After two difficult years former New Zealand Open winner Jake Higginbottom has produced a fine week of golf to finish top-10 at the Asian Tour’s Yeangder Open in Taiwan.

The 23-year-old hasn’t yet lived up to his considerable potential as a professional after winning the New Zealand Open as an amateur in 2012 but having earned back his Asian Tour card at last year’s Q-School this is a promising result.

Higginbottom held the lead after 18 holes of the tournament with an opening 68 only to fall back with a disappointing second round 73.
However, he regrouped and played excellent golf over the weekend with back-to-back rounds of 68 to ultimately finish T7, five behind winner Shiv Kapur of India.

It was Higginbottom’s best finish since 2014 and while the Asian Tour now has a lengthy break he will have taken considerable confidence from his play.

Terry Pilkdaris was next best of the Australians in 18^th position with Scott Barr the only other to make the cut and finishing T60.

Marcus Both was the only other Australian in the field but missed the weekend by two shots.