He didn’t want to have to answer the same question over and over again: Why?

The 2016 NSW Amateur champion was regarded as one of Australia’s brightest young talents. He made an immediate impression after turning professional in 2017, registering pro-am wins at Griffith and Belmont, a tie for 12th at the Nexus Risk WA Open and a top-25 at the Asian Tour’s Indonesia Open.

Early the following year he was tied for the lead after the opening round of the 2018 Rebel Sport NZ Masters before finishing tied for 11th… and then he walked away.

Bautista would spend the next two years volunteering with humanitarian aid organisations Foundation for a Drug-Free World and The Way to Happiness Foundation in places such as Papua New Guinea, China, Japan, Thailand and war-torn Israel.

“I was watching from a distance, seeing third world countries that perhaps weren’t doing so well and I wanted to help,” Bautista recalled ahead of this week’s Canary Islands Championship, his fourth start on the European Tour.

“I can’t just be a professional golfer my whole life and not do anything for humanity.

“Israel was pretty scary, just because there are a lot of bombs that go off there.

“The person who was there doing the same thing I was doing had a bomb threat the week prior. A bomb had been thrown into the lobby and everyone was immediately in the bunker.

“That was a bit nerve-racking when I arrived a week later and they told me what had happened.”

In those two years of aid work he lost his regular spot in the Saturday comp with his mates at Bonnie Doon Golf Club in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and barely spoke to his father, the man who had fostered his obvious talent into what looked like a blossoming career as a professional golfer.

“When I came back to golf in early 2020 there were a lot of people that were upset with me, wondering where I was and what I was doing,” the 24-year-old revealed.

“I was the No.1 amateur in Australia at a point and looking at a very big career so I didn’t want to be swayed with my decision. I cut all social media ties, didn’t really speak to anyone, just went on my way and did my work.”

It didn’t take long after picking up the clubs again at the start of 2020 that Bautista began to make good on the promise he’d shown as an amateur.

After resuscitating a rusty short game and a brief battle with the shanks Bautista shot 63 in the second round of the Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship in his first tournament back only for the world to go into a pandemic-induced lockdown.

Recognising the need to return to America if he was going to play tournament golf in 2020, Bautista once again defied conventional thinking and left Australia hopeful of a friendly reception at the other end.

“The guy at border control when I got to America was really friendly and let me through,” said Bautista.

“Once golf opened up again there it was smooth sailing and I was ready to roll.”

The resumption of the mini tours gave Bautista his competitive outlet and after one missed cut to start he went on a tear, winning four times, Monday qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Wichita Open and earning conditional status for the 2021 Mackenzie Tour in Canada (now the Forme Tour).

With Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm on their books, Sportfive (formerly Lagedere Sports) saw potential in Bautista and signed him to their management company, immediately looking for opportunities to expose him to a higher grade of competition.

“There was my own pressure of wanting to play well but I definitely knew that if I wanted to get more starts in future I had to play well in my first start, otherwise they might not look at me again,” Bautista said of his European Tour debut in last December’s South African Open.

“I was 4-under through 27 holes and like seven shots inside the cut but I didn’t know that and I was thinking, Is it possible to miss the cut?”

He qualified for the weekend that week and proved to his management team – and himself – that their belief was well founded with a top-10 finish at last month’s Austrian Open.

“Austria was bitter-sweet,” admitted Bautista, one of four Aussies in the field for the Canary Islands Championship.

“It’s seventh place, my best finish in a big tournament like that and the biggest single cheque I’d ever earned but one shot was a €17,000 difference. I had a putt for birdie on the last but I also knew I needed par to finish top 10 and earn a start the following week.

“It’s propelled me into an area that I now believe I can compete in. You put me on the European Tour and I finish top-10, I’m up there with these guys. I’m not just winning mini tour events.”

Bautista’s goals for his golf career are as big as they come: “In two years’ time I want to be top-10 in the world, competing in majors, having won PGA TOUR events.”

