Phl Open back at Wack Wack

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Open will be back at Wack Wack next year on an earlier date and hopefully as the kickoff leg of the 2012 Asian Tour.

“We’d do it in February,” said Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han yesterday following a meeting with officials of the National Golf Association of the Philippines, led by Leandro Mendoza. The target date is on Feb. 9-12 with the AT officials still to finalize the calendar of events for next season which they expect to be the same this year with 27 legs.

“I think it’s better (in February) since we’ll have better weather and better players,” said Han, a former pro who marked his Open debut in 1981 as a 19-year-old Tour sophomore.

The Open was last held in February in 2007 as the third stop of the region’s premier circuit.

Han also said the early decision to schedule the Phl Open next year will give the National Golf Association of the Phils. more time to prepare unlike this year when the country’s golf governing body had little time to prepare although top port management ICTSI (International Container Terminals Services, Inc.) took over to bankroll the $300,000 event. “They could plan it right now, agree on a date, then we can start working on a tournament,” said Han.

The prize money could also be raised from its current $300,000 pot, which is the minimum in the Tour, to perhaps maybe $500,000.

“It depends on sponsorships, if we get good feedback from the sponsors then maybe,” Han said. “But I think it is also the NGAP’s desire to raise the pot.”

Han also welcomed the decision to hold the Open again on its home course.

“There’s a lot of history and tradition between Wack Wack and the Open,” said Han, adding it would be up to the NGAP since it is in the best position to decide where it will be played.

“For us, all international top-class courses are acceptable to us,” said Han. “But Wack Wack is in fantastic shape,” he added. “They’ve done a great job here and you can see that by the scores. It’s nice to see players play a classically-designed course.”