Chan Kim

Will play in his fourth Open Championship after topping the 2020-21 Japan Tour Order of Merit.

Born in South Korea, but an American citizen, he finished a superb joint 11th on his debut at Royal Birkdale in 2017, having lifted his maiden title on the Japanese circuit two months earlier at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open.

Qualified through the same event in 2019, finishing runner-up to Yuta Ikeda, but his highlight of that season was becoming Japan Open champion. He was four behind with a round to play, but produced a closing 67 to triumph by one.

That followed more than a year out of action - first he battled back pains, then in practice for the 2018 World Golf Championship event in Mexico he struck a tree root and broke his left wrist. His next ranking tournament was 10 months later.

He is now a seven-time winner in Japan, all this after coming first at the 2013 Asian Tour Qualifying School and having spells both on the European Challenge Tour and Canadian circuit.

He had a top-25 finish at last year’s PGA Championship and followed that with wins at the Vantelin Tokai Classic and Dunlop Phoenix tournament.