Former Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) winners Sihwan Kim of the United States and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond headline the strong international contingent set to compete in the $500,000 (around P29 million) revival of the Philippine Open set to happen next Thursday at the Manila Southwoods Masters course.
Kim and Janewattananond, both former OOM champions, are among the favorites in the 72-hole championship.
They will be joined by top Filipino contenders Miguel Tabuena and former champion Angelo Que as Asia’s oldest national golf tournament returns after a five-year hiatus.
Tabuena, who finished seventh in last year’s OOM standings after playing 19 events, is one of the country’s brightest hopes.
His most recent Asian Tour victory came at Delhi Golf Club in India in 2023, where he staged a remarkable comeback in the final round.
Starting six shots behind, he carded a seven-under-par 65 to edge hometown favorite Rashid Khan by a single stroke.
Janewattananond, once ranked 38th in the world during a stellar 2020 season, is no stranger to Philippine golf.
The Thai star turned professional at the age of 15 in 2010 and has since accumulated 11 Asian Tour titles, tying for ninth on the all-time wins list.
His résumé also includes appearances in all four golf majors, with his best finish being a tie for 14th at the 2019 PGA Championship.
He has also competed on the US PGA Tour, the former European Tour, and the Japan Tour.
“It’s going to be a wide-open Open,” said Que, the 2008 Philippine Open champion at Wack Wack, with a smile. “A lot of talented players are coming, and there will be plenty of legitimate contenders for the title.”
Kim, who claimed two victories during his OOM-winning 2022 season, also played in the LIV Golf League before failing to secure a team spot in 2023.
Que, now 46, has been intensively preparing to give himself the best shot at winning the title for the second time.
“It’s going to be a tough tournament, especially if the winds pick up,” he said. “If it’s windy, we might see a winning score of around 15-under. But if it’s calm, it could go as low as 20-under or more.”
Meanwhile, the host club completed its 18-hole qualifying tournament on Sunday. Former junior world champion Kristoffer Arevalo, Leandro Bagtas, and Gab Manotoc secured spots in the main draw.
For the first time, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course was played as a par-70 layout, with holes 4 and 15 converted into challenging par-4s.
Arevalo, who carded a 66, used a 3-wood for his second shot on the lengthy 4th hole, highlighting the increased difficulty of the course.
