One good week will bring with it even richer rewards than normal as eight Australians endeavor to play their way into the limited field ZOZO Championship at this week’s Bridgestone Open on the Japan Golf Tour.

The top three finishers and the leading seven players on the Japan Golf Tour moneylist at the completion of 72 holes will be granted exemption into the first PGA TOUR event to be played in Japan in two weeks’ time with a purse of $US9.75 million to be distributed between the 78-man field.

Aussie PGA TOUR regulars Jason Day, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman are already confirmed starters in in the star-studded field alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, US Open champion Gary Woodland and Open champion Shane Lowry.

A winner earlier in the year at the Token Homemate Cup, Brendan Jones is the highest-ranked Australian on the moneylist in 15th position followed by Matthew Griffin in 18th but they would need to finish in the top two this week to move into the top seven.

Griffin can at least begin the tournament with positive memories of his top-10 finish at the Sodegaura Country Club 12 months ago while in 2016 he was inside the top five following an opening round of 5-under 66.

Tied for seventh at the 2010 Bridgestone Open, Jones skipped the event until 2016 where he again finished inside the top 10 and was tied for 29th last year.

Queenslander Brad Kennedy also finished tied for 29th alongside Jones 12 months ago and was tied for 18th in 2017 in a tournament that was reduced to 36 holes.

Fellow Australians David Bransdon, Adam Bland, Won Joon Lee, Dylan Perry and Anthony Quayle will be hoping to parlay four good rounds into a start in a PGA TOUR event as will Kiwi Michael Hendry.