The Bridgestone Challenge is breaking new ground this week, by becoming the first European Challenge Tour tournament to use a modified stableford format.
From September 7-10, Europe’s most up and coming golfers will swap traditional stroke play for the innovative format which awards players points for under par scores and deducts points for over par scores.
For example, those making a birdie gain two points but will lose one point for making a bogey – while players making par will receive a score of zero.
Modified stableford, which last featured on the European Tour in the 2004 ANZ Championship, is not the only innovation on the Challenge Tour this season - match play golf returned to Europe’s top developmental tour for the first time in 18 years at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Match Play 9, which was won by Aaron Rai in May.
This year will see the second staging of the Bridgestone Challenge, with Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa playing host to a Challenge Tour tournament for the first time.