STA. ROSA, Laguna – Filipino golfers entered in The International Series Philippines are ecstatic about the rare opportunity to play with some of the best in the world like former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Louis Oosthuizen.
A total of 11 Filipino golfers tee it up in the blue-ribbon tournament led by Miguel Tabuena, who will be in a threesome with former No. 1 Johnson and Oosthuizen in a late-morning flight at the Sta. Elena Golf Club.
“You always want to perform well in your home country,” said Tabuena during a press conference on the eve of the Asian Tour-sanctioned tournament where he was with major winners Johnson and Reed in the presidential table.
READ Meet the 11 Filipino golfers vying in The International Series PH
“But still, you have to treat it like any other event. These guys are major winners, and they’ll adapt to anything. So I guess course knowledge isn’t such a big factor this week. But, you know, I’m gonna give it my best shot and keep that Philippine flag on top of the leaderboard,” the three-time Asian Tour winner added.
Asian Tour veteran Angelo Que said the tournament is a great opportunity for the younger players including Aidric Chan, Sean Ramos, and Enrico Gallardo to test themselves in golf's highest level.
“Especially for the younger players like Aidric, Sean, and Enrico, it gives them a sense of the competition level out there,” said Que. “The International Series is on a different level in terms of the field, camaraderie, and quality of play."
Despite the presence of the top golfers in the world, Que thinks that the Filipino players can compete in the tournament.
“These players are used to playing bigger tournaments, so it’s great for the guys to experience that. For us, yes, it feels like a major, but at the end of the day, it’s still a tournament. If you play your normal game, you can compete with them,” said Que.
The Philippine leg of The International Series is the sixth of nine tournaments organized by the Asian Tour which offers a pathway to the rich LIV Tour.
The first round starts at 6 a.m. but all eyes will be at the 11:40 a.m. tee-off where Tabuena, Johnson, and Oosthuizen will begin their round.
Johnson is the 2020 Masters and 2016 US Open champion while Oosthuizen is an Open champion in 2010. Also in the field is Reed and Charl Schwartzel, Masters champion in 2018 and 2011 respectively.
Johnson and Reed said the tournament is a shot in the arm for Philippine golf
“I think it’s great. It’s my first time playing in the Philippines. The field is really good, a lot of great players, major winners, quality golfers. For the first time being here, they’ve done a great job bringing in world-class players.
"Hopefully, this becomes something bigger in the future, and hopefully all the fans enjoy it so we can do it again next year,” said Johnson. “It’s great to see how strong the field is. It shows the organizers are really committed to growing the game through the International Series, bringing world-class players here."
Reed said: Hopefully, the buzz around this event helps golf in the Philippines grow faster. The easiest way to grow the game is to bring in the best players in the world to showcase golf and its fun side. That’s what I think this week will do, especially for younger generations.”
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