And with Lloyd Go, winner of the last two legs at Pinewoods and Pradera Verde, opting to compete abroad in pursuit of added experience and game enhancement, the title chase has been thrown even wider open.
The stage is therefore set for another highly charged four-day shootout, with established stars, emerging talents and a growing band of contenders all capable of seizing the slightest opening.
Summit Point should provide the perfect test.
The course has held its own despite the recent mix of sun and rain, and while its well-maintained layout may look inviting, it can quickly turn daunting when approached without discipline. Softer fairways could encourage the Tour’s big hitters to attack more aggressively but knowing when to unleash the power — and when to throttle back — could prove just as important.
The course rewards boldness, but it also exacts a price for even the slightest lapse in judgment.
Keanu Jahns leads the power-hitting charge, arriving with renewed confidence after a respectable finish in a rare Asian Development Tour event last month. The Filipino-German ace, a four-time PGT leg winner who capped last season with the Match Play Championship, has been knocking on the door again and feels it is time to reclaim the spotlight.