Golf: Hendry finishes 10th in Japan

Michael Hendry. Photo / Getty Images.

New Zealand No 1 Michael Hendry has continued his momentum on the Japan Golf Tour with his second top-10 finish of the season.

The 33-year-old North Harbour professional carded rounds of 70, 69 and 71 at the Vana H Cup, which was reduced to a three-round event, to finish in a share of 10th place during the weekend.

Hendry was six shots back from champion Sung-Joon (Andrew) Park, the New Zealand under-23 champion from 2003, who won by two shots on a three-round 12-under par total.

Hendry earned $25,000 (NZD) to climb 10 places on the Japan Golf Tour money-list to 45th in his debut season on the land of the rising sun.

Fellow Kiwi David Smail had rounds of 74, 70 and 74 to finish in a share of 59th place.

Hendry and Smail need to finish inside the top-70 players on the money-list to retain their cards for the 2014 season.

In the USA, Danny Lee has come home strong in the first week of the Web.com Tour finals.

The 22-year-old Rotorua professional carded a five-under par 67 in the final round of the Hotel Fitness Championship to finish in a share of 18th place.

The former world No 1 amateur had rounds of 72, 67, 69 and 67 for a 13-under par total at the Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Indiana to finish seven strokes back from winner and former Masters champion Trevor Immelman.

Lee, who finished the regular Web.Com season in 15th place on the money-list, is projected to drop three places in the re-rank to 18th.

Tim Wilkinson, who finished 10th on the money-list at the end of the regular season, finished in a share of 24th place. He is projected to drop to 24th in the re-rank.

Hamilton professional Steven Alker, who missed a card in the regular season by US$1200, has plenty of work to do in the last three events of the Web.Com Finals Series.

Alker had rounds of 76 and 67in Indiana to miss the cut and is projected to be 83rd on the money-list.

Meanwhile, rookie Waikato professional Sarah Bradley has advanced to the second stage of qualifying for the LPGA Tour.

The former New Zealand rep, from the Cambridge Golf Club, had rounds of 73, 77, 67 and 76 for a five-over par total at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage to finish tied 35th.

The Rancho Mirage qualifier is the first of the LPGA Tour's three sectional qualifying events in 2013.

The top-100 players advanced to the second stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida and will unfold October 8-11.

The 26-year-old, who played on a golfing scholarship at Oklahoma State University, is looking to make the perfect start to her pro career by joining the game's most lucrative women's tour.