SMC supports 88th RP Open

The 88th DHL-Philippine Open Golf Championship got a major boost yesterday when San Miguel Corporation agreed to be its presentor when it is staged Feb. 26-29 at Mimosa’s composite Acacia and Lakeview courses in Clark Field, Pampanga.

It is actually a return to big-time golf for the country’s biggest food and beverage conglomerate since San Miguel Corp. has always been a partner or the chief backer not only of the past Philippine Opens but also of other major golfing events, including the Philippine Masters.

As presentor of the blue-ribbon event, San Miguel Corp. is putting up P3 million, further ensuring the organizing National Golf Association of the Phils.’ desire to stage the biggest RP Open ever in history.

For good reason.

Since the event, Asia’s oldest golf championship, was shelved last year — no thanks to the row inside the Asian PGA Tour organization – the NGAP wants to come up with the grandest RP Open championship in terms of prize money, participation and organization.

And it made sure that the likes of Frankie Miñoza, Gerald Rosales, Cassius Casas, all former RP Open champions, will be around to spearhead the bid of the cream of the local crop against an equally-talented foreign field, led by defending champion Rick Gibson of Canada.

"With San Miguel back as our partner again, this year’s Philippine Open is guaranteed of a grand staging," said RP Open organizing committee chair Benny Gopez.

Earlier, DHL Express, the world’s leading express and logistics provider, has reaffirmed its commitment to the country’s premier golfing event by putting up $150,000 in prize money.

Mitsubishi Motors has likewise renewed its ties with the RP Open as it stakes two cars as hole-in-one prizes, first in the Celebrity pro-am event set Feb. 25 and another for the first player to score an ace in the tournament proper.

With everything but the venue in place, the organizers of the event hope to take over the early supervision of the composite courses to ensure the successful staging of the fabled event by way of sprucing up and transforming the Acacia and Lakeview courses into a championship layout. — Dante Navarro