Three-time PGA Tour champion Anthony Kim is facing a high-stakes end of the season as he bids to resurrect his LIV Golf League career. However, he insists there is no pressure as he chases The International Series Rankings title that would seal his return to the big time at the first time of asking.

The former US Ryder Cup star has been plying his trade alongside some of the biggest names in world golf for the past two years after LIV Golf offered him a wild card slot and a lifeline following years in the wilderness. In a stellar field featuring top talent such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann, Kim could not escape the drop zone and he lost his wild card status at the end of the campaign.

Now the LIV Golf season has finished, The International Series offers Kim and other relegated players a golden return ticket to the big time, as the end-of-season Rankings champion will get an automatic berth on the 2026 LIV Golf roster.

With five tournaments left this season, starting this week with the Jakarta International Championship, the 40-year-old is one of the biggest names to be searching for those vital rankings points that can spark a climb up the standings going into the home straight.

L-R: Kevin Akbar, Scott Vincent, Ollie Schniederjans, Anthony Kim, pictured on Wednesday, at a press conference ahead of the Jakarta International Championship. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Kim said: “My goal is to play well over the next five or six weeks, and just let things play out. Right now, I’m focused on the events in front of me, know if you play well, you’ll have an opportunity. I’m not too worried about what’s ahead – just taking it one week at a time.

“My game has been very streaky. I’ve had some stretches where I feel like a world class player, and I’ve had some stretches where I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. But that comes with not playing golf for 12 years.

“I’m at a point now where I feel more comfortable being out there, and I think great results are in front of me. As long as I can stay healthy, I believe that I’ll have a lot of chances to win in the future.”

When asked if he felt any pressure, at an event that kicks off an important five-tournament stretch on The International Series, the 40-year-old responded: “Pressure is making rent when you’re an immigrant to a new country like my mom had. You know, I took a lot of things for granted when I was younger.

“In my 20s and playing professional golf, I had a lot of access to different things, but at 40, I realised all of us sitting up here, we’re blessed to be sitting here and getting to travel the world, play golf in front of a bunch of people, in amazing places such as here in Jakarta.

“And you know, we have to appreciate that and have gratitude for the opportunity we have in front of us. We start tomorrow; we are all at level par with the chance to change our lives every week. So you know, this is not pressure. This is a blessing.”

Kim is attempting to take a route already travelled by Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and American Andy Ogletree. Vincent, the former International Series England champion, enjoyed two years of success on the Iron Heads GC team after topping the rankings in 2022 while Ogletree, a three-time champion on the series, secured a high-profile move onto Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC team after winning the 2023 race.

Anthony Kim speaking at Wednesday’s press conference. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Talking about the opportunity that The International Series provides to players from the Asian Tour, and talent from around the world including the likes of American Ogletree, the 2019 US amateur champion, Kim said: “It’s great. Golf is growing overall, and giving Asian Tour players the chance to compete for bigger purses in bigger events is important.

“Hopefully, some of them get the chance to prove themselves on a bigger stage. Golf keeps evolving, and players seem to be getting better at a younger age. I’ve played with some of those guys, and they’re playing some really good golf.”

He shot a one-under-par 69 on the opening day in Jakarta on Thursday to make a solid start to his campaign on The International Series – 10 upper-tier events on the Asian Tour.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai issued an early warning at the Jakarta International Championship today after taking the first-round clubhouse lead with a seven-under-par 63.

In August he carded a 64 on the last day to win the Mandiri Indonesia Open and was once again in blistering form back on Indonesian soil today, making eight birdies and one bogey.

Australian Wade Ormsby, Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun and Roberto Lebrija from Mexico are tied for second following 64s, at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course.

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert moved to six under after 16 holes before the day drew to a close. Poor weather in the morning stopped play for an hour and 20 minutes, the end result meaning 45 players will need to finish their first round early tomorrow morning.

To make things even more challenging for the chasing pack, Suteepat admitted that everything was perfect today.

‘Played really well today. Everything is perfect,” said the 32-year-old.

“I made a lot of putts. Not too long, longest was about seven yards.”

Roberto Lebrija.

Having arrived here off the back of two excellent weeks in Chinese-Taipei – he finished joint seventh in the Yeangder TPC and then equal fourth at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, last week – Suteepat admits that his confidence is sky high.

“After my win in August, I am much more confident. It was a big win for me, I feel more relaxed. I am just sticking to my plan. There’s no tiredness.”

He says his caddie also has great faith in him on this week’s layout.

