Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent returns to Japan this week for his first appearance of the season, setting his sights on winning the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open, which kicks off in Okayama prefecture on Thursday.
Related: Kansai Open introduces Takahiro Hataji as JGTO winner
The 32-year-old, victorious in 2022, is eyeing a sort of “back-to-back win,” as he did not return to defend his title at JFE Setonaikai Golf Club last year.
Vincent has established himself as one of the most successful foreign players on the JGTO in the past few years, boasting three wins between 2021 and 2022.
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In recent years, despite juggling commitments elsewhere, Vincent has displayed consistent performances whenever he tees off in Japan.
Vincent has consistently performed well in his last eight JGTO starts, never finishing outside the top 25.
With a recent solo third finish at the Zimbabwe Open on the Sunshine Tour just two weeks ago, Vincent enters this week’s battle brimming with confidence.
Vincent is also driven by his ambition to qualify for the 2024 Open Championship, with three coveted spots up for grabs.
The top three finishers this week who have not yet qualified will secure their place in the year’s final Major event, to be held at the Royal Troon Golf Club from July 18-21.
JGTO members can count themselves fortunate, as the Mizuno Open has been a part of the Open Qualifying Series since 1998.
To date, other JGTO members who have secured their spots include Aguri Iwasaki, thanks to his victory in the 2023 Japan Open; Rikuya Hoshino, who finished second at the 2023 ISPS HANDA Australian Open, an event part of the Open Qualifying Series; Ryo Hisatsune, who finished in the top 30 in the Final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2023, and New
Zealand’s Michael Hendry, who is utilising his medical exemption following his cancer diagnosis last year.
However, it’s worth noting that the qualifying avenue through JGTO Money Rankings, which previously awarded spots to the top two finishers from the previous year’s final list and the leading player in the current season, has now been abolished.
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If all goes as planned, Keita Nakajima appears poised to secure his place through the top five ranked players in the Federation Ranking list. Nakajima currently holds a comfortable lead in first place.
The International Federation Ranking List is a tool used by tournament organisers to identify upcoming and competitive international players on the PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour, and Asian Tour.
The other notable international competitors vying for a place in The Open this week include Juvic Pagunsan, the 2021 champion and Justin De Los Santos, his compatriot of the Philippines, South African Shaun Norris, the Australian pair Brad Kennedy and Anthony Quayle, and South Korea’s Song Young-han.
Kennedy too had fond memories of the JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, where he won his first JGTO title in 2012.
In 2022, Quayle, De Los Santos, and Kennedy secured their tickets to The Open at St. Andrews, the Home of Golf. Quayle finished as the best among them with an impressive tied-15th place.
The champions of the early season tournaments—Takumi Kanaya (Token Homemate Cup), Yuto Katsuragawa (ISPS HANDA Championship), Ren Yonezawa (The Crowns), and last week’s Kansai Open victor Takahiro Hataji—aim to carry their winning momentum forward, seeking to secure a prized entry into the major championship.
Kensei Hirata is set to defend his title in the 132-man tournament.
