.

The ongoing fine form of Travis Smyth and Jack Thompson was rewarded at the weekend at the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship when the Australian stars faced off against each other in a marathon sudden-death play-off.

Smyth triumphed after he made birdie on the sixth play-off hole at Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club on Sunday – in a new event on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour.

It’s the culmination of extended periods of excellent golf by both players, including on the Asian Tour.

Smyth is currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit after finishing fifth and third in the first two events of year. That’s off the back of four strong seasons in Asia when he won once, at the Yeangder TPC in 2022 – his last win before this week – finished second three times, and third on four occasions.

Thompson finished runner-up twice last year, continuing to fulfil the potential he showed when he won the Asian Tour’s 2023 Qualifying School.

Jack Thompson.

Smyth and Thompson finished on 15-under-par after regulation play, one ahead of Justin De Los Santos from the Philippines – a Japan Tour regular.

Smyth closed with a five-under-par 67, while Thompson matched the course record with a 64, and having started the day six off the lead needed to wait nearly two hours for the last group to finish.

“I’m just so happy and over the moon that all the hard work, all the consistency, it’s finally paid off,” said Smyth.

“I’ve had so many top-fives and top-10s over the last four or five years and I’m watching guys win tournaments and not play as consistent as I am. And I’m just thinking ‘when’s my time going to come?’ It was this week. I’m so happy.”

The win moved him to the top of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia with just two events remaining.

He now has a two-year exemption on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and can play the rest of 2026 and the next two seasons on the Japan Golf Tour.

Said Thompson: “I thought I’m still pretty far away. I just thought I’ll have a good round, hopefully sneak into the top five.”

Both Smyth and Thompson have won once before in Australia. The former at the Northern Territory PGA Championship in 2017, impressively as an amateur, while the latter at Gippsland Super 6 Match Play in 2021.