A LEAN but talented field made up of seasoned professionals and upcoming guns will be teeing it up on Friday to chase as many as five slots to the Philippine Open, Asia's oldest national golf championship which will have its revival later this month.
Former Philippine Masters champion Jessie Balasabas and Mars Pucay banner the cast of veterans in the 18-hole event that will be held over the tough-as-nails Canlubang North layout, as the organizing National Golf Association of the Philippines fills up its slots reserved for Filipinos in the main event.
Gab Manotoc, Leandro Bagtas, and Josh Jorge have also thrown their hats into the fight, as they try to see action for the first time in the $500,000 event that kicks off the 2025 Asian Tour season at the Masters course of the posh Manila Southwoods complex in Carmona, Cavite.
The local challenge will be bannered by former champions Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que plus the top 25 in the Order of Merit of the last Philippine Golf Tour season which the indefatigable Antonio Lascuna topped at the age of 53.
This will ensure that the country will be well represented in the 72-hole event, which was last played in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to all of sports in the world.
"We hope to be able to jumpstart the Asian Tour season by hosting a Philippine Open like no other," NGAP chair Al Panlilio said, as he personally saw to it that the event will get the funding it needed from the MVP Sports Foundation when he stepped in late last year.
"We want to show the Asian region that this event will be a worthwhile stop for all of its best players," Panlilio went on. "This is just the start and we wish everyone all the best."
Amateurs, too, get time under sun
A separate qualifying tournament for amateurs, incidentally, will be held early next week when Riviera hosts the NGAP-Riviera Am at the Couples course in Silang. There, the top four finishers after 72 holes get entry into the Jan. 23-26 event at the Masters.
Shin Suzuki, a member of the champion PH Putra Cup team, and Zeus Sara, the reigning PH Am titlist, have been seeded into the main event together with Rianne Malixi, the 17-year-old phenom who is the reigning US Women's Am and US Junior Girls champion given a very special invite by the NGAP.
The NGAP had also extended an invitation to Yuka Saso, the Filipino-Japanese who also holds the US Women's Open golf title.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