“My caddie says I can lead here as the course suite me. The fairways are not too tight, but the greens are quite firm and if your ball is not in the fairway you cannot control the spin.”

A joint sixth place result here in Indonesia’s Open last year also points to another strong showing over the next three days.

His victory in Indonesia was his fourth on the Asian Tour but first outside of Chinese-Taipei – where he won in 2023, and twice last year.

Ormsby looked set to finish the day sharing the lead but dropped a shot on his last hole, which was the ninth as he started his round on the back nine. He found the lake with his second and did well to make five.

He said: “It’s nice to be playing somewhat decent and to get off to a strong start today. I had a little blemish at the end, but I managed to get up and down from about 45 yards, which made things feel a lot better than they were looking.”

He had been bogey free up until that point, registering seven birdies.

“It was nice to put a good score together again,” he added. “I’ve had a bit of time off, last week off, and the two weeks before that I didn’t play great. I saw my coach recently, and while the swing still doesn’t feel exactly where I want it, I managed to hole some putts, which makes the scorecard look a lot better.”

Wade Ormsby.

Lebrija is one of the surprise early pace-setters.

The Mexican made it through the 2025 Qualifying School, taking the 12^th card, but has been struggling for much of the season.

However, his fortunes have started to change since August – much of it here in Indonesia.

He had two top-15 finishes on the Asian Development Tour, both in Indonesia, tied for 12^th in the Mandiri Indonesia Open and was equal 34^th in the Yeangder TPC in Taiwan.

This morning’s suspension occurred when he was on the 10^th and worked in his favour.

“Yeah, actually kind of good luck,” he explained

“I had to go to the bathroom, and right when they stopped, I was able to go. So that kind of helped. And then I was able to actually hit some shots to warm up right before going back. And just kept doing my thing. Didn’t really change anything. And just kept on pushing. Fortunately, made a couple putts.”

Filipino Miguel Tabuena is in a group of players tied following 65s.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Fresh from his victory at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters at the weekend, Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan tees-off in the Jakarta International Championship today at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course brimming with confidence and eager to chase down what he describes as his “biggest goal of the season” – a win on The International Series.

Nicknamed ‘Fluke’, the 30-year-old has shown there is nothing lucky about his talent. He is a three-time winner on the Asian Tour, having also won last year’s SJM Macao Open, wire-to-wire, and the Thailand Open in 2017.

Last week in Taiwan, Rattanon reaffirmed his place among Asia’s top talents and capped off a strong stretch of form this season, which also saw him finish runner-up at the Yeangder TPC and T7 at the Mandiri Indonesia Open.

Now, with momentum on his side, Rattanon says Jakarta provides the perfect stage to chase his next milestone: victory on The International Series – 10 upper-tier events on the Asian Tour that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

“This year, my biggest goal has been to win on The International Series,” Rattanon shared. “Getting the trophy in Taiwan last week gave me a lot of confidence, and I hope I can carry that into Jakarta. Of course, The International Series events are bigger – the prize fund, the strength of the field, and the pathway to LIV Golf. Winning one would prove to myself that I am ready for the bigger leagues, and that is what I am working towards.”

Rattanon Wannasrichan and his peers celebrate on the 18th last Sunday. Picture by Graham Uden Asian Tour.

While his season has included undoubted highs, Rattanon has also faced setbacks, notably missing out on valuable points at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn after being forced to withdraw through a back injury.

But he insists those moments have only fueled his determination.

“Missing Macau was tough because I was looking forward to it and really wanted those points,” he said. “But setbacks are part of the game. Last week’s win reminded me that if I stay patient and keep working, good things will happen. Now, it is about staying consistent and giving myself more chances.”

This week, Rattanon says his focus is on playing freely, enjoying the game, and building on the improvements he saw in Taiwan.

“I want to enjoy myself this week and not put too much pressure on the result,” he explained. “My putting and distance control were really solid in Taiwan, and I want to keep that momentum going. If I play my game and stay relaxed, I believe I can be in the mix on Sunday.”

Kazuki Higa’s rise to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit – thanks to back-to-back wins in September – is the result of a new level of commitment that he describes as practicing “like I brush my teeth every day”.

Everyone saw how good the Japanese star is in 2022 when he won the Japan Golf Tour money list – thanks to four victories, including the Shinhan Donghae Open, an event jointly-sanctioned with Asian Tour.

However, still not content with his game, in particular how far he drove the ball, the following year he hit the reset button and ramped things up.

“From 2023, we decided that the distance of my driver shots should be increased,” he said.

“We increased the frequency of weight training and aerobic exercise.”

