Can Michael Hendry, a cancer survivor, script one of the most inspiring narratives in JGTO history by clinching victory again following his leukaemia diagnosis?
Related: Song holds steady as unheralded Yuwa Kosaihira takes centrestage
The 44-year-old New Zealander is on the brink of winning For The Players by The Players after surging four points ahead of the chasing pack in the penultimate stage on Saturday.
Hendry impressed with two eagles as he also traded three birdies with as many bogeys, bringing his points tally to 32 in the tournament which uses an unorthodox modified Stableford scoring format.
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Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for an eagle, and two for a birdie. A point is deducted for a bogey, and three are taken away for a double bogey or worse.
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Overnight leader Yuwa Kosaihira slipped to second place after registering four birdies and three dropped shots, earning a total of 28 points.
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Yusaku Hosono secured a modest four points to claim third position, while Justin De Los Santos of the Philippines surged from 18th to fourth place with an impressive 10-point performance.
Hendry’s lone victory in Japan came at the 2015 Token Homemate Cup. Since then, he has been a runner-up on four occasions between 2016 and 2018.
“Having beaten leukaemia last year, just being back on the course feels amazing. I can’t control winning, but my main goal is to enjoy every moment of playing, no matter what happens,” Hendry said.” said Hendry.
Hendry’s standout moments of the day came when he eagled both the 12th and 17th par-five holes, earning him a valuable 10 points.
“On the 12th hole, I had a good tee shot, hitting a four-iron from the fairway at 230 yards, and managed to sink a 4.5m eagle putt. On the 17th hole, again with a good tee shot, I hit a 6-iron for my second shot at 203 yards, and barely made it onto the green. From there, I managed to sink a 20m eagle putt.
“Overall, I am satisfied. There were just two mistakes, one being a bad swing and the other, attacking too aggressively on the first hole. Apart from that, considering the difficult pin positions, I am satisfied with today’s performance.”
De Los Santos’s stellar performance underscored his affinity for the Stableford format, as he pledged to mount a final-day charge in pursuit of the JGTO victory he has long coveted.
His prowess was evident in the tournament’s inaugural edition two years ago, where he achieved his best-ever circuit finish—a commendable third place.
De Los Santos’s impressive performance underscored his affinity for the Stableford format, as he pledged to mount a final-day charge in pursuit of the JGTO victory he has long coveted.
It was during the tournament’s inaugural edition two years prior that he achieved his best-ever finish on the circuit – third place.
“It went quite well. Many holes presented challenging pin positions, but I managed to secure several birdies. If I can improve my putting tomorrow, I believe there’s a chance,” remarked De Los Santos, who tallied six birdies to counter two bogeys.
“I experienced this format in the tournament two years ago and found it quite enjoyable. I’m really determined to win. If I stick to the preparations I’ve made thus far, I believe the results will come.”
Leading third round scores:
+32: Michael Hendry (Nzl) +14-+5-+13;
+28: Yuwa Kosaihira +9-+14-+5;
+26: Yusaku Hosno +15-+7-+4;
+25: Justin De Los Santos (Phi) +8-+7-+10;
+24: Hideto Kobukuro +7-+5-+12, Aguri Iwasaki +11-+2-+11, Taisei Shimizu +12-+8-+4, Song Young-han (Kor) +14-+7-+3;
+23: Yuta Sugiura +8-+9-+6;
+22: Naoyuki Kataoka +15-+1-+6, Mikumu Horikawa +9-+10-+3.
