Since winning the Japan Golf Tour Organization Order of Merit in 2023 to earn his DP World Tour card, Keita Makajima has impressed on Golf's Global Tour.
In just his 11th start, he won the Hero Indian Open at the challenging DLF Golf & Country Club, during a remarkable purple patch for his nation on Tour after wins for Rikuya Hoshino and Ryo Hisatsune in the months prior.
And while a second Tour win has since eluded him despite a string of strong performances, he is well placed to emulate his countrymen and earn dual membership status with the PGA TOUR.
He finished second to Richard Mansell at the Porsche Singapore Classic, before again finishing runner-up on his title defense in India to establish a commanding lead at the top of the Swing standings.
A missed cut would come at the Volvo China Open but he bounced back from that disappointment with a T11 at last week's inaugural Hainan Classic to finish top with 835.12 points from the Asian Swing.
In doing so, he secured a spot at the second Major of the year - the US PGA Championship - and climbed to 100th on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Porsche Singapore Classic
Incessant rain resulted in the tournament being reduced to 54 holes. The final round was full of drama, with Richard Mansell saving his best until last to claim his maiden DP World Tour title, two-putting from over 100 feet for a birdie at the 18th to sign for a closing 66 and finish the tournament on -16, one ahead of early clubhouse leader Nakajima.
Hero Indian Open
A week later, the DP World Tour made the journey to the beautiful yet brutal DLF Golf & Country Club for the Hero Indian Open, only 3 players would break par.
Eugenio Chacarra playing on an invite, the former LIV player held a share of the halfway lead. The 25-year-old Spaniard made a nervous start to his final round, making a double-bogey on the first and a bogey at the third, but he made five birdies in a nine-hole stretch midway through his round to regain control and hold off the chasers down the stretch.
Volvo China Open
Following the Masters, attention switched to the first of back-to-back events in China as Enhance Anting GC played host to the 30th edition of the country's national open.
Ashun Wu emerged from the chasing pack to seal victory after a closing 65, featuring five birdies on his back nine. In doing so, he won the Volvo China Open for the second time - almost a decade to the day since claiming his maiden DP World Tour title on home soil. Having started the week without full playing privileges, he left Shanghai exempt on Tour until the end of next year and in joint-third on the Asian Swing Rankings, behind Nakajima and Chacarra.
Hainan Classic
Held at Mission Hills Haikou, the inaugural Hainan Classic again brought together a mixture of DP World Tour established regulars, rising stars and emerging local talent.
Heading into the final round it was Englishman Marco Penge - the HotelPlanner Tour Number One in 2023 - who shared the lead alongside home hope Bowen Xiao.
Penge produced a hat-trick of birdies at the 12th, 13th and 14th to take charge as he went on to seal a three-shot victory on his 47th Tour start. In doing so, he climbed to the third on the Asian Swing Rankings to join Nakajima and Chacarra in claiming a spot at the US PGA Championship.
What does it mean/ Rewards
As winner of the Asian Swing, Nakajima ensures himself entry into all events in the second phase of the season, the Back 9, and takes home a US$200,000 bonus.
Nakajima, Chacarra and Penge - all winners during the Asian Swing - have earned a spot in the 2025 US PGA Championship as the leading three players from the Swing standings.
Edoardo Molinari, Davis Bryant, Clément Sordet and Wilco Nienaber are likely to have boosted their playing opportunities during the rest of the season.
What's next?
After a six-year absence, the Turkish Airlines Open is back on the DP World Tour schedule and marks the start of the fourth of the season's five Global Swings - the European Swing.
From Regnum Carya in Turkey, DP World Tour members head stateside for the second men's Major of the season - the U.S. PGA Championship.
Belgian golf will then be put in the spotlight with the Soudal Open, before returning to Austria for the first time since 2021 for the Austrian Alpine Open, followed by the KLM Open in the Netherlands.
After more Major action at the U.S. Open, the Italian Open takes place at Argentario Golf Club in Tuscany, before the Swing reaches a climax at the BMW International Open in Germany.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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