It is all to play for as the Asian Swing comes to a close at the Hainan Classic.
After three counting events with two first-time winners and a home hero coming out on top, there are six players in the field this week who can still win the Asian Swing.
With that honour comes a guaranteed place in every event of Phase Two of the DP World Tour season - the Back 9 - and a $US200,000 bonus.
Here, we take a look at the players still able to win the Swing and their possible routes to glory.
The Favourites
Keita Nakajima is the man with his fate in his own hands as he tops the Swing Rankings on 778.00 points. The Japanese may not have won an event on the Swing so far but his two runner-up finishes at the Porsche Singapore Classic and Hero Indian Open have put him in the box seat despite a missed cut last week. He could techically miss the cut this week and still top the Swing but he will not be wanting to take that risk with some in-form players behind him. A victory obviously gives him the honours but another second-place leaves the door ajar.
Eugenio Chacarra relied on an invite to get into the second event of the Swing in India but his victory there followed by a tie for fourth in the Volvo China Open means he enters this week just 44.67 points behind Nakajima. That means anything in the top 18 could give him a chance to finish top and a victory would guarantee it, while second would also be good enough provided Nakajima or Ashun Wu do not win.
Wu's surge to prominence in the Swing is even more remarkable than Chacarra's considering that, like the Spaniard, he had no status on Tour after losing his card last season and only got into his home open via a past champion's category. He made the most of it with victory and a second win in a row would see him take stop spot. A finish of any lower than third, however, and his race is run.
Asian Swing Rankings
| Player | Points |
|---|---|
| Keita Nakajima | 778.00 |
| Eugenio Chacarra | 733.33 |
| Ashun Wu | 585.00 |
| Richard Mansell* | 585.00 |
| Jordan Smith* | 419.18 |
| Adrien Saddier* | 345.00 |
| Joost Luiten | 297.05 |
| Yannik Paul* | 239.30 |
| Haotong Li | 214.06 |
| Jens Dantorp* | 199.50 |
| Tom McKibbin* | 197.00 |
| Matthew Jordan | 193.26 |
| * denotes not playing this week |
For the full Asian Swing Rankings, click here.
For a full breakdown of points available at DP World Tour events, click here.
The outsiders
Joost Luiten needs a win to have any chance of topping the Swing but that may still not be enough as a solo sixth for Nakajima, a solo fourth for Chacarra or a solo second for Wu would see him fall short.
Haotong Li is another who needs a win but could be denied by a top 43 for Nakajima, a top ten for Chacarra or a solo third for Wu, while Matthew Jordan needs to win with Nakajima missing the cut, Chacarra missing the top 18 and Wu missing the top three.
*tied positions could vary these scenarios.
What else is at play?
The top three only from the Swing Rankings at the end of this week will also earn a place at the US PGA Championship, with Nakajima, Chacarrra and Richard Mansell currrently holding those places. Mansell and Wu are currently tied on 585.00 points but Mansell has the advantage due to his higher ranking on the Race to Dubai. The Englishman will now have an anxious wait knowing a made cut from Wu will knock him out of the top three, with a host of other players also within striking distance.
The highest-ranked player on the Swing not already exempt at the close of entries on June 26 will also earn a place at the Genesis Scottish Open - the second Rolex Series event of the season.
