In one of the more unusual events in word golf the second stage of the Japan Tour’s ISPS HANDA Matchplay gets underway today with three Australasians part of the field.

Phase one of the event was played a month ago when 96 players took part in the first and second rounds to whittle the field down to 24.

Matt Griffin, Michael Hendry and Won Joon Lee all survived that process and now face round three matches in a field expanded to include the top eight players on the money list who received a bye from stage one.

Hendry and Lee will face each other in the third round today while Griffin takes on South African Shaun Norris at the Hamano Golf Club in Chiba.

The matchplay is the richest event on the Tour with a purse of AU$2.5 million and Hendry, Lee and Griffin will all be pleased to have advanced to the final stages.