He doesn’t have a coach as such, instead holding onto a golden piece of advice once given to him by PGA of Australia Immortal Alex Mercer.

“He gave me the greatest golf lesson I’ve ever received,” said Bautista. “He changed my grip a little bit and said, ‘You’ve got the mechanics to play well, all you need to do is play more.’”

Taking two years off may not have been part of the original plan but Bautista has no doubt that the mindset shift brought about by his aid work will provide the foundation for any success he has in the future.

“Early on I felt like I should have been given everything. I thought I deserved a lot more than I did,” Bautista admitted of his formative years in the game.

“I’d play good in some amateur events but when I played bad I had a bad attitude and would throw clubs and stuff like that.

“Coming back now, as a golfer I’m more mature and more at ease with failure because a lot worse can happen than not hitting the best golf shot at the very moment that you want to hit it.

“Each day when I have an early morning tee time I catch myself looking at the sun coming up and excited to be out on the course.

“It’s definitely a different feeling to before.

“I’m just so happy to be out there playing.”

As she battled to remain in contention despite not having her best stuff on Sunday, a hole-out eagle from 64 metres at the par-4 14th propelled Green into a share of the lead and with momentum to go on and record her third LPGA Tour title.

A birdie at the par-5 16th gave the 24-year-old a one-stroke advantage but consecutive bogeys brought about by two three-putts paved the way for Kim to record her fourth LPGA Tour win and first since 2016.

Tied for third at the LA Open the week prior, Green will edge closer to the top 10 when the Rolex Women’s World Rankings are updated and with the self-belief that her best golf will be good enough to win sooner rather than later.

“I don’t want to sound obnoxious, but it is nice I’m not playing my best and getting these results,” said Green, whose closing 69 was run down by Kim’s 8-under 64.

“I feel like my driver was a little bit off this week, so if I can get that into gear, I feel like I can be up on top again.

“I didn’t really feel like I was in it until I holed the shot on 14. That was a nice way to get my momentum.

“Made a really good putt on 16 to make birdie but obviously pretty disappointed to have two three-putts finishing.

“Felt a little nerves on the last, which is nice, because I guess having the spectators out there it kind of meant something to me.

“I’m obviously very close, I just hope that I can continue this momentum and who knows, have a good result next week (in Thailand).”

Kiwi Lydia Ko was also in contention heading into the final round but was unable to mount a Sunday surge while Green’s fellow Aussies Su Oh, Minjee Lee and Katherine Kirk all closed with rounds of even-par 72 to finish inside the top 30.

Despite battling a self-diagnosed bout of “man-flu” all week Queensland’s Scott Hend delivered his best result of the year and his 18th career top-10 finish on the European Tour at the Tenerife Open in Spain.

Rounds of 66-64 gave the 47-year-old the honour of being the oldest player to make the cut and in contention for a fourth European Tour title at the halfway mark but a third round of 71 saw Hend fall back into the pack.

He bounced back in the final round with a closing 4-under 67 to climb from a tie for 15th into a tie for eighth, his best result since winning the Maybank Championship in Malaysia in March 2019.

Harrison Endycott’s strong start to the year has continued with a top-15 finish at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Huntsville Championship while Melbourne’s Julienne Soo recorded the best result of her young career on the Symetra Tour, tied for eighth at the Garden City Charity Classic in Kansas.

LPGA Tour
HSBC Women’s World Championship
Sentosa Golf Club (Tanjong Cse), Sentosa, Singapore
2             Hannah Green    71-66-66-69—272            $US149,262
T7           Lydia Ko               69-68-69-71—277            $39,022
T24        Minjee Lee          69-73-70-72—284            $15,323
T24        Su Oh     68-72-72-72—284            $15,323
T28        Katherine Kirk     69-71-73-72—285            $12,351

PGA TOUR
Valspar Championship
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Cse), Palm Harbor, Florida
T21        Danny Lee           70-67-70-72—279            $US65,291
MC         Tim Wilkinson     71-71—142
MC         Aaron Baddeley 72-71—143
MC         Cameron Davis   74-72—146
MC         Cameron Percy  74-72—146
MC         Rhein Gibson      72-76—148

