Justin De Los Santos is determined to turn his season around after a challenging start when he competes at For The Players by The Players, kicking off in Gunma on Thursday.
Related: Ren Yonezawa secures JGTO breakthrough at The Crowns
The 28-year-old has faced early exits in all three of his initial starts. The return of For The Players by The Players, absent last year, offers him an opportunity to redeem himself.
It was at The Club Golf Village in 2022 where De Los Santos achieved his career-best finish on the JGTO, securing a solo third place.
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This success was attributed to the modified Stableford scoring format, which seemed to bring out his best.
In this unconventional format, rather than aiming for the fewest strokes, players earn points based on the number of strokes per hole.
Scoring for this week’s event is as follows:
Albatross: 8 points
Eagle: 5 points
Birdie: 2 points
Par: 0 points
Bogey: -1 point
Double bogey or worse: -3 points
De Los Santos said during the previous edition: “I have never competed in a Stableford event at all.
“It’s a little bit different, but I like it a lot because I can be more aggressive.
“The fun part about this format is that a double bogey with -3 is the worst you can make. So, it kind of like give me the green light for whatever I want to attempt.”
American Han Lee and a rejuvenated Michael Hendry of Australia, who both finished in the top 20 in the inaugural edition, will be among the other players in the 132-man field vying to capitalise on the tournament’s return.
Hendry, who made a comeback to competitive play after battling cancer last year, achieved a commendable T16 finish at last week’s The Crowns and will seek to build on it.
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Shintaro Kobayashi will be back to defend the title two years ago, where he topped the field with 41 points.
The title “For The Players By The Players” represents a groundbreaking concept golf tournament organised jointly by the JGTO, the Japan Golf Tour Players’ Council (JGTPC).
In terms of course setup, it aims to create a stage where players can thrive by incorporating the opinions of the players themselves and obtaining comprehensive support from the host course.
As for the tournament structure, unlike existing events with a single title sponsor, it aims to create a sustainable business model that allows as many people as possible to participate and cooperate directly.
