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.”

The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A will return to the Asian Development Tour (ADT) schedule this season, after its highly successful debut last year – and it will be staged at Luisita Golf & Country Club in the Philippines.

The tournament, won last year by Thailand’s Nopparat Panichphol after a close finish in Cambodia, will be staged from 16-19 October, with a minimum purse of US$100,000.

It is the eighth stop of the season on the ADT, although more tournaments are due to be unveiled, and it will mark the first time the circuit has visited the archipelago in nearly a decade.

The ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A was launched in order to help both the ADT and The R&A achieve their objectives of nurturing raw talent in the region and discovering the stars of tomorrow.

Said Ken Kudo, General Manager, Asian Development Tour: “The first edition of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A provided us with a wonderful opportunity to work with the game’s governing body and it was an unqualified success.

“Like The R&A, the Asian Development Tour works at both developmental and elite level, with the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A a model tournament that helps provide a pathway from one to the other.

“We thank them for their support and guidance plus we also extend our gratitude to Luisita Golf & Country Club and the National Golf Association of the Philippines for their commitment to making this event a success.”

Luisita Golf & Country Club.

The winner of the event will receive an invite to play in the International Series Philippines, being played the following week, at St. Elena Golf Club, 23-26 October.

The 144-player field will be made up of 80 from the ADT, up to 36 from The R&A, and 20 from the Philippine Golf Tour. There will be six amateurs and two invites from the club – which is located in Tarlac City, Central Luzon.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said: “Establishing clear development pathways for aspiring golfers to reach their full potential in the sport sits at the heart of what we do at The R&A and reflects our support of the Asian Development Tour. We are pleased to see this event being staged in the Philippines, where golf continues to grow in popularity. Thanks to the efforts of the National Golf Association of the Philippines, they are increasingly becoming an important market in the region.”

The ADT last went to the Philippines in 2016, when Filipino Jay Bayron claimed the Aboitiz Invitational.

Bones Floro, Secretary General, National Golf Association of the Philippines: “We are thrilled to welcome the Asian Development Tour back to the Philippines, offering a world-class stage for rising talent and reaffirming our country’s place on the global golfing map.”

Filipino Aldric Chan, who claimed the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam on the ADT in March: “Having an Asian Development Tour event in the Philippines is one of the best things that can happen to help grow the sport locally. And with the support of The R&A it helps us see the potential that the sport has within our community. A lot of great talent is here in the Philippines that will truly benefit from this tournament.”

Nopparat was victorious last year after a gripping end to the tournament. Playing in the second to last group, a fine round saw him finish with a seven- under-par 65 to take the clubhouse lead on 20-under at Angkor Golf Resort – an Asian Tour Destinations venue. Holding a two-shot lead over the rest of the field only Ahmad Baig was in a position to spoil the party. The Pakistani needed a par on the last to force a play-off, but a bogey dashed his hopes.

The next event on the ADT is the Singha Laguna Phuket Open at Laguna Golf Phuket, 22-25 May. Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert in the defending champion; his win last year taking his tally of titles on the ADT to eight – the most by any on the popular circuit.

The International Series makes its debut in Japan this week – at the International Series Japan presented by Moutai – and two of the Asian Tour’s serial winners, fresh from impressive performances at the weekend, are eager to capitalise on returning to a country they have enjoyed success.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond was named Japan Tour Rookie of the Year in 2019 and the seven-time Asian Tour champion is looking to recreate some of that form here this week, at Caledonian Golf Club, Chiba.

He’s certainly trending in the right direction. The 29-year-old was tied for the lead going into the final round of the 44th GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Korea on Sunday and in with a great shout of making it tournament victory number eight.

On a challenging final day, Jazz had to settle for a tie for second, while home hope Doyeob Mun roared to a sensational three-shot victory with a flawless eight-under round – including six back-nine birdies – on the testing course at Namseoul Country Club.

The T2 is still a positive for the 2022 International Series Morocco champion, who feels there is still a lot more to come this season. He said: “The swing is trending, but just not there yet – it’s not automatic yet. I still have some shots where I don’t feel comfortable, but I know what to work on.

Scott Vincent. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

“I haven’t been to Japan in so long. I used to play a full schedule there in 2019, and it is something special. Every golf course is perfectly manicured. You know you’re going to get a good level of golf, and a challenging golf course.

“So I’m looking forward to that, and catching up with some old friends I haven’t seen in a while,” added Jazz, who won the SMBC Singapore Open by two shots from Paul Casey and Yoshinori Fujimoto in 2019 when the event was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour.

