He hails from a famous sporting family and now Kiwi rookie Denzel Ieremia is showing that he too has what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

Ieremia was one of only five players to finish the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup under par as Sobu Country Club in Chiba proved to be a more than stern test, continuing his impressive start to his professional career to finish just two shots behind winner Yosuke Asaji in an event co-sanctioned between the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour.

After completing a stellar college career at Iowa State University in December, the 23-year-old made his pro debut at the Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship where he was tied for 14th and followed that up with a tie for seventh at the SEC NZ PGA Championship.

His quick transition into the pro ranks continued in Japan where he was tied for fourth, bouncing back after an opening round of 76 with rounds of 68-66-73 to end the week at 1-under to earn a cheque for just under AU$115,000.

Second cousin to former All Black Alama Ieremia and Silver Fern April Ieremia, Denzel’s development has been closely monitored in New Zealand, his third round of 6-under 66 the low round for the week and an indicator of his immense talent.

Matthew Griffin continued his excellent start to the Japan Golf Tour season to be the best of the Australians in a tie for 16th with Won Joon Lee two shots further back in a tie for 22nd and amateur David Micheluzzi impressing again in a tie for 27th, level with Queenslander Brad Kennedy.

An Aussie armada of 15 professionals and amateur David Micheluzzi will be gunning for glory when they line up in the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup at Sobu Country Club in Japan this week.

It’s been more than 30 years since Brian Jones went back-to-back at the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup but the co-sanctioned tournament between the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour provides a host of Aussies with the opportunity to break the drought.

A winner already this year on the Japan Golf Tour, Brendan Jones leads the contingent of Aussies who ply their trade in Japan along with Matthew Griffin who has opened up his 2019 campaign with a runner-up finish and tie for third at The Crowns last week.

Other Japan Tour regulars in the field this week are Brad Kennedy, Won Joon Lee and Adam Bland.

After making his return from wrist surgery at last week’s Volvo China Open Brett Rumford continues his comeback to tournament golf at the Diamond Cup with Zach Murray eager to continue his outstanding start to his professional career.

Courtesy of his win at the New Zealand Open, Murray currently sits fourth on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings and enjoyed a strong week in China last week where he was tied for 41st.

Jake Higginbottom, Terry Pilkadaris, Marcus Fraser and Travis Smyth all sit inside the top-50 on the Order of Merit early in the year with Ben Campbell to lead the Kiwi charge along with Denzel Ieremia and amateur Daniel Hillier.

Tied for fifth at the Emirates Australian Open last year, the Diamond Cup provides another wonderful opportunity for Micheluzzi to further develop his game before making the move into the professional ranks.

Seventh in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, this week is Micheluzzi’s second professional event in Japan having finished tied for 38th at the 2018 Japan Open.

Other Australians in the field this week are Cameron John, Jason Norris and Daniel Nisbet.

Fellow Aussies refer to him as the ‘King of Japan’ but Brendan Jones wants to add to his legacy with a second win at this week’s The Crowns tournament on the Japan Golf Tour.

Victorious at the Wago Course at Nagoya Golf Club in a playoff eight years ago, Jones enters this week buoyed by his win at the season-opening Token Homemate Cup two weeks ago.

It puts him atop the Japan Golf Tour moneylist early in the season and having had to wait three years to taste tournament victory for the 15th time, in an excellent frame of mind for the remainder of the year.

Now 44 years of age, Jones conceded that he had contemplated retirement in recent years but says he has renewed belief that he can add further wins to his already impressive resume.

“At the start of every year most players feel that they really want to win a tournament. To do it first up is exciting and a relief,” Jones said.

“It gives a feeling that this year is going to be a good year.

“Having won the tournament, and with the confidence that you get from winning the tournament, I feel that I can win more along the way.”

Attempting to get in his way this week are a group of countrymen who will also fancy their chances.

Victorian Matthew Griffin was runner-up to Jones two weeks ago as he seeks a breakthrough win in Japan, his tie for sixth at The Crowns 12 months ago providing further positive reinforcement.

Anthony Quayle set up a terrific rookie season in Japan last year by finishing runner-up at The Crowns while Brad Kennedy was amongst the top finishers two years ago.

Add to the Australian contingent the growing depth of talented Japanese players and not to mention defending champion YE Yang and Jones knows that win No.16 won’t come easily.

“I know how difficult it is to win,” Jones added.

“There’s a lot of very talented good players in this tour. And winning is difficult. I don’t take it for granted.

“If I keep playing like this, I will put myself in with the chance to win, and that all you can ask for.”

Other Australians in the field this week are David Bransdon, Dylan Perry, Adam Bland, Won Joon Lee and Kiwi Michael Hendry.

A five-metre par-saving putt at the 72nd hole was enough for Brendan Jones to hold fellow Australian Matthew Griffin at bay and record his 15th Japan Golf Tour victory at the Token Homemate Open in Nagoya.

