As the only Australasian in the top-10 on the Japan Tour Order of Merit Brad Kennedy will be hoping to build on his lead when the Tour returns to action this week.

The Japan Tour hasn’t played an event since the first week of June and Kennedy will be one of nine Australasians teeing up at the North Country Golf Club in Hokkaido for the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup.

The Queenslander has established himself as one of the steadiest players on the Japan circuit and was T5 at his last start to overtake Todd Sinnott on the earnings list.

He will be joined this week by Matt Griffin, Brendan Jones, Kurt Barnes, David Bransdon, Adam Bland, Won Joon Lee and New Zealanders David Smail and Michael Hendry.

Jones was the only Australian to finish ahead of Kennedy at the Tour’s last event and as the most successful Australian player in Japan Tour history could also be a threat this week.

For Adam Bland and Matt Griffin the tournament represents an opportunity to fine tune their games ahead of The Open at Royal Birdkdale in two weeks’ time.

While conditions in England will bear little resemblance to this week’s course, the chance to get some competitive golf under their belts ahead of such an important tournament is a valuable one.