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

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

Kazuki Higa. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

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

And so here we are the Jakarta International Championship this week at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course with Higa version 2.0 – with a new body, equipment and shape to his shots.

He won the Shinhan Donghae Open again at the beginning of September, and the following week the Yeangder TPC in Chinese-Taipei. He is the first back-to-back winner on the Asian Tour since American John Catlin claimed titles in Macau and Saudi Arabia early last year.

On current form – and along with Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who is in second place on the Merit list – he is the man to catch this year.

His phenomenal success now is the result of a determination from very early on to overcome any short comings.

“When I was in high school, I even heard from my doctor saying that ‘I won’t be tall anymore’,” he said.

“I made it a habit to practice every single day, out of 365 days of the year. I’ve made a lot of effort to overcome my short stature. I made it a habit to practice golf like I brush my teeth every day. I’m trying harder to give hope to more people.

“I swing confidently even when the pressure is high. That’s because I’m confident in my swing and shot.”

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

Two of those wins also came on the Asian Development Tour: at the BTI Open in Bangladesh in 2018, and the UMC Championship in Malaysia the following year.

Kazuki Higa pictured with his caddie. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

As well as being as a serial winner, he also has a penchant to travel and win overseas.

No player has won three times in one season on the Asian Tour since Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond in 2019. The Thai star triumphed four times that season enroute to claiming the Merit title.

Higa has a chance to do so this week and also become the first player in the history of the Asian Tour to win three in a row.

Thanks to no shortage of drive and determination, and after wins in Korea and Chinese-Taipei, he may well etch his name into the history books in Indonesia this weekend.

Opportunity knocks again this week for Gabriel Hansel Hari – Indonesia’s former amateur star, who made the transition to the play for pay game two months ago.

He will tee-off in the Jakarta International Championship at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course on Thursday in just his second tournament on the Asian Tour as a professional.

The 22-year-old is well and truly up for the tournament – to the extent that he has worn himself out practicing over the past week and had to make a trip to his doctor.

He said: “I just practiced for like a week. I think I didn’t have enough rest, and yesterday I felt bad, and I went to the doctor.

“My bones were like aching due to too much practice. I was pretty sore, but now it’s like, it’s better. I am good to go.”

Indonesia expects big things from the boy from East Java, where his dad first taught him to play the game aged seven on a nine-hole course.

He was part of the country’s team that won the Putra Cup two years ago in Malaysia. The tournament, also known as the Southeast Asia Amateur Team Championship, is arguably the region’s most prestigious amateur event and has been a platform for some of Asia’s biggest names.

Indonesia had not won it for 29 years, but he and his team-mates Jonathan Xavier Hartono, Rayhan Abdul Latief, and Randy Arbenata Mohamad Bintan ran away with the title by 13 strokes from Vietnam.

Bintan won the individual title, Latief was runner-up and Hari secured third.

“It was an incredible moment. I had an incredible time in the amateur game, and that was the pinnacle,” said the Indonesian.

“It has certainly been a big change moving into the pro game, definitely more pressure – but I am really enjoying it, it’s been fun.”

The transition has been a successful one. He turned professional in July, and the following month finished second in a local event.

He adds: “The standard on the Asian Tour is very high. The cuts are so slow. I really need to work hard on my game to be successful.”

His goal is to secure his Asian Tour card, something he is trying to do this year by playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), where the top-10 on the final Order of Merit earning playing rights on the main tour next year.

Should he not succeed through the ADT, he will head to Qualifying School at the end of the year.

Hari’s time in the amateur game also saw him spend four years at the University of Oregon on a golf scholarship, where he earned a degree in business.

Former PGA Tour player Casey Martin from the United States, also a team-mate of compatriot Tiger Woods at Stanford University, is the head coach there and Hari was able to benefit greatly from his expertise.

“He’s a great coach and taught me how to play the golf courses there. I grew up in Indonesia, the courses are very different – so he helped me learn how to play the courses there.”

He admits he struggled during his time in States, as it was such a big change.

“I wasn’t used to cold weather,” he says. “I did well in some of the qualifiers but when it came to the main events, it was not great. The fields were so strong and there was added pressure playing for the team. My best result was something like 12^th in Washington.”

With over 30 wins on the amateur circuit in Indonesia to his name and a top-10 finish in the Mandiri Indonesia Open two years ago on the Asian Tour, Hari certainly has no such problems playing back in Asia.

He may be feeling the effects of over practicing before this week’s big test, but the aches and pains will quickly disappear as he bids to lead an ever-increasing pool of Indonesian talent from amateur stardom to success in the professional game.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.