Evergreen South African Jbe Kruger admits a LIV Golf spot is on the mind of every player that line ups on The International Series, a motivating factor as he looks to bring his recent winning form to the Black Mountain Championship this week in Hua Hin.
The 38-year-old recently wrapped up a third AsianTour victory at the weather-affected Mercuries Taiwan Masters, despite “not playing as well” as he wanted.
Because of Typhoon Krathon, the field played three rounds of shotgun starts on the two weekend days, and it was Kruger who came out on top, two shots better than South Korean Jeunghun Wang and Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand.
That victory moved him to 12th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, and he will be looking for a similar result on duty in The International Series as he bids to climb from his current position of 44thafter four tournaments.
He started well at the Black Mountain Championship -a five-under first round of 67 left him just three off the early front runners in a bunched leaderboard.
With six events in eight weeks wrapping up the season, and the crucial rankings race which will give the champion a place on the LIV Golf League roster, he said: “I think it (the LIV Golf League place) is in the back of everyone’s mind. You have to win multiple tournaments, it’s the only way.
“It's probably the biggest draw card for the Asian Tour. They have grown with The International Series events. I think everyone wants to try and play on LIV Golf, if they're not on the PGA Tour. At the moment, it's the only way.”
Kruger is optimistic he can make a challenge, even though he’s still not truly convinced of his form.
He explained: “I'm battling on the driving range at the moment, battling with ball striking. I'm not hitting it as well as I should. And then the putter is on and off - it's never really warm, it's never really cold. I just have to keep grinding, even though the game’s not there.
“But with any win, it definitely boosts your confidence. I still believe I can win, even when I'm not playing great."
When asked about the pressure of playing an elevated event on The International Series, he added: “Something I learned over the years is they (tournaments) are not bigger or smaller. You still have to hit good shots. You still have to make putts. Even if the prize money is bigger, it's still a golf tournament.”
With a reduced schedule of three rounds in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, did Kruger feel suited to the LIV Golf format?
Completely different experiences, he laughs.
“Yes we played three rounds or 54 holes, but we played 27 holes the first day, and then 27 holes the second day. So that's almost the opposite of LIV Golf. But you know, I think that shows that it’s the guy that can adapt the best that can win. I think it is as simple as that.”
The Black Mountain Championship, the fifth of 10 elevated events on the schedule, is taking place from 17-20 October at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin and International Series Thailand takes place from 24-27 October at Thai Country Club.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
