Cho Wooyoung soared to his first Asian Tour triumph on Sunday, firing a brilliant five-under 67 to overtake Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert by four shots and capture the season-opening Philippine Golf Championship presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The 24-year-old Korean started the day two shots behind early leader Karandeep Kochhar but showcased nerves of steel in the second-to-last twosome at Wack Wack’s East course.
Cho finished the tournament at 11-under par, sealing his breakthrough win in dramatic fashion.
“It feels amazing,” said Cho, who turned professional after winning an Asian Games team gold alongside current PGA Tour stars Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im in Hangzhou, China, in 2022.
“This is my first event in 2026. I started the season very well, and I really enjoyed it.”
(C) Graham Uden / Asian Tour
Cho’s previous best on the Asian Tour was a runner-up finish at last year’s Bharath Classic.
His victory in the Philippines earned him US$90,000 from the $500,000 prize fund, plus an additional US$10,000 for carding the lowest round of the day, courtesy of Wack Wack’s sponsorship.
Despite a fast start, Cho credited key par saves on holes 11 and 12 as the turning points of his round. He also had to summon his focus on the 17th, recovering from a missed turtle-back green immediately after Pavit had aced the hole.
“The most important shots today were the saves on 11 and 12,” said Cho, a two-time winner on the Korean professional tour. “On 11, I was just hoping for an easy bogey, but somehow I made par—it was lucky. Hole 12 was crucial as well, and I think that’s why I won the tournament.”
Reflecting on the tense finish at 17, he added: “I just wanted to hit the green, and I missed. I didn’t even care where Pavit was; I just focused on saving par. That chip was perfect, and it made all the difference. God bless.”
