Nakajima eyes redemption at Porsche Singapore Classic

JGTO number one, Keita Nakajima, will be aiming to regain momentum in his DP World Tour campaign when he tees off at the Porsche Singapore Classic, which commences on Thursday.

Fresh from a two-week break, the 23-year-old Nakajima will be joined by three other compatriots - Rikuya Hoshino, Masahiro Kawamura, and Satoshi Kodaira - in their quest for the title at the Laguna National Golf Resort.

Notable contenders at the US$2.5 million event include the in-form Matthieu Pavon of France, who recently secured victory at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, and Northern Irishman Shane Lowry, who has achieved two top-four finishes in his last five PGA Tour starts.

Nakajima hopes to address his form inconsistency by seizing the opportunity to compete in tournaments closer to home.

The Porsche Singapore Classic marks the commencement of the five-leg Asian Swing, which also includes the Hero Indian Open (March 28-31), Korea Championship (April 18-21), ISPS HANDA Championship (April 25-28), and Volvo China Open (May 2-5).

Nakajima made an impressive start in his first event of the season, securing a tied fourth-place finish at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the UAE.

However, he struggled to replicate this performance in the subsequent three tournaments, making just one cut and finishing tied for 33rd at the Qatar Masters.

Nakajima is embarking on his debut season on the DP World Tour with conditional status earned as the JGTO Money Ranking winner.

He acknowledges the need to elevate his game to secure participation in more tournaments later this year, thereby improving his status through a mid-season reshuffle.

Currently ranked 97th in the Race to Dubai standings, Nakajima faces a challenging task ahead.

Meanwhile, Hoshino aims to maintain his impressive start to the season, currently holding second place in the season-long points race.

Having secured his maiden DP World Tour title at the Qatar Masters and achieved two runner-up finishes at the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open, he's determined to sustain his momentum.

He'll be keen to bounce back after a disappointing missed cut at the Tour's most recent event, the Jonsson Workwear Open in South Africa.