European Tour
Tenerife Open
Golf Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain
T8           Scott Hend          66-64-71-67—268            €29,957
T42        Maverick Antcliff              66-69-69-70—274            €8,290
T75        Jake McLeod      68-69-71-75—283            €3,014

Japan Golf Tour
The Crowns
Nagoya Golf Club (Wago Cse), Aichi
T49        Anthony Quayle 68-71-73—212   ¥208,800
T49        Michael Hendry  71-70-71—212   ¥208,800
T61        Dylan Perry         75-68-73—216   ¥171,750
T64        David Bransdon  70-73-74—217   ¥167,250
MC         Adam Bland        74-71—145
MC         Matthew Griffin 69-76—145
MC         Todd Sinnott       73-72—145
MC         Brad Kennedy     74-72—146

Korn Ferry Tour
Huntsville Championship
The Ledges Golf Club, Huntsville, Alabama
T13        Harrison Endycott            70-66-69-67—272            $US11,500
T21        Nick Voke            71-65-71-67—274            $5,498
MC         Mark Hensby      68-72—140
MC         Brett Drewitt      68-72—140
MC         Curtis Luck          70-71—141
MC         Jamie Arnold       71-70—141
MC         Brett Coletta      72-70—142

KPGA Tour
KPGA Gunsan CC Open
Gunsan Country Club (Lake Cse), Gunsan, South Korea
T25        Junseok Lee        74-71-71-71—287            K3,937,500
T43        Kevin Chun          73-72-73-73—291            K2,440,000
WD        Wonjoon Lee

Challenge Tour
Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open
Royal Cape GC, Cape Town, South Africa
T36        Daniel Hillier       67-69-71-76—283            €1,434
MC         Deyen Lawson    74-73—147

Symetra Tour
Garden City Charity Classic
Buffalo Dunes Golf Club, Garden City, Kansas
T8           Julienne Soo       72-71-74—217   $US3,621
T48        Robyn Choi         75-74-75—224   $780
MC         Soo Jin Lee          74-76—150
MC         Stephanie Na      72-78—150
MC         Hira Naveed        75-77—152

Champions Tour
Insperity Invitational
The Woodlands CC, The Woodlands, Texas
T20        Rod Pampling     69-73—142        
T45        David McKenzie 70-75—145        
T56        John Senden       76-71—147        

The bathroom mirror at his Dallas home reveals few changes to the young man who completed a traineeship under Ian Triggs at Keppera Country Golf Club in Brisbane almost 30 years ago before taking his game into Asia, Europe and ultimately the US.

Then there was the devastating revelation in 2017 that he and Jackie’s only son Jacob had a brain tumour.

Time stands still when such a distressing diagnosis is revealed and Jacob’s journey towards a healthy future has understandably consumed Senden’s focus the past few years.

Knocking a little white ball into a hole 400 yards off in the distance becomes instantly irrelevant.

But Senden, who turned 50 on April 20, will join the Champions Tour at this week’s Insperity Invitational in Texas knowing that Jacob is in a good place physically and with a renewed focus on his own health and performance on the golf course.

“Even though a few things have happened in my life that have sort of stopped me from playing, I’m glad I’m where I’m at now,” revealed Senden ahead of his Champions Tour debut.

“Back in 2017, it was pretty rough. He was on the edge then. It was challenging because for one, I didn’t even know whether I was going to continue to play the game, with trying to take care of Jacob, in hospitals, getting him healthy again.

“But he’s way better now. If you saw him today, you wouldn’t know he was really, really sick at all.

“He’s got to keep checking in with the doctors, just to boost his testosterone with a few shots here and there, but without going into major detail, he’s looking a lot better and he’s busy. It’s good.”