Scott Vincent, the 2022 International Series Rankings champion, has also shown great form in the Land of the Rising Sun: he won the Landic Challenge 7  on the Challenge Tour there in 2019, and claimed three victories on the main tour over a 10-month period between 2021 and 2022.

The Zimbabwean finished one shot ahead of Ryo Ishikawa to win the Sansan KBC Augusta in August 2021 before securing a three-shot victory over Tomoharu Otsuki at the ANA Open the following month.

Vincent then secured a play-off win at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open in May 2022, part of a remarkable run that culminated in victory at the inaugural International Series England a week later.

That result propelled Vincent to the top of the end-of-year rankings, and a coveted place on the LIV Golf League.

Vincent pictured winning the Landic Challenge 7  on the Challenge Tour in Japan in 2019.

The 32-year-old spent two successful years competing against the world’s best, for the Iron Heads GC team, before narrowly losing his status at the end of last season.

He looked to be getting back to his best on Asian Tour duty in Korea last week, sitting fifth behind Jazz and co-leader Baekjun Kim going into the final round. But a disappointing three bogeys and double on the closing four holes derailed Vincent, and left him T12 overall.

A disappointing finish perhaps, but still something to work on in a country that has brought rich rewards in the past.

Vincent also secured a T9 at the Maezawa Cup in Japan last month, to go with top-10 finishes at International Series India presented by DLF and the season-opening Philippine Open on the Asian Tour.

He said: “Overall I feel like it is moving in the right direction. I’ve been obviously working on it (my game), and sometimes it works out great, sometimes not. But I like where it’s heading, and the feels that I’m creating.

“I am obviously just trying to play the best I can and do the things that I think are going to help. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. Right now it feels good – I will just keep trying to work on the things that I’m working on.”

Korean Doyeob Mun, like a bolt from the blue, won the GS Caltex Maekyung Open after a sensational back nine birdie-fest saw him shoot a sizzling bogey-free eight-under-par 63.

Mun, six behind the leaders at the start of the day and playing nine groups ahead of the final pairing, stormed through with six birdies on the second half – including four-in-row from the 11^th – to win by three shots from Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, plus Koreans Baekjun Kim and Junghwan Lee.

Mun posted his 10-under par total two hours before the final players finished, anxiously waiting to see if he would be caught.

Jazz missed makeable birdie putts on 14 and 15 and later bogeyed the last while Canadian Yonggu Shin birdied 13 and 14 to move one back but then dropped a shot on the 17^th, before a catastrophic 10 on 18. He ended in a tie for 12^th.

Doyeob Mun. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

Mun’s run for the title was fast and furious. After making those four successive birdies he was one shot behind Jazz, who had just made the turn. The Korean soon joined Jazz in the lead on nine under after another birdie on 16 before making a birdie on the last for sole possession of first. He hit a majestic second shot on the difficult par-four 18^th to six feet to set up one of only three birdies there today. And when Jazz dropped a shot on 13 Mun led by two in the clubhouse. He was hitting balls on the range in case of a play-off before events unfolded in his favour.

“I couldn’t be happier to be on top of the leaderboard in a tournament I’ve always wanted to win,” said Mun, whose home club is Namseoul

“When the birdie putt on 18 went in, I thought I could at least make it to play-off. I talked to my caddie about making sure I made that birdie, and I’m happy that I did.

“The last three holes at Namseoul Country Club are particularly tricky. I focused on playing steady and making par rather than being aggressive. I wasn’t aiming for birdies, just putting the ball in the right position.”

It is his first win on the Asian Tour and fourth on the Korean PGA Tour, as this week’s event is sanctioned with the local body. He last triumphed in Korea in 2022.

Jazz Janewattananond. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

The 33-year-old has played regularly on the Asian Tour since 2018, having made it through qualifying school in 2018 and this year, when he placed third. Previously, his best finish on tour came at the Shinhan Donghae Open in 2018, when he was joint fourth, and he also finished in the top five at the Singapore Open in 2019 and 2022.

His 63 was two short of the course record and made a mockery of Namseoul’s reputation for being one of the toughest courses on the circuit.

Carved out of mountainous terrain, its undulating topography, and elevated greens, that are slick and sloping, make it a true test plus a physical challenge to walk. Fortunately, sunshine today replaced the grey skies and drizzle, from earlier in the week.

