High stakes season finale awaits at Golf Nippon Series JT Cup

The curtains will come down on 2024 JGTO season with the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup drawing the year to a close at the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club.
 
The Tour’s best 30 players will tee off on Thursday where they will vie for the top prize of JPY 130,000 ,000 with the winner’s purse worth JPY 40,000,000 at the no-cut event.  
 
The battle to become the 2024 JGTO money ranking champion will also come down to the wire between the top five players on the ranking where Kensei Hirata holds the advantage with more than JPY 110,000,000 in earnings so far.
 
Hirata has enjoyed a standout season highlighted by four victories and the 24-year-old is making no bones about ending the year with that prestigious title, come Sunday.
 
“Every player on the tour wants to win that title. It’s an incredibly difficult achievement, and I believe the best player will be deserving of it. Since I’ve come this far, I want to aim for that and secure the money ranking title,” said Hirata.
 
Hirata ambitions will be put to the test by the likes of Kanaya, who trails him by over JPY 10,000,000 and is determined to make up for his heartbreak of narrowly missing out on the title after finishing tied-second at the JT Cup last year. 
 
“Missing out on the win last year was very frustrating. Back then, I needed to win to have any chance of also securing the money ranking title. So, I became too focused on results and couldn’t play my best. 
 
“This time, I want to turn things around and get my revenge, said Kanaya, who has won twice this year along with securing eight top-10s.

Hirat and Kanaya will tee off alongside Shugo Imahira at 11:00 am (local time)
 
Ends.