Happy 50th Sendo, welcome to the Champions Tour. 🎂🎂🎂🎂🎉🎉🎉🍷🍷🍷🍷 pic.twitter.com/49ALeSnKj7

— Rod Pampling (@RodPampling) April 21, 2021

Since Jacob’s diagnosis Senden has played only 65 tournaments over the past four years, making 22 cuts and with a best result of a tie for fifth at the 2018 Australian Open, his best PGA TOUR result in that time a tie for 34th that same year at the John Deere Classic.

Revered as one of the game’s premier ball-strikers for the past 20 years, Senden believes returning to tournament golf on a regular basis will help him to rediscover the consistency that has been a hallmark of his career.

A two-time PGA TOUR winner, Senden dusted off some of the rust in missing the cut at last week’s Veritex Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour in his home state of Texas and insists a clear mind and a deeper schedule across two tours will elevate his game to a level where he can contend for trophies again.

“These last five years, the priorities have been a little bit different. It’s been more difficult to put the time in to stay really highly competitive, as well as the change in the body and your age,” said Senden, the 2006 Australian Open champion.

“When you don’t play and you’re trying to keep up with these young guys, it’s more difficult. That’s where it’s been these last couple of years but I’m lucky that I’m at the age of 50 right now where I’ve gotten through that.

“It’s just the way things have rolled, really. I feel really good about turning 50 because it’s going to give me another chance to play a consistent schedule and stay healthy.

“That gives me a good chance to hopefully get more consistent with my game, because I’ll be playing most weeks come April right through to November.

“Last year, with COVID, I only played about eight events. This year, I’m going to play probably 20-25. “Good to get the rhythm back again and play a bit more.

“That’s something that I’m looking forward to.”

With $US21,630,513 in earnings Senden’s place on the Champions Tour is secure for the immediate future via the Career Moneylist category.

After this week’s Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Country Club in Texas the Queenslander intends to tee it up in the Regions Tradition next week in Alabama before taking up an invitation to play in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club from May 27.

Good mate Rod Pampling is the only other Aussie currently in the field for the Insperity Invitational with David McKenzie hoping for the opportunity to join them from his current position as first alternate.

Starting the final round of foursomes one shot back of the South African team of Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen following a second consecutive 63 in the fourball format on Saturday, Smith and Leishman picked up birdies at two and seven to remain one back.

A superb tee shot by Leishman at the par-3 ninth set up birdie to take a share of the lead and after the South Africans dropped a shot at the par-4 10th the Aussies took sole ownership of the top of the leaderboard.

That lead was soon extended to two when Leishman’s centre fairway drive and Smith’s soaring 7-wood to 20 feet set up a two-putt birdie at the par-5 11th but drama lay waiting just around the corner.

Smith was forced to take a drop for an unplayable lie when Leishman’s tee shot at the par-4 13th rolled up behind the tall cypress tree in the left-centre of the fairway, the resulting bogey cutting the advantage to one.

A two-shot swing at the par-4 15th catapulted the South Africans back into the lead but the Aussies hit back at the very next hole in spectacular fashion.

Attempting to drive the green at the 302-yard par-4 16th, Smith’s tee shot took a hard bounce left into the water flanking the left side of the hole to seemingly sink their chances.

Yet after a delicate drop on the steep bank beside the green, Leishman delivered some of the short-game wizardry he is renowned for to chip in for birdie and once again draw level.

“I said to the boys, ‘Why don’t we just chip this in.’ It wasn’t the hardest chip in the world,” Leishman revealed post-round.

“I didn’t think I was actually going to do it but the power of positive thinking is a pretty good thing.

“I won’t say it was a must make but it was certainly very helpful that it went in. I actually forgot to get my ball out of the hole I was so excited.”

The Aussies had the opportunity to seal the win in regulation but Leishman’s birdie putt slid just under the cup before another twist to commence the playoff.

Oosthuizen flared his tee shot wide right into the lake to give the Aussies the upper hand, the pair safely plotting their way down the 18th hole to make par and add a further victory to their PGA TOUR career resumes.

Given confirmation this past week that Adam Scott would not seek selection, Smith and Leishman are now the two leading Aussie contenders on the Official World Golf Rankings and admit that an Olympic gold medal is a tantalising proposition.

