in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn last year.

“No… but very happy to be leading by two. And (equal) the course record as well.

“The putter was behaving, definitely on the first few holes. Just got off to really hot start there with the putter. And that just gave me a lot of confidence going to the rest of the round knowing that I could sort of get myself anywhere around the hole.”

Younghan Song of Korea. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Takeyasu, 32, spent a season on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016 and won the PGM UMW Championship in only his second start. He had an average start to 2024 on Japan Golf Tour with just one top-10 in his first 17 starts. However, he caught fire towards the end with four top-10s and a tied 11th place in the season-ending Nippon Series JT Cup in his last seven events.

The Tohoku Fukushi University (TFU) alumnus, one year junior to the 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, started on the 10th tee and was three-under par for his first five holes, before powering ahead with three consecutive birdies around the turn on the 18th, first and second. He then added another on the par-five seventh.

“I think today’s round was the result of playing aggressive golf, which led to a good score. I’ve been playing well and felt like I could finish on the top of the leaderboard,” said Takeyasu, who finished runner-up in the 2016 Yeangder TPC, his best result on the Asian Tour.

“Last year, my putting stats were not good, so I practiced a lot. My putting is getting a lot better now.

“I want to win, but it’s not something that can be done by wishing. So, I’ll focus on my game, and hopefully the victory will come as a result.”

Takeyasu believes his early days on the Asian Tour helped shape him as a player.

“I spent about two years playing Asian Tour, and I think I am a much better player because of the experiences I gained there. I really like the atmosphere on the Asian Tour back then, and even though we’re in Japan this week, the vibe feels very much like playing the Asian Tour,” said Takeyasu.

“Back then, I had to arrange my own caddies and accommodation while traveling. All those experiences contributed to the toughness I have now. It was great mental training for me.”

Korea’s Song used a perfect nine-iron from 159 yard for his ace, which helped him finish on 65.

“My iron shots were not very good today,” said Song, winner of the 2016 SMBC Singapore Open and a regular on Japan Golf Tour. “But my approach shots and long putts helped me.

“It was a very lucky day. This is the first hole-in-one I’ve made in 14 years. The feeling was simply indescribable when I saw the ball drop into the hole. I was ecstatic.”

International Series Japan presented by Moutai is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

May 8: Japan’s Shunya Takeyasu continued his strong form from the end of last season as he overcame the early windy conditions at Caledonian Golf Club to post a bogey-free round of seven-under-par 65 for a two-shot lead midway through the opening round of the $2 million International Series Japan presented by Moutai.

The 32-year-old, who spent a season on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016 and won the PGM UMW Championship in only his second start, made seven birdies in his round to claim the clubhouse lead ahead of Ren Yonezawa, his highly rated young compatriot.

Yonezawa, 25, winner of two titles on the Japan Golf Tour last year, made three birdies on both nines of the par-71 golf course, but his round included a solitary bogey on the par-three 17th hole.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines was his usual solid self in carding a bogey-free 67 for a tie of third at four-under-par alongside Japan’s Yosuka Asaji.

Takeyasu had an average start to 2024 on Japan Golf Tour with just one top-10 in his first 17 starts. However, he caught fire towards the end with four top-10s and a tied 11th place in the season-ending Nippon Series JT Cup in his last seven events.

Ren Yonezawa of Japan. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

The Tohoku Fukushi University (TFU) alumnus, one year junior to the 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, started on the 10th tee and was three-under par for his first five holes, before powering ahead with three consecutive birdies around the turn on the 18th, first and second. He then added another on the par-five seventh.

“I think today’s round was the result of playing aggressive golf, which led to a good score. I’ve been playing well and felt like I could finish on the top of the leaderboard,” said Takeyasu, who finished runner-up in the 2016 Yeangder TPC, his best result on the Asian Tour.

“Last year, my putting stats were not good, so I practiced a lot. My putting is getting a lot better now.

“I want to win, but it’s not something that can be done by wishing. So, I’ll focus on my game, and hopefully the victory will come as a result.”

Takeyasu believes his early days on the Asian Tour helped shape him as a player.

“I spent about two years playing Asian Tour, and I think I am a much better player because of the experiences I gained there. I really like the atmosphere on the Asian Tour back then, and even though we’re in Japan this week, the vibe feels very much like playing the Asian Tour,” said Takeyasu.

“Back then, I had to arrange my own caddies and accommodation while traveling. All those experiences contributed to the toughness I have now. It was great mental training for me.”

Yonezawa, the world No.279, has finished inside the top-six in two of his first three starts in Japan this year. Also a TFU alumnus, the Japanese star is attempting to win his first title on the Asian Tour, and made a solid start in a round that included a testing eight-foot putt for par on the ninth, his final hole.

“I’ve been playing well since the start of the season, and I’m hitting the ball the same way this week too, so I feel like I’m playing with a lot of confidence,” said Yonezawa. “I believe being able to prepare well during the off-season has been a big factor for me.”

Yonezawa was also enjoying his first event on The International Series, the 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, and was hoping to make full use of local knowledge of his home country.

“Since most of the players are from overseas, it kind of feels like being abroad. For me, it’s a really comfortable environment. I just hope I can enjoy that aspect while I play,” said Yonezawa.

“We don’t usually get to have an experience like this, so I really enjoyed it. I feel like I can make the most of my past experiences, so I’m genuinely excited.”

