New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): The discipline on the upcoming Indian Open retains getting stronger by the day. Japan’s rising star and World No 79 Kazuki Higa has confirmed his participation within the US$ 2 million occasion, beginning subsequent week, making him the highest-ranked participant within the discipline at this 12 months’s version of India’s nationwide open.
Higa is yet one more gem from Japan’s big reservoir of {golfing} expertise, having topped the Japan Order of Merit with 4 wins in a single season in 2022 and appears prepared to maneuver to increased ranges.A six-time winner in Japan, 27-year-old Higa has been plying his commerce in Japan and Asia. His securing the Money List win in Japan earned him a card to the DP World Tour paving the way in which for his journey to India subsequent week.
Higa acquired one other enhance within the type of a particular invitation from Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, to play the 12 months’s first Major. Higa, who completed in 2022 within the 68th place in world rankings is at the moment at 79th.
His aim is now to make good his standing on the DP World Tour to get to the PGA Tour. Higa, who hails from Okinawa, went to the well-known Tohuku Fukushu University, a spot from the place high Japanese golfers like Hideki Matsuyama have emerged. He had performed totally on Japan Tour and on the Asian Development Tour previous to that. He received the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, which earned him full playing cards in Japan, Korea and different components of Asia. He then went on to complete on the highest of the Tour.
He completed T-10 in his first DP World begin in 2022 on the BMW International Open. This 12 months, in his first begin after getting a standing on the DP World Tour, he performed the Ras Al Khaimah Championships and was T-36 following it up with a T-13 end in Oman. His subsequent begin on the DP World Tour would be the Indian Open 2023.
Higa first got here into prominence by successful the ADT in 2018 and once more in 2019. Since then, he has received six occasions, all occasions being sanctioned by the Japan Tour. In 2022 he received the Kansai Open, BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship, the Shinhan Donghae Open and at last the high-profile Dunlop Phoenix forward of quite a few PGA Tour stars together with the Korean sensation Tom Kim.
Higa received 4 awards on the JGTO Awards ceremony on the finish of 2022 and received $1.34 million in 25 begins.
Higa is one in every of three Japanese stars within the discipline, with Masahiro Kawamura and the younger Ryo Hisatsune.
The Indian Open, which was first held in 1964, can have 120 gamers, who will battle it out for a handbag of US$ 2 million. The occasion might be held on the DLF Golf and Country Club from February 23 to February 26. (ANI)