Top Asian Circuit campaigners due for RP Open

Three of the top 10 players on the Asian Tour, led by Myanmar Open champion Anthony Kang of Korea, are planing in to compete in the 86th Philippine Open golf championship co-presented by Casino Filipino and San Miguel which fires off Thursday at the Wack Wack east course.

The US-based Kang, currently ranked seventh in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, will make a return trip to the same country where he posted his first major victory as a professional, winning the 1999 Open at Manila Southwoods.

Simon Yates of Scotland is the highest-ranked Asian Tour campaigner at No. 4 while American Clay Devers, fresh from a fighting third place finish in last week’s Alcatel Singapore Masters, is at No. 10.

The three will be among a big contingent of 84 foreign bets from 18 countries due to arrive for the all-peso Open where a princely sum of P9.5 million will be up for grabs including a top prize of P1.5 million.

Rick Gibson, the former World Cupper who had played intensively in the Philippine Tour, also beat the registration deadline to make it as the lone Canadian entry.

The countries now represented are Australia, Canada, Chinese-Taipei, Ecuador, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, United States and Venezuela.

This year’s Open has drawn the support of Mitsubishi Motors, Herma Grouap of Companies, Hope Luxury Cigarette, Hanjin Shipping, Prudentialife Pension Plan, General Milling, Metrobank, Bingo Bonanza, Citra Tollways, and Rudy Project.

Meanwhile, tournament director Vince Villafuerte said yesterday that conditions for the Open will be "tough but fair."

The fairways that have been softened due to recent rains will make the east course much longer and the greens will be fast enough to conform to international standards, according to Villafuerte.

The field, however, will be given all the space to set themselves up for good scores. The length (across) of fairways will be within 35-45 yard range and the roughs are not too difficult.