Tournament Information

• Tournament: International Series Japan presented by Moutai
• Date: 8-11 May, 2025
• Venue: Caledonian Golf Club, Chiba
• Par/Yards: 71 / 7,116 yards
• Purse: US$2 million (First place: US$360,000)
• Asian Tour leg: Sixth
• The International Series leg: Third
• Edition of tournament: First
• Total number of players: 156
• Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with cut after 36 holes to leading 65 professionals plus ties.
• Social media hashtags: #TimeToRise #ThisISEverything

The International Series Japan presented by Moutai trophy. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (2024), Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Scott Hend (2016), Jeev Milkha Singh (2006, 2008)
• Nationalities: 29
• Top contenders: Richard T. Lee (CAN), John Catlin (USA), Kazuki Higa (JPN), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Doyeob Mun (KOR), Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: John Catlin (USA) #143
• Highest ranked player on 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit: Doyeob Mun (KOR) #3
• Highest ranked player on the 2025 International Series Rankings: Richard T. Lee (CAN) #7
• Number of amateurs: 1
• Number of Japanese players in the field: 32

Jazz Janewattananond. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tournament Notes

• Richard T. Lee of Canada won the Woori Bank Finance Championship on the Korean PGA Tour two weeks ago in a three-way play-off, and reaching a career high of 175^th on the OWGR after that win. He had a great season on the Asian Tour last year, finishing third on the Order of Merit thanks to a win at the BNI Indonesian Masters, a runner up at the International Series Thailand and four other top 10s. He also had a good start this season with top-10s in his first two Asian Tour starts, finishing fifth in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and T10 in the International Series India presented by DLF. Lee continued his impressive cut streak on the Asian Tour to 20 last week at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, and the last time he missed being around on the weekend was at the International Series Singapore in October of 2023.
• American John Catlin has posted one top 10 in three starts in the 2025 season, placing seventh at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport in early March. His last tournament was Liv Golf Korea last week where he finished T39 filling in for injured Branden Grace on the Stinger GC squad. The 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion had a spectacular season last year, posting wins in Macau and at the Saudi Open presented by PIF, three runners-up and eight top 10s in 15 events on the way to setting the all-time Money List record with US$1,456,800. He also recorded his best result in a Major, finishing T16 in the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
• Japan’s Kazuki Higa started his Asian Tour season with three straight top 10s, including a T2 at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport, a T5 at International Series India presented by DLF and a T8 in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open. In last week’s tournament on the Japan Golf Tour he finished T6 at The Crowns. Higa won four tournaments in Japan in 2022, including the Asian Tour and Korean PGA Tour tri-sanctioned Shinhan Donghae Open, and topped the Japan Tour Money List that year.

Caledonian Golf Club. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

• Lucas Herbert from Australia is part of Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC team on the LIV Golf League and is off to a good start to his 2025 LIV season finishing fourth in Hong Kong, T4 in Riyadh and T2 in Mexico City – his best LIV finish to date. After a T13 in Korea last week Herbert is now in fifth place in the individual standings. In his only Asian Tour start this season he was T8 at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn. Herbert was part of Ripper’s two team titles in 2024 when they finished third in the overall team standings. Prior to joining LIV he posted three DP World Tour victories, including one in Japan at the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship, and one PGA Tour win.
• Last week’s winner at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Doyeob Mun from Korea is in great current form proven by his spectacular final round 63 at the difficult Namseoul Country Club track. He also had a good showing on the Korean PGA Tour the previous week finishing T7.
• The 2019 Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour, has seen his game return to good form and he finished T2 at last week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open after being the joint leader after three rounds. He also recorded a top 10 at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn six weeks earlier.
• Crowd favourite Ryo Ishikawa is making his first start in an International Series event, and the 20-time winner on the JGTO will be looking for his first title since winning the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Tour in November last year. He also won the Japan Players Championship in June of 2024.
• The Asian Tour has been at Caledonian Golf Club in the past when the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup was held here in September of 2017. It was won by Daisuke Kataoka from Japan.

A strong home challenge is expected at the International Series Japan presented by Moutai this week, some of Japan’s finest are in the field at Caledonian Golf Club – including one of the nation’s hottest properties, Taiga Semikawa.

Semikawa, named after the legendary Tiger Woods, created waves back in 2022 by becoming the first amateur in 95 years to win the Japan Open. In that same standout season, he also secured victories at the Panasonic Open and the Japan Create Challenge on his way to top spot in the world amateur rankings. Since then, as a professional, he has gone on to win the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup and the Kansai Open Golf Championship, both in 2023 – impressive returns for a player still in the early stages of his career, and is currently aged 24.

With Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, and LIV Golf stars including compatriot Jinichiro Kozuma of Iron Heads GC, Lucas Herbert of the all-Australian team Ripper GC and Caleb Surrat of Legion XIII, playing this week, Semikawa believes it is the perfect place to benchmark his form.

He said: “This is my first time playing in The International Series. I think it will be a great opportunity to compete with the Asian Tour and LIV golf players. I feel The International series is a big because the top players from Asian Tour and LIV golf take part, and this is a wonderful opportunity to compete alongside them.”

Taiga Semikawa. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Semikawa has not tasted success since 2023 but the golfing prodigy is hoping a change in mindset could help this week in what is the first ever International Series event to be played in Japan..

Summing up his form, he said: “I feel that, compared to then, my mental game is lacking. In 2023 I had a sense that I could win but recently, I haven’t been feeling that way. I need to be confident in my ability to make short putts.”

The old adage ‘beware the wounded golfer’ is one to keep in mind this week, with Semikawa on the road to recovery following a fractured rib.

He is hopeful it won’t impact his game as he prepares for a 7:40am start on the 10th tee on Thursday.

“I had a fracture, but I made my comeback last week,” he revealed. “Although there was still some pain, I managed to push through and finish all four days, which was a big achievement.

“I believe I can make use of that experience and approach this week in better condition than last time.”

Regarding the challenge posed by Caledonian Golf Course, he said: “I have played on this course before during training camps and the Japan Student Championship. I think driving distance is going to be a important, but keeping the ball in the fairway is also very important.”