The Asian Tour will open its new season on home soil under a fresh banner, as the Philippine Golf Championship presented by the Philippine Sports Commission officially takes center stage next month.
Officials confirmed today that the tournament — set to tee off from February 5 to 8 at the historic Wack Wack Golf & Country Club — has been rebranded following increased backing from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), marking a significant boost for Philippine golf on the international stage.
Adding to the excitement, Miguel Tabuena, the standard-bearer of Philippine golf, has confirmed his participation in what will be the inaugural staging of the newly named event.
With a prize purse of US$500,000, the championship also welcomes BingoPlus as an Official Sponsor, further strengthening the event’s commercial backing as the brand continues to expand its footprint in golf.
“If we can host and organise world-class sports tourism events every month, we will do it—from WTA tennis to the Asian Tour,” said PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio.
“These events make the country proud. They make the city proud. They make Filipino athletes proud, and they inspire our youth to aspire,” added Gregorio, who also serves as Chairman of the National Sports Tourism-Inter Agency Committee (NST-IAC).
The tournament, organized under the auspices of the NST-IAC, was originally named the Philippine President’s Trophy.
“Golf is an integral part of this strategy, and we are happy to collaborate with the National Golf Association of the Philippines,” said Gregorio.
“When international athletes visit the Philippines, they don’t just compete, they experience our culture and embrace our spirit.”
Tabuena, coming off a stellar 2025 campaign, will headline a stacked field eager to make a strong start to the season.
Leading the international contingent are American John Catlin, the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, alongside former number ones Sihwan Kim of the United States and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond. They will be joined by Hong Kong top-ranked Taichi Kho and Chinese-Taipei standout Lee Chieh-po.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, a four-time Asian Tour winner over the past two years, is also in the field, along with fellow 2024 champions Sadom Kaewkanjana, Rattanon Wannasrichan, Poosit Supupramai, Ekpharit Wu of Thailand, and Germany’s Dominic Foos.
Further bolstering the lineup are reigning Asian Development Tour Order of Merit champion Tawit Polthai of Thailand and Qualifying School winner Lin Yuxin of China. Nearly all 35 graduates from the School are set to compete, underscoring the depth of the field.
For BingoPlus, the event marks another major step in its growing involvement in golf, following its role as presenting partner of last year’s highly successful International Series Philippines.
Mr. Rafael Jasper Vicencio, President of AB Leisure Exponent Inc., said: “Through this partnership, BingoPlus, alongside our parent company DigiPlus, shows its strong commitment and reaffirms its support in sports – bridging the gap and making it more reachable and accessible to aspiring local athletes out there.
“As DigiPlus remains the leading digital entertainment platform, it aims to strengthen the partnership and collaboration between public and private sectors. The tournament is expected to have a world-class experience, draw golf fans and media attention as all eyes will be on Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in the first week of February. The inclusion of the Philippines on the Asian Tour calendar opens up new opportunities to enhance local golf athletes and future professionals while also boosting the Philippine sports tourism industry.”
Tabuena enters the season opener riding momentum after winning last year’s International Series Philippines, a run that propelled him to third place in both the Asian Tour Merit list and The International Series Rankings.
He narrowly missed a spot on the LIV Golf League, which awards berths to the top two finishers on The International Series Rankings. A two-shot improvement at the final counting event would have seen him overtake Japan’s Yosuke Asaji for second place.
Now, with the Asian Tour season opening on home turf, Tabuena has the ideal stage to build on last year’s breakthrough and chase even greater success.