Despite his brilliant come-from-behind win, Malaysia’s Danny Chia still has the record for most shots gained on the last day. He came from seven behind to win the Taiwan Open in 2002 – when a typhoon played havoc with the scores.

Jazz, who shared the lead at the start of the day with Baekjun Kim, was bidding to become the first overseas player to win this event in 21 years but faded on the back nine, playing it in two over.

He said: “Oh, I mean, it was so hard out there today, it was a grind fest. I mean, I tried to grind as much as I could. I didn’t give up at all at any point. But it was just hard, you know, like I didn’t have my best stuff out there, but overall, I think I finished up well.

Scott Vincent. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

“Congrats to Doyeob. I don’t know how he shot eight under par today, but if it wasn’t for him, I would be doing a play-off with another player right now. So overall, good.”

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, two behind at the start of the day and like Jazz looking for his first win since 2022, was in contention for much of the day but finished poorly with a double bogey and three bogeys, carding a 75 to tie for 12^th.

The Asian Tour crosses the Sea of Japan next week for the International Series Japan presented by Moutai. The inaugural US$2million event is being played at Caledonian Golf Club, 8-11 May.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond will have an outstanding opportunity to claim his first title in three years tomorrow – after he finished in share of the third-round lead at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today.

The 29-year-old, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour and the Order of Merit champion in 2019, carded a battling three-under-par 68 here at Namseoul Country Club.

He shares the lead with Baekjun Kim from Korea, who emerged from a tightly packed leaderboard brimming with talent, after firing a 66. Kim won the opening event of the season on the Korean PGA Tour last month.

The leading duo are eight under for tournament – which is considered to be one of Korea’ s majors and is the fifth stop of the year on the Asian Tour.

Baekjun Kim.

Canada’s Yonggu Shin (68) and Korean Hyungjoon Lee (71), the second-round leader, are one stroke back in joint third.

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent – another Asian Tour star looking for his first victory since 2022 – is a shot further back after shooting a 68. He is in solo fifth place and one ahead of Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, who returned a 69.

Jazz bravely holed a six footer for par on 18 to ensure he starts tomorrow in front.

Said the Thai: “Grinding, I hit it everywhere today. Got up and down from most places, missed out on a couple. But overall, I just feel like everything that I’ve done up to this point, the one thing that kind of keep me alive is scrambling, which is good, that’s what you need here.”

Should he win tomorrow it would also be his second significant victory in the Land of Morning Calming, having claimed the Korea Open in 2019 – the year he won on four occasions.

A couple of brilliant saves were the highlight of his round. He made an incredible yet unconventional four on the par-five fourth. He found trouble left off the tee and had to take a drop; played a recovery back into the fairway; then holed his next shot from 64 yards for a birdie. Later, on the 10^th he made another unexpected save. Once again he drove his ball left into trees, chipped his ball back into the fairway and scrambled a par four.

He added: “The fourth hole, oh, my god, yeah. I mean, I pulled it slightly, it wasn’t a bad shot, it just got a bit unlucky, hit the path and jumped into the bush. Had to take an unplayable and then just laid up to a good distance where I know I can get there. I walked up to the ball, did my distance and then I told my caddy this is a good distance, I should have a nice, easy par putt. But then, you know, just a bit luckier than a par putt.”

Scott Vincent.

Vincent, the 2022 International Series Ranking champion who played the LIV Golf League the past two years, could have finished closer to the leaders but three putted the 18^th. Like Jazz, his ball finished on the lower front tier of the treacherous green and he left his first putt up the steep slope short. Unlike Jazz though, he missed his par putt from 10 feet.

“Just playing the weekend is a PR for me, so that’s a win,” said Vincent, who missed the cut the one and only time he played here in 2018.

“Today was great, I’m really happy. It was a tough day. I find this golf course really challenging. And yeah, just encouraged by the way that I just stayed patient and then got a few to go towards the middle of the back nine.

“And yeah, the last hole is one of those. It’s one of those holes where you need a great club in, you need to hit it right on the number. You can’t go long, short is better than long, but then you have got to deal with the putt. So, it’s one of those, it’s just golf. I get another crack at it tomorrow and we’ll try to do better.”

Moments earlier he’d played the shot of the day by hitting it close on the long and daunting par-four 16^th. He nailed the putt for the only birdie of the day there. It was his third birdie on the trot.

Richard T. Lee was well and truly in the hunt but bogeyed the last two holes. The Canadian, who won on the Korean PGA Tour last weekend, carded a 71 and is six behind the pacesetters.