Michael Hendry will be looking to go back
to back at the opening event of the Japan Golf Tour season when the Token
Homemate Cup gets underway in Nagoya this week.

Hendry posted his maiden Japan Tour victory
at the tournament last year on the back of a blistering final round 64, the
7-under effort taking him to a one shot win.

It was the beginning of a somewhat unusual
year for Hendry who struggled with his consistency and missed nine cuts in 18
starts.

The New Zealander will be looking to turn
that around this year and with good memories from such a special week last year
has an excellent opportunity to start the process this week.

Hendry also comes into his title defence in
good form. He recorded two top-5 finishes on homesoil in the PGA Tour of
Australasia’s Holden NZ PGA Championship and BMW ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open at
the start of March.

Hendry is one of eight Australasians in the
field this week, Q-School graduate Aaron Townsend among them as he plays his
first non co-sanctioned event as a full member.

He has already kicked off his rookie year
with a T23 result at the Myanmar Open and will be excited to get underway on
Japanese soil.

Also in the field this week are second year
Tour member Matt Griffin, veteran Brad Kennedy, Adam Bland, Won Joon Lee, Scott
Strange and Kurt Barnes.

Won Joon Lee has already posted a top 10
this season at the Asian Tour co-sanctioned Singapore Open while Brad kennedy
will be keen to improve on his T19 result here last year.

Adam Bland, who was two weeks away from
posting his own maiden win when he teed up at this event last year, will also
be keen to get his game back in shape after missing the cut at his first
tournament of the year at the Singapore Open.