CARMONA, Cavite - The Masters layout of the Manila Southwoods Golf Club is coming close to achieving the tough character that organizers envision to challenge the field in the $500,000 Smart Infinity Philippine Open which starts Thursday.
The rough has been grown to at least three inches deep, the greens are faster because of the warm weather, and the pins will be placed on tricky spots. These are some of the challenges players will have to conquer to win Asia's oldest national championship.
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Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and Japan Tour regular Justin delos Santos will spearhead the local charge in the event serving as the kickoff leg of the 2025 Asian Tour season.
The 30-year-old Tabuena has been at Southwoods everyday since last week and playing the Jack Nicklaus-designed par-70 course with new caddy in Kenneth Quillinan.
Que, 46, looking at one more chance at glory, believes that it will all boil down to a putting contest on Open week. Que, like Tabuena, is a former Philippine Open champion.
Delos Santos, meanwhile, planed in on Saturday and sampled the layout for the first time on Sunday. "Just happy to be here. This is certainly a special tournament," he said.
Que expalined why putting well is essential.
"It's important that your putting is at its sharpest next week," he said. "Because if the winds blow, it will be difficult to put your approaches where you want them. So putting will be key, especially if you putt from the wrong spots."
The greens will be around 12 on the Stimpmeter, according to Southwoods assistant general manager Jerome Delariarte, who is working closely with the Asian Tour in setting up the course that will play as a par-70 for the first time. To do this, two par 5s were converted into par 4s.
"It would make for a very difficult putting day," added Delariarte, a champion ex-pro who pointed out the heat and the wind as elements that will dry out the greens.
Southwoods also announced that entrance to the club to watch the Open is free.
"That's the least that the club can do for the local golfing community," Delariarte said.
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