No loyalty from Japan Tour, says Michael Hendry

By Neville Idour 

Last year was not one of Michael Hendry’s most enjoyable years, golf wise, thanks to the actions of the Japan PGA Tour which were unexpected considering Hendry’s loyal support and much success for  10 years.

So when we caught up with him at The Hills Pro-Am in December, Hendry was willing to recap the year for us. 

“It was a difficult year. The covid hangover is still prevalent, particularly in Japan.’’ Hendry said.

Is it the disease? 

“Not so much the disease itself but the decisions the tour made during the covid period are still working their way through the system.

“They probably thought they were doing the right thing, but made some errors. They were probably too friendly to new members rather than long standing members. 

``There were 27 members affected by covid so we have anecdotally called it the covid category. So out of the 27 of us all fully exempt players most of us have been on the tour for more than a couple of years. Out of the 27 only 25 have managed to retain status. 

``The only person left with covid starts is me. Because our lockdowns were so extreme and the MIQ (managed isolation and quarantine)  issues we had, it meant I was stuck in New Zealand for longer than other guys.”

“So I have more starts to catch up on. I have one in the new year. It is a decent event and if I play well I will retain full status. If I don’t I go back to a Q school status which will still give me enough starts to do something with. 

``But having been a member for 10 straight years I still feel a little aggrieved that it became more about the new members rather than the current members. It was easier for guys who came out of Q school in 2021 than it was for journeyman tour members. So guys with three to five or more years, including myself, feel like we got the raw end of the deal.”

How did this play out for you?

“I was ranked 50th in 2019 which allows me to play every tournament on the tour schedule. Covid came along and the tour decided it would continue to hold a Q school so there were new guys coming through in 2020 and 2021. 

``Because I couldn’t travel to Japan as freely as I wanted to the tour said yes you can have those as an exemption. But effectively I went from 50th ranking to 83rd. At the end of the season in Japan there is a lot of money and short fields so the 84-man fields will play for $3 million each week. A lot of them can be sponsors exemptions but overseas players never get those unless they are a world top 25 player.

“So effectively I went from a relatively highly exempt player to effectively 15th out of Q school, which I think is pretty unfair considering my decade on tour. I normally play about 20 events in a season but in 2022 I think I played 17. 

``There were some weeks I couldn’t get in the field which was a bit of a drag because I have a young family and they are my number one priority. So having to stay away from them for longer than necessary because of the situation I was put in by the tour, also had a big effect on settling my mental health. We all know how frustrating golf can be and especially when you are stuck away from family for long periods of time.

“So it was a particularly difficult year travel-wise and exemption-wise. This may sound controversial but the Japan Tour does not carry favour with the international players. The Japan Tour would be perfectly happy with a domestic tour of only Japanese players. 

``The problem with that is, and they don’t see it, but it is coming home to roost, is the tour is dying. Five years ago it was the third biggest tour but in my opinion in five years time it will be lucky if it is the seventh or eighth biggest in the world. The Asian and Korean Tours are going from strength to strength. I genuinely see the Japanese men’s tour in a world of bother in the next five to 10 years if they don’t change their attitude towards international players and international sponsors.”

So what were your playing highlights in 2022?

“I played quite well through the middle of the year. I had a couple of top 10s, quite a few top 20s in a row and I was really starting to find some form around September/October. But in the middle of October I tore a couple of ligaments in my shoulder which has left me with two grade four tears. It has been problematic for about seven weeks and I have been trying to manage it while playing. To be honest it has been too difficult and I should have taken a medical exemption.

“Initially I didn’t think it was serious but it got worse and worse and I didn’t have the opportunity to get scans until I came home. I had scans and while serious, surgery is not needed at this stage so I am going through a course like stem cell therapy to strengthen my shoulder. 

``I’m confident it is coming right. It felt good today (The Hills Pro-Am). I’ve got a few weeks off now so hopefully I will be where I need to be by the end of January.”

The other annoyance Hendry has always had to deal with and manage is his allergies related to grass. Hardly ideal for a golfer but he copes remarkably well.

Looking ahead to 2023 how does your schedule look?

“I plan to play most of the Australian events from the end of January. If I get back to full fitness I feel that my game is in a pretty good place and if I can be pain free I will play well.”

After that is Asia a possibility or will it be back to Japan?

 “No not Asia. For me, at my age and with a young family, the hardest thing is not seeing my two young girls grow up. So golf is becoming less important to me. As long as I can remain competitive and I have goals that I want to achieve in golf I will keep playing. I have achieved a lot of what I set out to achieve anyway and I can see the next chapter in my life beginning fairly shortly.”

What is that likely to involve?

“I honestly don’t know although I have a lot of interests outside golf that I am interested in pursuing. Hopefully an opportunity will arise. If not I could move into coaching but that is probably not my number one choice although I feel I could do a good job. Hopefully a sign will be given,’’ he concluded with a laugh.

So do you want to mention any of those interests?

“I have some business stuff in a few different fields in the background I would like to do more in. Also some hobby stuff getting a bit more serious. I have a real passion for the financial world, the stock market and equities which I never thought I would have. I am looking into getting my qualifications sorted in that area and then getting into investment banking or something like that.” 

So you clearly have many irons in the fire.

“Too many probably — have to start specialising.”

Given Hendry’s challenges in 2022 we can only wish him a successful 2023  both on and off the golf course.