FORD NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Ford NSW Open Championship has become a feature of the Australian golf season, but the venue for the championship rotates annually to showcase different world-class courses across New South Wales. This year, the tournament will be held at The Vintage Golf Club in the scenic Hunter Valley region. The Greg Norman and Bob Harrison design is a short but strategic par 71 measuring 6,863 yards.
LUCAS HERBERT. Last year, Herbert won the Ford NSW Open Championship for his first professional win on Australian soil and will defend his title this week. His victory came with his coach Dom Azzopardi, who he’s been working with since he was 13 years old, on the bag. Azzopardi will once again loop for the Ripper GC star this week.
TAIWAN GLASS TAIFONG OPEN
The Taiwan Glass Taifong Open will be played for the second consecutive year on the Asian Tour’s main circuit and will take place at the scenic Taifong Golf Club in Changhua, Chinese Taipei. The course is a par 72 measuring 7,552 yards, known for tough coastal winds and challenging fairways. The defending champion is Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand.
CHIEH-PO LEE. Lee will be making his sixth start since the conclusion of the LIV Golf season, with mixed results. He’s missed two of five cuts, including in his most recent start at the Link Hong Kong Open. His best finish was a T11 at the Jakarta International Championship.
MITSUI SUMITOMO VISA TAIHEIYO MASTERS
The Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters has been a key event on the Japan Golf Tour since 1972. The host course is the majestic Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, which is famous for its volcanic vistas and demanding elevation changes. Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course is a Par 70 measuring 7,262 yards featuring strategically bunkered fairways, lightning-fast Bentgrass greens and signature holes like the par-5 18th with Mount Fuji visible in the background.
JINICHIRO KOZUMA. It’s been a rough stretch for Kozuma, who has teed it up five times since the Iron Heads GC season commenced and has missed the cut in all five starts. He will look to get on track this week in his home country of Japan.
PLAYER NEWS
– Last week, LIV Golf announced that beginning in 2026, all events will be played over 72 holes, marking the next chapter of LIV Golf’s mission to grow and celebrate the sport for a new era of players and fans around the world.
– The LIV Golf Promotions event will take place Jan. 8-11, 2026, at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida, with four rounds of stroke-play over four days. The League will reward the top two finishers with a full-season spot in the 2026 LIV Golf League, an increase from one spot in 2025.
– LIV Golf and Trackman announced a multi-year partnership.
– 4Aces GC have released episode two of their docuseries, Behind The 4ACES. You can find episode one here.