The Australian contingent found the going tough at the co-sanctioned Myanmar Open, with Todd Sinnott the best of the Down Under brigade in his first Professional title defence.

Just two of the seven Australians who began the week qualified for the final two rounds, Sinnott claiming top honours at 2-under and T32 ahead of Kieran Pratt at 1-over and T48.

It was a particularly impressive effort from Pratt who has played little competitive golf in the past two years.

The 2012 winner of the tournament, Pratt turned his back on Professional golf in 2015 after several years of struggling for form.

For the past two years he worked for a building company in Melbourne but told the Asian Tour’s website after an opening 68 had him T7 that he was now planning a return to the Professional scene.

“I was working full-time in a building company back in Melbourne but I was playing weekend golf with my mates and shooting some really low scores,” he said.

“I was not really playing well back then and thought I had to do something else for a while. But deep inside, I always enjoyed being on the golf course and thought there’s where I should be.

“My last day with the building company was 21st December last year as I tried to get ready for Qualifying School.

“Unfortunately I did not make the grade. I’m hoping to return to the game slowly and plot my way back again.”

Pratt will be encouraged by his performance this week on what was a difficult golf course.

With the cut falling at even par, five Australians found themselves on early flights home. Asian Tour regulars Jake Higginbottom and Terry Pilkadaris both missed by one while Japan Tour representatives Won Joon Lee, Andrew Evans and Anthony Quayle all finished well outside the number.

Long hitting Victorian Todd Sinnott finds himself in uncharted waters this week as he prepares to defend a title for the first time in his career.

The likeable 25-year-old returns to the site of his 2017 Myanmar Open victory where he capped off a stunning three-week swing by hoisting a maiden Professional trophy.

Having shared medallist honours with Richard Green with a remarkable 28-under-par score at the Asian Tour Q-School three weeks earlier, Sinnott scraped into the weekend in Myanmar courtesy of a 3-under second nine on the Friday.

At 10 shots behind the leader a win looked highly unlikely but weekend scores of 64 and65 eventually saw him to a three-shot victory.

More than just the trophy and the cheque, however, the victory gave Sinnott access to two Tours as the event is co-sanctioned by both the Asian and Japan circuits.

“That win last year has opened many doors for me,” he said in the lead up to this week’s tournament.

“I got the chance to play all over the world and it gave me a full schedule to play on. Before that I was just relying on invites and things were very uncertain then.”

One of seven Australians in this week’s field, Sinnott will be drawing on his good memories after a Christmas break which he says has him feeling fresh and ready to go.

“I had a bit of time off over Christmas and then I had three weeks of training before Singapore last week,” he told the Asian Tour website.

“I feel fresh and ready to go and hopefully have a good defence this week. It’s my first defence as a Pro and I’m really looking forward to getting out there Thursday and giving it my best shot.”

Joining Sinnott are Asian Tour regulars Jake Higginbottom and Terry Pilkadaris while from the Japan Tour Won Joon Lee is joined by Q-School graduates Anthony Quayle and Andrew Evans. Kieran Pratt is also in the field as a former Asian Tour winner.

The week is a particularly significant one for Quayle and Evans who will be hoping for a fast start to their debut season on the Japan Tour.

Evans has played much of his golf on the China Tour and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia since finishing runner-up to Peter Senior in the 2015 Australian Masters and will be relishing the chance to step up to the Japan Tour.

For second year Professional Quayle it will also be an exciting week after an impressive fourth place finish at the Q-School in December.

That result will ensure him several starts in 2018 and a strong performance this week will only enhance that position.