Brendan Jones – photo courtesy of Asian Tour
The Japan and Asian Tours again join forces this week when the ¥150,000,000 (A$2 million) Panasonic Open Golf Championship is played at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in Hyogo near Osaka.
The event is being played for the 4th occasion although this it will be the first occasion it has been played at this particular venue.
As was the case last week in Korea, the combination of the two Tours allows for an increase in the Australasian representation and this week eleven will tee it up.
From the Japan Tour come Scott Hend, Andrew Dodt, Zach Murray, Travis Smyth, Jason Norris, Ben Campbell and Jake Higginbottom while those who are regulars on the Japan Tour include Brendan Jones, Brad Kennedy, Matthew Griffin and Won Joon Lee.
As was the case last week when South African, Jbe Kruger, won the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, the event opens the opportunity for the winner to gain access to the Japan Tour on a regular basis, so there is a lot at stake for those not yet owning status in Japan.
The tournament continues a now almost continuous run of events on the Japan Tour culminating with the Golf Nippon Series event in Tokyo in early December.
