New Zealand’s David Smail could be the Australasian to watch at this week’s limited field Tokai Classic on the Japan Tour.

Smail, whose 2014 season has been indifferent to this point, has shown a liking for the Miyoshi Country Club course with three top-10 finishes in eight appearances dating back to 1997.

With no top-10 finishes so far in 2014 a familiar course may prove just the tonic for the five time Japan Tour winner to turn his season around in time for a run of big events to end the year.

Smail will be joined in this week’s field by Brendan Jones, Brad Kennedy, Kurt Barnes, Steve Conran and Scott Strange.

Jones has had only limited starts at the Tokai event but a T4 in 2010 and T8 in 2008 will see him tee up confident as he continues his comeback from wrist surgery late last year.

Kennedy and Strange play the event for the first time this week while Barnes has a best finish of T46 to go with two missed cuts and Conran’s best result came when T11 in 2008.

Article written by Rod Morri.