Kazuki Higa makes history with Asian Tour Order of Merit triumph

Kazuki Higa has made history by becoming the first Japanese player to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit, sealing the prestigious title with a composed performance at the Saudi Open presented by PIF.

The popular Japanese star signed off the season in style with a four-under-par 68 at the final event of the year, staged at Dirab Golf & Country Club near Riyadh. That round saw him finish tied seventh on 16-under par — more than enough to comfortably secure the season-long crown.

Victory in the tournament itself went to Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren, who fired a 67 to finish top of the leaderboard on 23-under par, edging out Australia’s Jack Thompson by a single stroke.

Higa’s week in Saudi Arabia confirmed his position at the summit of the Order of Merit standings, where he finished the season on 2,082.34 points — a commanding 199.84 clear of Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent in second place. Vincent carded a 68 to finish tied 15th, having required a dramatic swing of events to overhaul Higa at the final hurdle.

While Vincent fell short in the Merit race, he can take solace from topping The International Series Rankings three weeks earlier — a result that secured his return to the LIV Golf League.

For Higa, the achievement marks another significant milestone in a rapidly expanding career. He now becomes the first player ever to win both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and the Japan Tour Money List — the latter claimed in 2022 during a standout season that featured four victories.

The 30-year-old succeeds American John Catlin as Asian Tour Merit champion. Catlin finished tied 15th at Dirab today and ended the season in 43rd position on the standings.

“I am so, so happy. This is a great honour,” said Higa, who is currently enjoying a remarkable run of 18 consecutive tournaments played.

“I just love playing golf. That’s what it about. I can’t wait to get home to see my family.”

Along with the prestige of topping the Merit list and joining an elite group of champions dating back to 2004, Higa’s success also brings tangible rewards. The title earns him an exemption into The Open Championship via the International Federation Rankings, while a place in the PGA Championship is also available depending on his position in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I have worked very hard for this. I felt that last year changed things, all the hard work started to pay off and it’s amazing to see it all pay off this week,” he added.

Higa set the tone early in the season with a trio of top-10 finishes, beginning with a tie for eighth at the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, followed by a tie for fifth at the International Series India presented by DLF, and a runner-up finish at the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport.

However, it wasn’t until September that the full scale of his dominance became clear.

That month, he recorded back-to-back victories at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea and the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei, before adding another runner-up finish at the International Series Philippines in late October. That result saw him reclaim top spot on the Order of Merit from Vincent — and from that point onwards, he was never headed.

Higa’s ascent to the top of the Asian Tour rankings was no accident. After winning the Japan Tour Money List three years ago, he set his sights on success beyond home soil and committed to playing a full Asian Tour schedule for the first time the following season.

He also underwent a significant physical transformation, embracing a demanding programme of weight training and aerobic conditioning to generate more distance off the tee.

It was a new level of dedication that he described earlier this year as practising “like I brush my teeth every day”.

Higa also opted against signing a driver contract, giving himself the freedom to use equipment that suited him best. He worked extensively on shaping both draws and fades — all with the aim of adding extra yards.

The results speak for themselves. His average driving distance stood at 284.41 yards until last season, but that figure has since jumped to an impressive 297.91 yards.

Despite standing just 158 centimetres tall, Higa is now punching well above his weight.

He is also renowned as one of the game’s most reliable frontrunners, with the majority of his 13 professional victories coming when leading or co-leading.

Two of those wins arrived on the Asian Development Tour — at the BTI Open in Bangladesh in 2018 and the UMC Championship in Malaysia the following year — early signs of the success that was to come on the main stage.