History-maker Kim ready to end season on a high note

There's certainly no better moment for the in-form American Chan Kim to attempt a back-to-back victory for the first time on JGTO as he seeks to reclaim his Golf Nippon Series JT Cup crown this week.

The ¥130,000,000 season finale, which begins today, features only the top 30 performers of the season and Kim will be out to prove why he is simply one of the Tour's finest.

The 32-year-old turned in an incredible performance at Casio World Open last week, capturing his eighth JGTO title not only wire-to-wire but also smashing the Tour's 72-hole record by four strokes after finishing the tournament with a mind-blowing 32-under-par.

Kim will be hoping to keep his momentum going at the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club, the place where he tasted success in 2020.

This will be the fifth time Kim has qualified for the JT Cup.

"I look forward to ending the season with a bang. It has been a wonderful season despite not being able to play as many tournaments as I would like to this season," said Kim, who sits eighth in the money list.

"I have won here before and I will definitely want to give it a shot at becoming a multiple-winner of this prestigious event, which is contested by only the best of the best of the season."

Kim will be joined by three other internationals - Australia's Brad Kennedy and Anthony Quayle and American Todd Baek - who made the cut in the 15th, 18th and 30th spots respectively.

After skipping the last two stops on JGTO, Kennedy and Quayle will return this week hoping to mount a strong challenge for the title for one last time this season.

The pair have come close earlier in the season with Kennedy finishing tied second at the ASO IIZUKA Challenged Golf Tournament while Quayle narrowly missed out on his JGTO breakthrough at the Mizuno Open after losing in the playoff to Zimbabwe's Scott Vincent.

Kennedy, 48, is set for his eighth appearance and first in three years. He will be determined to go one better this time after being pipped by Ryo Ishikawa in the playoff in 2019.

Quayle, 28, is a second-time qualifier after marking his debut in 2019 with a tied-14th placing.

Baek, meanwhile, has vowed to make his third straight appearance counts after narrowly surviving the cut.

"It was such a huge relief. I'm going to cherish this week's opportunity and end the season on a high," said Baek, who had two top-15 outings at the JT Cup.