Ewen Ferguson can’t hide his excitement ahead of his competitive debut in Japan. “I’m buzzing to get going, I’ve been out on the course a few times and it plays amazing,” he says. “The greens are so pure, it’s a tree lined destination, can’t beat it.”
The DP World Tour staged its most recent regular event in India at the end of last month, and while the Masters Tournament has been and gone, this week’s ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP marks a return to action after more than three weeks for the majority in the field.
Ferguson has produced some encouraging performances on the DP World Tour so far this season, including back-to-back top 10s in Qatar and Kenya in February.
Those results, along with a tie for 11th in Singapore last month, means the Scotsman arrives for the penultimate stop on the Asian Swing with optimism he can perform well despite the unfamiliar surroundings in Japan.
“Been playing consistent (this season), hopefully get myself up there and into contention this week, and if not a bit more often in future,” the two-time DP World Tour winner says.
“My golf has been good, just a couple of shots here and there would push it to the next level.
“Have not played for three weeks so maybe a bit rusty, but a few holes in you start to find your feet. Anything can happen in any week in golf.”
This week sees the DP World Tour make its first visit to Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course, which boasts great history on the Japan Golf Tour and as a former host venue to the WGC-World Cup in 2001.
With no experience to call upon, Ferguson has been watching clips from that tournament – including a chip-in by Tiger Woods to force a play-off that was won by South African pair Ernie Els and Retief Goosen – in advance of this week’s tournament.
While the Gotemba Course – which will host the Asian-Pacific Amateur Championship later this year – has since undergone a renovation in 2018, those memories have only whetted Ferguson’s appetite to embrace the new challenge.
“I watched the highlights from 2001 with Tiger [Woods] and Duval, a few changes since then,” he says. “I always look back at highlights from previous tournaments at the venue.
“Good bit of history to it, right next to Mount Fuji, just a cool place to be.”
Having missed last year’s inaugural edition of the tournament – co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation – at PGM Ishioka GC, Ferguson’s appearance this week takes on even greater significance since he signed as a global ambassador for ISPS HANDA last month.
Ferguson won his first DP World Tour at an event in Northern Ireland where ISPS HANDA – founded by Japanese philanthropist, Dr. Haruhisa Handa – were the title sponsors, and he is pleased to help use his platform to promote how sport is a vehicle for good across the globe.
“I met Dr Handa and his team in Northern Ireland a few years ago when I won. It was a good connection,” he explains during a pre-event press conference alongside fellow ISPS HANDA ambassador Matthieu Pavon.
“That week there was a women’s event and a G4D event for disabled golfers, it shows what ISPS HANDA believe that golf can inspire anyone, there are no limits to it, no matter if you are disabled, male or female, any age.
“Sitting beside Matthieu [Pavon] is very inspiring, it’s nice to represent ISPS with him, but we all want to beat each other.”
While conditions for Wednesday's Pro-Am were wet, the forecast is for improved conditions once the tournament begins on Thursday, with Ferguson alongside Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Japan's Yuto Katsuragawa for the first two rounds of the penultimate event on the Asian Swing, with the 27-year-old opting to miss next week's DP World Tour event in China.
"The rest of the week looks promising, so fingers crossed for some good weather and a lot of good golf as well," he says.
