After a month long break the Japan Tour gets back into gear this week with 11 Australasians taking their place in the field for the RIZAP KBC Augusta tournament.

2015 tournament winners Adam Bland and Michael Hendry spearhead a strong playing list, which includes Australia’s most successful Japan Tour player Brendan Jones and former winner and Japan Tour veteran Steve Conran.

While Matt Guyatt, Peter Wilson, Won Joon Lee, Brad Kennedy, Kurt Barnes, Scott Strange and David Smail round out the challenge.

It’s already been a hugely successful year for players from this part of the world in Japan with the aforementioned maiden victories of Bland and Hendry backed up by some strong play from Brad Kennedy and Scott Strange in particular.

Both Hendry and Bland had good finishes at this event last year, Bland T7 and Hendry T11, and after a month off will be keen for some competitive golf.

Brad Kennedy hasn’t fared quite so well at this event with T40 his best but three times a runner-up this year already he is having a strong season.

He will be disappointed to have missed the cut at last week’s Isuzu Queensland Open at Brookwater but that was the result of an uncharacteristically poor opening 79 and it would be a surprise if his form isn’t vastly improved this week.

For Japan Tour veteran Steve Conran this is always a special week on the calendar, this the site of his only Japan Tour win in 2004.

While it has been an indifferent season so far for the 49-year-old the good memories of 11 years ago could help lift him to a good result.