Backers ensure staging of Open

The Philippine Open, the country’s premier golf championship, will be held as scheduled on April 3-6 at Wack Wack’s east course although details are still being finalized with barely three weeks left before the 92nd staging of the fabled event.

Gerry Norquist, senior vice president of the Asian Tour, met with officials of Wack Wack and the National Golf Association of the Phils. (NGAP) last week and was pleased with the commitment of the sponsors that would help ensure the successful staging of Asia’s oldest golf championship.

“While I am not prepared to reveal specifics on sponsors at this point, it is enough to say I am very pleased with the commitment and level of interest our sponsors have shown to help us carry on the tradition of Asia’s oldest National Open Golf Championship,” Norquist told The STAR.

Unlike last year when the Open was moved to a later date due to lack of sponsors, organizers of this year’s Open said they have already firmed up the list of local backers and will announce them this week.

The prize money will still be $300,000.

Frankie Minoza, who nipped Gerald Rosales by two strokes to win last year’s Open, will again spearhead the Filipinos’ bid in the four-day championship, which will also features the finest players in the region, led by Thai aces Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant and Chapchai Nirat, Canadian Rick Gibson, former RP Open champions Wang Ter-chang and Anthony Kang, Scot Simon Yates, and Aussies Scott Hend, Adam Blyth and David Gleeson.

Norquist, a former tour campaigner, said Wack Wack’s east course is in excellent condition with the challenging par-72 layout tipped to provide a true test of golf for the men of the tour in the eighth leg of the Asian circuit.

Saying the local challenge has never been stronger, Norquist singled out the talented tandem of Miñoza and Juvic Pagunsan, Artemio Murakami, Angelo Que and Rosales as the men to watch in the upcoming RP Open.

“The talented group of Filipino pros, led by Miñoza and young phenom Pagunsan, has been producing results that have the golf world taking notice. With the emergence of Murakami and continued solid play of Rosales and Que, the local challenge has never been stronger,” said Norquist.