Absent from Japan’s season opener for the past seven years, Jones shot 7-under 64 in the final round at Token Tado Country Club to break a three-year title drought and prevent good mate Griffin from winning his maiden title in Japan.

The pair began the final round two shots off the lead but it was Jones who made a significant move early courtesy of a birdie at the par-4 1^st and eagle at par-5 4^th.

Further birdies at 6, 11, 12 and 14 gave Jones a three-shot advantage with four holes to play but Griffin wasn’t going away.

With birdies at 4 of the 5 closing holes the Victorian played the back 9 on Sunday in 6-under 30 to heap the pressure on the experienced Jones.

He missed putts for birdie at 15, 16 and 17 and after he found the fairway bunker with his tee shot at 18 Jones proceeded to hit his second shot into the spectator stands.

“At that moment I was afraid Matt was going to catch me,” Jones said as he cradled the tournament trophy.

After using his putter from off the green, Jones was left with five metres for par – “It felt longer than five metres” – and looked up to the sky when he rolled it into the cup.

The 44-year-old admitted after his win that following wrist surgeries in 2013 and 2014 the concept of retirement had crossed his mind but with more than ¥1 billion in career earnings in Japan there is some life in the old boy yet.

For Griffin, it was another near miss.

Given that he played the final 12 holes in 8-under par there was little more that he could do, simply left to pay respect to the “king of Japan” for his victory.

While Jones and Griffin completed the quinella there were a number of other Aussies not far behind.

Won Joon Lee built on his excellent 2018 campaign with a seventh-place finish, Dylan Perry a shot further back in a tie for eighth.

There were two more Aussies – David Bransdon and Brad Kennedy – and Kiwi Michael Hendry also in the top-20 with Anthony Quayle also qualifying for the weekend.

Token Homemate Cup
Token Tado Country Club, Nagoya
1             Brendan Jones                   65-69-71-64—269            ¥26,000,000
2             Matthew Griffin                  70-68-67-65—270            ¥13,000,000
7             Won Joon Lee                   68-68-70-67—273            ¥4,290,000
T8           Dylan Perry                        66-68-72-68—274            ¥3,413,800
T13        David Bransdon                 72-67-68-68—275            ¥2,262,000
T18        Michael Hendry                 72-68-69-68—277            ¥1,373,272
T18        Brad Kennedy                    68-73-69-67—277            ¥1,373,272
T48        Anthony Quayle                 71-69-72-70—282            ¥377,520

Brendan Jones has recorded his best finish in the Japan Open in a decade as 24-year-old Yuki Inamori claimed his national title for his maiden win on the Japan Golf Tour.

Third, in 2008, Jones hadn’t placed in the top-10 in the Japan Open since 2009 but found himself with a share of the lead after the opening round at Yokohama Country Club following a 7-under 64.

Playing alongside compatriots Anthony Quayle and Brad Kennedy for the first 36 holes, Jones was 10 shots worse on Friday to drop back in the field but rounds of 70 and 71 over the course of the weekend was enough to finish tied for 10th, his sixth top-10 result of the year.

Like Jones, Victorian Matthew Griffin began the week in positive fashion with a 4-under 67, his closing round of 1-under 70 elevating him up the leaderboard into a tie for 16th.

Kennedy, Quayle and amateur David Micheluzzi completed the 72 holes in 3-over par to be tied for 38th with Adam Scott tied for 50th in his return to the Japan Open.

Won Joon Lee was the only other Australian to make the cut, a final round of 3-over 74 seeing him end the week 7-over in 54th position.

With the co-sanctioned CIMB Classic being played in Malaysia the Asian Tour also conducted the UMA CNS Open Golf Championship at Karachi Golf Club in Pakistan where Marcus Both and Nabil Abdul both finished well out of contention after making the cut.

Canberra’s Brendan Jones has produced a scintillating final round 64 at the Casio World Open but came up agonisingly short of a 15^th Japan Tour title.

Australia’s most successful player on the Tour, Jones began Sunday outside the top-20 but stormed up the leaderboard with an outward nine of 6-under 30 to apply pressure to the leaders.

A seventh birdie of the day at the 10^th suggested something special in the air but despite his brilliance a string of pars stalled his momentum.

His eighth and final birdie came at the 14^th and he failed to birdie the par-5 18th to finish one shot behind winner Sengsu Han.

While no doubt disappointed to come up shot Jones will be more than pleased with his play, his 8-under effort he best of the day by two shots.

The runners-up cheque also moved him to 28^th on the Order of Merit behind only Michael Hendry (17^th) and Brad Kennedy (23^rd) of the Australasians playing in Japan.

Kennedy was next best on the leaderboard at 12^th alone, the only other of the four Australian in the field to make the cut.

Both Kurt Barnes and David Bransdon failed to qualify for the weekend.