“Yes, I’m all in,” Leishman declared three months out from the start of the Olympic golf competition.

“Me too,” Smith added.

“I would love to contend for any medal, to be honest,” Leishman continued.

“Obviously you want to go for gold but something I never ever thought I would do would be to have a chance to win an Olympic medal.

“I’m really excited about the chance of being there and contending for that.”

“Any chance I can get to put on the green and gold or a team shirt I’m all in,” said Smith, who was ranked 178th in the world at the time of the 2016 Rio de Janiero Olympics. “I’m a hundred percent.

“I was kind of bummed I didn’t get in the team four years ago. It was really a goal of mine.

“I’ll be thrilled if I’m there and contending on the weekend for a gold medal.”

Given the Aussie pairing combined with Leishman’s long-time caddie Matty Kelly and Kiwi Sam Pinfold on the bag for Smith, the Anzac spirit was front of mind for the four close friends as they prepared for the final round.

A winner on Australia Day last year, Leishman admitted that to win on Anzac Day in the US made it even more memorable while Smith said his father Des had a sense that it would be significant from the other side of the globe.

“I was actually speaking to my old man last night and he said it’s a really good omen for us guys being up the top of the leaderboard on Anzac Day,” Smith said.

“My family went out to a dawn service yesterday morning and paid their respects so maybe we had a bit of good karma out there today because of that.

“Obviously we had three Aussies in our little crew and my caddie, ‘Pinner’, is a New Zealander, so the Anzac spirit definitely held up today.”

As for the glorious mullet that Smith promised his girlfriend Jordan would be sacrificed if he and Leishman were successful this week…

”I have to apologise to my girlfriend; it’s not going away. I feel like it’s part of me now.”

PGA TOUR
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana
1             Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith   63-72-63-70—268            $US1,069,300 each
33           Cameron Percy/Greg Chalmers    66-70-69-82—287            $15,466 each
MC         Matt Jones/JJ Spaun        65-74—139
MC         Aaron Baddeley/Roger Sloan        64-76—140
MC         Tim Wilkinson/George McNeill    68-75—143
MC         Danny Lee/Sangmoon Bae            69-75—144
MC         Rhein Gibson/Ben Taylor               69-76—145

Leishman and Smith – World Cup partners, great mates and Presidents Cup teammates – are one of two all-Aussie pairings at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, a PGA TOUR event where two-man teams play rounds of fourball and foursomes on alternate days.

Veterans Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers have teamed up together, Honda Classic champion Matt Jones will play alongside American JJ Spaun, Aaron Baddeley is partnering Canadian Roger Sloan, Rhein Gibson has paired with England’s Ben Taylor while Kiwis Danny Lee and Tim Wilkinson will be partnered by Sangmoon Bae and George McNeill respectively.

Given their history – and Smith’s victory in the 2017 event alongside Swede Jonas Blixt – the most prominent Aussie pairing are considered one of the tournament favourites but Leishman’s song selection and Smith’s inspiration may turn even more heads.

“It’s actually funny,” Smith explained, whose back-to-back Masters top-10s are the only thing currently overshadowing his flowing mullet hairstyle.

“Leish found this song or looked up a song and he’s already entered it; I didn’t even get a choice.

“It’s called ‘The Mullet Song’. We’re going to be rocking that going to the first tee. And maybe a few other surprises.”

Think a mix between Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus and you’re close to Jay Powell’s homage to the resurgent follicle fashion statement that has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube since its release in August last year.

It doesn’t quite have the upbeat tempo that Percy has selected for he and Chalmers, ‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim – “Get us focused,” Percy explained – but Leishman hopes his choice will set a fun tone that he and Smith can carry all the way through to late Sunday.

“It’s pretty funny and very true, particularly in Cam’s case,” Leishman added.

“The walk-up music is something different; I think it’s fun. You got to try and make it fun and embrace it and I think we’ll do that. Try and enjoy ourselves, get the day started off on the right foot and go from there.”

