BIG-TIME golf returns to the country after five years with the holding of the Philippine Open beginning on Thursday at Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite.
It’s the kick-off leg of the Asian Tour, which, incidentally, will also hold for the first time one of its International Series events in the country in October featuring some of LIV Tour's top golfers.
But the comeback of the Open, once one of Asia’s best events, has energized the local golf community following years of poor leadership and misplaced priorities resulting in lack of sponsors to finance the venture.
READ Southwoods' Masters course toughens up for Philippine Open
Blame has been laid on the doorsteps of the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) whose inability to forge meaningful ties with corporate supporters forced the event to take a hiatus while neighboring countries prospered and built successful golf programs.
One of the NGAP’s most shameful legacies was its mishandling of the Paris Olympics uniform of women golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina whose complaints went viral that eventually cost the job of one the association’s top officials.
But times may be changing.
There is a willing sponsor in Smart Infinity of the MVP Group which has put up $500,000 (about 29 million pesos) in prize money, minimum for the Asian Tour, that somehow shook local golf from its moribund state.
The tournament will be held at Manila Southwoods’ Masters course, one of two built by golf great Jack Nicklaus from the complex.
Organizers said it has been reconfigured to make it a tough test – two pars 5s turned to par 4s, from par 72 to par 70, at 7,138 yards.
Local hope Angelo Que, at 46 in the twilight of his game and looking for one last stab at glory, said 20 under par or more might win the tournament.
That score, if it happens, doesn’t seem to make Southwoods a challenge, but it makes the game exciting for spectators seeing a lot of birdies.
Thankfully or not, depending on how you look at it, the Philippine Open, however, will have one distinct flavor: our top female amateur golfer, Rianne Malixi, will be in the field.
It may be the NGAP’s most important decision yet. Without Malixi, the tournament would have simply been an ordinary one.
Asian Tour stars lead charge
The field is bannered by former Asian Tour Order of Merit winners Sihwan Kim (65th in 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit) of the US and Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond (40th in 2024 OOM), two players who haven’t had much success the past two years.
However, the field will have Thailand’s pair of Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who won two Asian Tour events last year, and Nitithorn Thippong, winner of three Tour events the last two years.
An interesting entry is Chase Koepka, brother of multi-major champion Brooks Koepka, who had a stint at LIV Golf but got relegated for poor performance.
The local challenge will be headed by Miguel Tabuena, 22nd in the 2024 OOM, and Justin de los Santos, a veteran of the tough Japan Golf Tour whose other Filipino regular there, Juvic Pagunsan, has declined an invitation to compete, lessening the country’s bid for top honors.
But with Malixi in the field, the event will get more attention than usual and may have turned this into a must-watch tournament.
The 18-year-old, who won last year’s US Girls and US Women’s Amateur championships, is expected to be the event’s top draw. Take her out and you may have an Open where there might be more support crew than spectators.
If Malixi makes the cut, which organizers are praying for, that would be a bonus and the NGAP may have a blockbuster in the making.
Malixi has been honing her game in the run-up to the Open which she said is part of her preparation for the tough grind ahead in the US where she is scheduled to play in top amateur events, including the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and in all women’s professional major championships.
Top prize is about $92,000, but perhaps more important, the Open may signal a new beginning for Philippine golf.
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