After his brilliant play last week to earn a berth in The Open Championship, Michael Hendry will be hoping to replicate his 2016 form heading to the JGT Championship at Shishido Hills Country Club.

Hendry was runner-up at the tournament last year, the second of five top-5 finishes in the space of six events, and would dearly love to go one better this year and add a second Japan Tour victory to his resume.

The New Zealander has found a comfort zone in Japan, where he has been a regular contender since becoming a member in 2013, and with a win in his own national Open earlier this year could be set for a breakout season.

He is one of nine Australasians teeing up this week, fellow Open qualifier Adam Bland among them.

Bland has been threatening a top finish for much of the 2017 season and having found something in his game last week is a potential contender again at Shishido Hills.

He was T3 here last year proving he is comfortable with the course and, like Hendry, would love nothing more than to add to his lone Japan Tour victory.

Also in the field is Hendry’s countryman Ben Campbell as well as Australian regulars Kurt Barnes, Brendan Jones, Brad Kennedy, David Bransdon, Todd Sinnott and Won Joon Lee.

As he seems to at most Japan Tour venues, Kennedy boasts an excellent record here with a top-10 in 2016 and a runner-up finish in 2015.

The Queenslander will be disappointed with his play last week at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open where he was a winner in 2012, four rounds in the 70’s only good for a T46 result.

Of the others Kurt Barnes and David Bransdon are both trending in the right direction backing up top-5 finishes a fortnight ago with solid golf again last week.

Bransdon is playing his first full season in Japan after advancing from the qualifying school and early indications are that he has found the Tour to his liking.