Although Ernie Els chose not to pair Smith and Leishman together at the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, Smith believes that their bond – and that of their respective caddies Sam Pinfold and Matty Kelly – is a definitive advantage when it comes to foursomes.

“I think the banter makes us a good team,” said Smith.

“If one of us hits a bit of a crappy shot or doesn’t get off to a good start or something like that, we’re always in each other’s ear just playing around and maybe saying some stuff that gets us fired up and ready to go.”

Strategically speaking, an investigation of the numbers convinced Leishman that he would be best served teeing off on the odd-numbered holes in foursomes and Smith on the even-numbered holes.

And if the Aussies are successful at the end of 72 holes, The Mullet Song may earn a reprise in a presentation ceremony with a difference.

“I told the missus that I would cut it if I won, but I don’t know, everyone loves it,” said Smith, currently Australia’s highest-ranked male player at No.25 in the world.

“I’ve got a lot of attention, I guess, a lot of support out on the golf course with it, so I don’t know, might hang around for longer than I anticipated.

“I think it’s a good thing, just something different. Everyone has a laugh. I know ‘Leish’ has a laugh at it and he picks on me sometimes about it, but no, it’s good. I love it.”

Minjee Lee’s two-year wait to defend her Hugel-Air Premia LA Open title is already underway with Lee posting an opening round of 1-under 70 at Wilshire Country Club.

Su Oh is positioned to push for her best LPGA Tour finish courtesy of an opening round of 5-under 66, two better than the next best Aussie through 18 holes, West Australian Hannah Green who is tied for 17th.

Round 1 tee times AEST

PGA TOUR
Zurich Classic
TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana
10.13pm*            Danny Lee/Sangmoon Bae, DJ Trahan/Ricky Barnes
11.44pm              Tim Wilkinson/George McNeill, Sepp Straka/Josh Teater
3.05am Cameron Percy/Greg Chalmers, Rob Oppenheim/Grayson Murray
3.44am Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith, Collin Morikawa/Matthew Wolff
4.23am Matt Jones/JJ Spaun, Max Homa/Talor Gooch
4.36am*              Aaron Baddeley/Roger Sloan, Rasmus Hojgaard/Vaughn Taylor
5.02am*              Rhein Gibson/Ben Taylor, Rafael Campos/Mark Anderson

Defending champions: Ryan Palmer/Jon Rahm (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Cameron Smith (with Jonas Blixt, 2017)
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Smith/Marc Leishman
TV schedule: Live 5.30am-8.30am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503.

European Tour
Gran Canaria Lopesan Open
Meloneras Golf, Gran Canaria, Spain
12.30am*            Jake McLeod, Eduardo De la Riva, Matthew Jordan
12.40am*            Austin Bautista, Ross Fisher, Scott Jamieson
5.40am*              Maverick Antcliff, Berry Henson, Cormac Sharvin

Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Maverick Antcliff
TV schedule: Live 11pm-4am Thursday, Friday; Live 11pm-3am Saturday; Live 10pm-2.30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503.

LPGA Tour
Hugel-Air Premia LA Open
Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, California
Through Round 1
T4           Su Oh     66
T17        Hannah Green    68
T31        Sarah Kemp         69
T43        Gabriela Ruffels 70
T43        Minjee Lee          70
T57        Sarah Jane Smith              71
T105      Katherine Kirk     74
T134      Lydia Ko               78

Defending champion: Minjee Lee (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2019)
Top Aussie prediction: Hannah Green
TV schedule: Live 8.30am-11am Friday, Saturday; Live 8am-11am Sunday on Fox Sports 511.

