In danger of being scrapped just months before because the league it was supposed to partner with folded, the 108th Philippine Open remains a worthy destination for many of the best in the Asian Tour because of a couple of big reasons.
First, the PSC joined hands with the Asian Tour and stepped in and made sure that a hefty purse would be on offer for the Nov. 12 to 15 spectacle at the Masters of Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite.
A total of $1 million will be dangled in Asia’s oldest national championship, making the prize money alone a big come-on.
And with an event in Saudi Arabia scrapped because of security reasons, the PH Open is now the final event of the Asian Tour, which means that players wanting to keep their cards will be scrambling hard to do so here.
‘It was a no-brainer for the PSC to step in and chip in its share,’ Patrick Gregorio, the vibrant chair of the government’s sports funding agency, said. ‘The Open is the crown jewel of pro golf in the Asian region, and there’s no doubt that it is worth saving.
‘And of course, this is another chance for the country to open its doors to various cultures, for them to experience the Philippines in a different way,’ Gregorio added.
‘This is just another chance for us to show them the best of our country-our players included.’
With the new direction that LIV Golf has taken, the event that was supposed to be an International Series stop is now back as a regular Asian Tour event where Frenchman Julien Sale is the defending champion.
LIV 1.0 went belly up in August and put all the planning of the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) and the Asian Tour in disarray as the two bodies had to find a way to put a decent amount up as prize money.
Southwoods stayed put as the host venue and kept on reinvigorating its Jack Nicklaus-designed gem despite the uncertainties, even as the NGAP continued exploring avenues with the Tour.
And then came the helping hand from Gregorio, who wants to give the local pros all the chances they can get to win the prestigious event, while reiterating his thrust to also promote tourism in the country.
‘It’s a two-for-one thing for the PSC,’ Gregorio said. ‘There’s no greater objective than helping our Filipino pros, while at the same time the doors of our country are open for the world to see.’