KUROISO, TOCHIGI, JAPAN

Welcome to the Japan Open Chronicles where we will be providing updates, commentary, reports, photos, audio snippets, videos, and more from the Nasu Highlands Golf Club in Tochigi, Japan, home of the 14^th Japan Open. This historic event, which began in 1986, features the largest field ever with 110 total entrants, including players from seven countries and 17 American states.

While it will not be until Tuesday, June 13th (add 13 hours to Central Daylight time to be on our time in Japan) before the on-site coverage begins, once there we intend to give our worldwide audience snapshots of what’s happening, not only on the course, which has been set up on a gorgeous Robert Trent Jones designed ball golf course, but also some reporting about what we are doing off the course because for most of us in attendance, the 2006 Japan Open will surely be, a, if not the disc golf experience of our lifetimes.

For the first time this year, the Japan Open has been designated a major by the Professional Disc Golf Association, and has a guaranteed purse of 3,000,000 yen ($26,000+). In the open division, Avery Jenkins will be defending the championship he earned in 2004. Sure to be in contention are recent Japan Open champions Ken Climo and Steve Rico, current world champion Nate Doss, current national champion David Feldberg, and former world and national champion Barry Schultz. The #1 ranked Japanese player, Jitsuhiro Yasushi, demonstrated his ability with heavier plastic at the United States Disc Golf Championship last year where he cashed. Of course, as is required when playing in Japan, the Japan Open is played with discs that may not weight more than 150 grams. Also from Japan, and not to be ignored is the grandmaster aged Kazuo Shirai, who placed 11^th in 2004. The leading contenders from Europe are Markus Källström from Sweden and Jussi Meresmaa from Finland, both of whom were top 15 finishers at the USGDC.

Expect some spirited competition in the women’s divisions as Carrie “Burl” Berlogar defends her title against current World and former National Champion Des Reading and former World and National Champ Juliana Korver . Valarie Jenkins returns for her second Japan Open where she finished third in 2004. The leading Japanese ladies are Chieko Kakimoto, who placed second in 2004, and Naoko Inami, who has competed in many World Championships.

Please check back Tuesday (Japan time) as we get our reporting crew assembled. This is my second trip to Japan, and you can read about that adventure and check out the beauty of the course in the Winter 2005 issue of Disc Golf World News. It ranks near the top of my tournament experiments that span a 24-year career. I’m both flattered and honored to have been asked to help with this reporting assignment by the man behind the Japan Open, Shimbo Kozo, who is the kindest, most generous tournament director I’ve had the good fortune to meet on my flying disc travels. Let the journey begin! — Rick Rothstein