As the LIV Bangkok golf tournament enters its third day, one thing is becoming clear: this is a Japanese golfer’s tournament. Not only is the winner likely to be Japanese, but the vast majority of competitors are as well.
This is a surprise, as the LIV Bangkok is a new tournament on the Asian circuit. It was only added to the schedule this year, and isn’t one of the bigger events in the region. So how did so many Japanese golfers end up here?
The answer, it seems, is a mix of good timing and confusion.
The tournament is being held at the Bangkok Golf Club, which is next to the Japanese embassy. This has made it easy for Japanese golfers to get visas and travel to Thailand for the event.
Many of the Japanese golfers who are here don’t really know what they’re doing.
This was clear on the first day of the tournament, when several Japanese golfers were seen wandering around the course, looking lost.
“I think they just showed up and started playing,” said one onlooker.
Despite their confusion, the Japanese golfers have been doing well so far. After two days of play, there are four Japanese golfers in the top ten on the leaderboard.
The highest-ranked Japanese golfer is Shota Watanabe, who is currently in second place, just one shot behind the leader.
If Watanabe can keep up his excellent form, he stands a good chance of becoming the first Japanese winner of the LIV Bangkok.
And if that happens, it’s likely that even more Japanese golfers will come to Bangkok next year, in search of confusion and success.
