Malaysia’s Danny Chia is bracing himself for a really tough challenge in the Japan Golf Tour Final Qualifying Tournament, which starts tomorrow at The Royal Golf Club in Ibaraki.
Having made it to the final qualifier by winning one of five first stage tournaments last month, Danny noted that the last hurdle will be the trickiest one to get pass.
First of all, the length of the golf course designed by local architect Nagato Yoichi is a mind-boggling 8,143 yards from the tips. The tournament set-up is a still-demanding 7,600 yards-plus, with numerous fairway bunkers in play off the tees.
“It’s not my type of golf course … the layout is very long for me. I have to lay up and hit long irons into the greens on most of the holes,” said Danny, who turned 48 on November 29.
“You do get roll on the fairways but the carry over most of the fairway bunkers is about 260 metres, so I have to lay up before them as my driver carry distance is 250 metres. The longer hitters can fly the bunkers and have short irons into the greens,” he elaborated.
Although a niggling back problem has abated following treatment, Danny noted that the cold weather will make it even tougher. “It’s very cold in the mornings, about five degrees, and only goes up to about nine degrees when the sun is out.”
There are 80 players competing in the 72-hole final qualifier, vying for limited slots on the 2021 Japan Golf Tour. “I have to finish in the top-five, I think, to regain my card,” said Danny.
In the course of a trailblazing career, Danny has set numerous milestones including becoming the first Malaysian to make the cut in a Major at the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews. He is also the only Malaysian to have won twice on the Asian Tour with his victories in the 2002 Acer Taiwan Open and 2015 Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
