Sure, not all of them turn into world beaters, but there is inevitably some interesting backstory or special talent to watch.

The latest is Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune, and the first genuine chance to watch the Sandbelt Invitational bound World No.194 added plenty of weight to ‘Clayton’s players to watch list’.

The 20-year-old finished in a share of seconded with Jason Scrivener at 11-under on Sunday at the Australian PGA. The pair three shots back of now three-time PGA winner Cam Smith.

A three-time winner on the Abema TV Tour, Hisatsune closed with the equal low round of the day, a 65, in his first start as a DP World Tour member having secured playing rights the week before at qualifying school with a seventh place finish.

“Last week got exemption to this tournament, so I am happy with the two weeks. Great start to the DP World Tour. Keep up more next week at the Australian Open,” Hisatsune told Golf Australia magazine.

“Probably more tough, but I want to play around the world because it was my dream at a younger age," - Ryo Hisatsune.

A Japanese member of the Tour formerly known as European is a rarity. With such a lucrative circuit at home, it is only the absolute best of the best Japanese men that regularly venture away from the land of the rising sun.

But Hisatsune is built different.

“Probably more tough, but I want to play around the world because it was my dream at a younger age in the national team around the world. As a country we stay more at home, but there is more life in travelling.”

And just as Clayton is a fan of Hisatsune, the latter found this publication’s Architecture Editor’s design work to his liking at Royal Queensland.

“I am so excited. A lovely course, so different from Japan, with all the undulations, so hard greens,” he said. “But here there is more imagination used in the golf. Fun to play in the final day.”

The fun of a final day in contention is something one would expect Hisatsune, who finished T12 at the PGA Tour’s ZOZO Championship, to experience a lot more often in the future. Perhaps even this week when he arrives in Melbourne for the concurrent Australian Opens.

As he did last week, Hisatsune will have some Aussie help across Victoria and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs with Tom Watson on his bag. No not that one who won an Australian Open of his own in 1984 down the road at Royal Melbourne.

Watson the caddie is an Australian PGA member who had his best run as a looper when toting the bag of former women’s World No.1 So Yeon Ryu, who will also tee it up in Melbourne this week.

The son of a golf pro, who as you might have guessed was a friend of Clayton’s, Watson grew up in Melbourne and has a deep appreciation for course design and a clear talent for guiding his player around courses in big events, as he did when Ryu won the ANA Inspiration in 2017.

“Tom is good. I am going to play two more tournaments to work it out, but the first tournament is so good. I am so happy,” Hisatsune said of his bagman.

If you are making your way out to the Open this week, perhaps take some time away from the likes of Smith, Scott, Webb, Green, Lee and Lee, and wander over to where Hisatsune is and see if you agree with Clayton’s call on his potential.

It has been a good indicator in the past.