Korn Ferry Tour
Veritex Bank Championship
Texas Rangers Golf Club, Arlington, Texas
11.15pm*            Brett Drewitt, Evan Harmeling, David Kocher
11.55pm*            Harrison Endycott, Kevin Roy, Chandler Blanchet
3.35am Jamie Arnold, Andres Gonzales, Tyson Alexander
4.15am John Senden, Whee Kim, TJ Vogel
4.35am*              Nick Voke, John VanDerLaan, Brent Grant
4.55am Ryan Ruffels, Max Greyserman, Shane Smith

Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Harrison Endycott

Challenge Tour
Limpopo Championship
Euphoria GC, Modimolle, South Africa
11.20pm*            Deyen Lawson, Toto Thimba Jnr, Keith Horne

Defending champion: JC Ritchie
Past Aussie winners: Nil

Symetra Tour
Copper Rock Championship
Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah
2.15am Julienne Soo, Ingrid Gutierrez Nunez, Alivia Reynolds
5.11am Stephanie Na, Julie Aime, Madison Pressel
6.39am Robyn Choi, Dottie Ardina, Amanda Doherty

Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Robyn Choi

Not since Brad Kennedy lost in a playoff to Ryo Ishikawa at the 2019 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup has an Australian appeared in an event on Japanese soil, the COVID-19 pandemic decimating the majority of the 2020 schedule.

Four events that Australian players did not have government approval to play in were conducted at the end of 2020 and late visa approvals meant that they spent last week’s Token Homemate Cup watching from their hotel rooms in quarantine.

Coached by Australian PGA Professional Gareth Jones, last week’s winner Takumi Kanaya sits atop the moneylist with earnings already of ￥55,895,000, Matthew Griffin the only Aussie to have banked any cash courtesy of his tie for 41st at the co-sanctioned SMBC Singapore Open last January.

It puts them at a disadvantage but with 24 events still scheduled for the remainder of 2021 there is time in which to make their way up the moneylist and maintain their status for 2022.

Since his narrow loss to Ishikawa more than a year ago Kennedy has extended the golden period of the later years of his career.

The 46-year-old Queenslander added a second New Zealand Open title last March, made his maiden appearances in PGA TOUR and World Golf Championships events, won the inaugural tournament of The Players Series and claimed the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown.

Although two weeks spent cooped up in a hotel room is perhaps not ideal preparation, Kennedy can tap into some positive memories from his victory in the Kansai Open Golf Championship in 2013, albeit it at a different golf course.

Now boasting ¥428,486,406 ($A5,131,886 approx.) in career prize money in Japan, Kennedy has finished inside the top five in the event four times since his victory eight years ago but will be getting his first look at Arima Royal Golf Club, the Royal Course hosting for the first time since 1985.

Griffin enjoyed a consistent start to the year in Australia without ever really contending, logging four top-25 finishes in six starts with his best result a tie for eighth at the ISUZU Queensland Open in February.

Anthony Quayle is another returning to Japan this week with strong showings under his belt this year, finishing tied for fifth in the defence of his 2020 Queensland Open title and tied for seventh at the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links.

Victorian Todd Sinnott will hope to hit the ground running having played only five events with world rankings points attached since the end of 2018 while Adam Bland, David Bransdon, Dylan Perry and Kiwi Michael Hendry will seek a strong start in what shapes as a busy season ahead.

Round 1 tee times AEST

Japan Golf Tour
Kansai Open Golf Championship
Arima Royal Golf Club (Royal Cse), Hyogo
8.30am Brad Kennedy, Nakazawa Daiki (a), Rikuya Hoshino
8.40am*              Adam Bland, Shuhei Shimoke (a), Yuta Kinoshita
9.30am*              Anthony Quayle, Min-Gyu Cho, Akio Sadakata
9.40am Dylan Perry, Yusuke Sakamoto, Yuwa Kosaihira
9.50am Todd Sinnott, Yuta Yoshikuwa, Masatsugu Fujishima
12.50pm              Matthew Griffin, Daichi Sato, Tomohiro Ishikaza
1.40pm David Bransdon, Ryo Ochiai (a), Hiroshi Iwata
1.50pm Michael Hendry, Masayuki Yamashita (a), Chan Kim

Defending champion: Tomoharu Otsuki (2019)
Past Aussie winners: Brad Kennedy (2013)
Top Aussie prediction: Brad Kennedy