Seven Asian Tour hopesfuls make Olympics

An impressive total of seven players from the Asian Tour have finished in the top-60 on the Final Olympic Golf Ranking for Tokyo 2020, which starts on July 23.

Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Gunn Charoenkul, Juvic Pagunsan from the Philippines, and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent have all qualified for the first time while Gavin Green from Malaysia and India’s Anirban Lahiri have the distinction of making it through to their second Olympics.

The men’s golf tournament will be played from July 29 to August 1, at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, as will the women’s event, the following week – from August 4 to 7.

Last week’s US Open was the last qualifying event (qualification was tied to the Official World Golf Ranking) and while the final list of qualifiers is due to be ratified by the players’ respective National Olympic Committees and published by July 6 this is expected to be a mere formality.

Spaniard Jon Rahm topped the Ranking thanks to his sensational victory in the US Open at Torrey Pines. Rahm became world number one and moved above Justin Thomas of the United States into the top position on the Olympic Rankings.

Americans finished second to fifth with Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, respectively. The United States is the only country with more than two qualifiers for the 60-player field.

In-form Hoshino placed 27th on the Ranking thanks to an inspired period of form that has seen him win three times during the Japan Golf Tour Organization’s 2020/21 season. He currently leads the Money List there, while he also finished in a tie for 26th at the US Open ‒ which was his best finish in a Major.

The 25 year old has the honour of lining up alongside compatriot Hideki Matsuyama ‒ this year’s Masters champion, who is one of the favourites to light the Olympic Cauldron at the opening ceremony ‒ who was ninth on the Rankings.

He is the defending champion at this week’s Dunlop SRIXON Fukushima Open.

Jazz finished in 36th place helped by a breakthrough 2019 season when he claimed four titles on the Asian Tour and won the Order of Merit title for the first time. He also showed flashes of brilliance this year, most notably when he narrowly missed winning his first European Tour event after losing the Kenya Savannah Classic in sudden-death.

Pagunsan was one of the players to leave it late to qualify. In May he triumphed in the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open ‒ which was his first victory in Japan after a decade playing there ‒ a few weeks after a runner-up finish in the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup. He eventually finished in 50th position on the Ranking.

Vincent and Gunn finished 53rd and 54th on the Ranking respectively, thanks to consistent performances in Japan and on the Asian Tour; while Green, the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion who tied for 47th in Rio, ended in 58th place.

Lahiri, a seven-time Asian Tour champion and the Order of Merit winner in 2015, sensationally secured the very last 60th placed spot on the final day this week when the Ranking was being finalised by removing player withdrawals. The Indian finished 57th in the Olympics in 2016.

The men’s qualification system for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games commenced on July 1, 2018.
Several Asian Tour members ‒ Korean Joohyung Kim and Indians Udayan Mane and Gaganjeet Bhullar ‒ are on the reserve list and are dependant on further player withdrawals.

This year’ marks the XXXII Olympiad, and after its successful re-introduction to the roster in RIO in 2016, golf returns as one of the most eagerly-anticipated sports.

A total of 14 Asian Tour members competed in Rio, with several players excelling: in particular, Australian Marcus Fraser and Kiradech Aphibarnrat from Thailand tied for fifth, just eight shots behind gold medallist Justin Rose from England. Fraser, in fact, led after day one and two.

But more than the performances it was the Olympic experience that was remembered the most by the Asian Tour players who competed.

Bangladesh star Siddikur Rahman was the flag bearer for his country, Brazil’s Adilson da Silva was the first player to tee off in the first round, and Green, inspired by the occasion, promptly got an Olympic tattoo on his arm when he returned home.

It was a memorable return to the Olympics for golf after 112 years that, all being well, will be suitably matched, despite COVID-19 protocols, in the Tokyo 2020.

Ends.

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