Staff WriterLucas Herbert strides into Japan this week with the swing of a man who has already seen the future, and, if you believe the practice-green gossip, the future looks suspiciously like another trophy for Herbert.
The 29-year-old Australian arrives for the inaugural International Series Japan presented by Moutai carrying a suitcase full of form, fond memories and just enough swagger to keep the field on edge.
A hot hand and happy flashbacks
Herbert’s résumé in 2025 reads like the highlight reel most golfers edit together for retirement celebrations:
- T2 at Mayakoba, Mexico
- 4th in Hong Kong
- T4 in Riyadh
Those LIV Golf results, sprinkled on top of last season’s playoff victory at the ISPS Handa Championship, have vaulted him to fifth in the LIV standings and turned bookmakers into believers.
“Obviously, I had a win here in Japan, and coming back to a place you have won will always create good memories,” he said. “And knowing the golf course is also a big reason why I’m here.
I remember playing here eight years ago and have very fond memories from playing here.”
Back in 2017 Herbert finished T-26 at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup on this same Caledonian layout.
Eight years later the fairways might seem narrower, but the Aussie’s confidence is decidedly wider.
Why Japan suits Herbert’s eye
Most pros rave about the sushi; Herbert raves about the subtleties. “It was a treat to see it come up on the schedule, and a pretty easy decision — I love coming here and have been here many times.
It’s always fantastic food, great golf courses and fans too.” That enthusiasm is more than polite press-tent patter.
Japanese courses, with their carpet-like zoysia fairways and slick, canted greens, demand precision over power.
“I don’t think I’ll hit a lot of drivers this week,” he admitted. “I think from memory of eight years ago, I think I hit four drivers in the round.”
Translation: expect plenty of stingers, flighted irons and a masterclass in course management.
Herbert believes embracing that “different style of golf” is key to broadening his competitive arsenal. “I think if you can play well here and win here, it feels like another string to your bow,” he said.
“To be able to win playing this style of golf is great, because it is a little different to what we’re used to. It is always a fun test.”
The bigger picture: global golf, local roots
The Chiba stop is the third of ten elevated International Series events on the Asian Tour, and the field has the look of a mixed martial-arts weigh-in: LIV stars, Asian Tour veterans and Japan Golf Tour standouts all crammed onto one tee sheet. For Herbert, that variety is precisely the point.
“It is very important to play on The International Series schedule, and on the Asian Tour,” he explained.
“It was where we played a lot of our golf coming through at the beginning of our career, so it was nice to come back and see some of the same places and the same faces…
It is important to play different conditions, different types of golf courses, and also to take the game to different parts of the world, which is what we have started doing as LIV Golf players. It is great to be able to do it in Japan.”
Course quirks to watch
Caledonian Golf Club measures a modest 7,076 yards, but distance is the least of anyone’s worries.
Tiny landing areas, pine-lined doglegs and cunning bunkering demand the sort of mental agility Herbert displayed while nabbing his five earlier wins across the PGA and DP World Tours. Expect to see:
- Fairways that bottle-neck around 280 yards, turning driver into decoration.
- Green complexes shaved tight enough to make a short-game artist salivate.
- Wind off the Pacific that can hop between a gentle sigh and a slap across the face before you’ve re-gripped the club.
The week ahead
Play begins Thursday, 8 May, and wraps Sunday afternoon. If Herbert’s recent stats (six top-20s in seven starts) are any guide, look for his name to hover near the lead from the opening bell.
Should the Aussie convert, it would mark his second triumph on Japanese soil and tighten his grip on Ripper GC’s MVP belt.
Golf fans tuning in can anticipate:
- Feathery iron shots that spend more time on YouTube than the afternoon breeze.
- A player intimately familiar with Japan’s culinary delights ordering dinner on the 18th tee.
- Possibly, one more chapter in an already compelling 2025 for Australia’s latest golfing export.
Whether or not the silverware heads back to the Southern Hemisphere, Herbert’s presence ensures the debut International Series Japan will be more than polite applause and respectful bows. The bloke’s hotter than a habanero in a sauna — and half as predictable.
International Series Japan presented by Moutai runs 8–11 May at Caledonian Golf Club, Chiba. Follow live scoring on the Asian Tour’s official channels.
