Delos Santos fades late, ends up at tied 17th

MANILA, Philippines – Justin delos Santos was unable to replicate his third-round brilliance, losing momentum on the back nine to close with an even-par 71, ending up tied at 17th in the Vantelin Tokai Classic, which Takahiro Hataji won by one stroke in Aichi, Japan on Sunday.

In the early rounds at Miyoshi Country Club’s West course, delos Santos stayed in contention, building on his strong start with two birdies over the first nine holes in the final round, marked by four scrambling pars from No. 5.

However, his fortunes turned on the back nine. After a steady start with two regulation pars, the Filipino-American shotmaker faltered on the par-5 12th, where a double bogey derailed his bid.

A bounce-back birdie on the following hole showed resilience, but a costly missed green led to another bogey on No. 14. He managed to hold on with four consecutive pars, finishing with a 33-38 for a four-day total of 274, seven strokes behind Hataji.

From joint third after 54 holes, Hataji surged ahead with a flurry of birdies on the first five holes. Despite a bogey on the ninth, he accelerated on the back nine, carding birdies on Nos. 11, 13, 15 and 16, closing with a six-under 65.

His total of 267 edged out Takumi Kanaya by one stroke, as the latter also posted a six-under round but finished with a 268.

Despite falling short of his desired result, delos Santos remains confident in his game. He is determined to produce a consistent four-day performance as he chases his elusive breakthrough victory on the region’s premier tour.

He will next compete in the CAN Championship at Miki Golf Club in Hyogo, starting Thursday.