Golf in the Philippines is steeped in history with its storied journey dating all the way back to 1913.
Filipinos will remember that year as the birth of their National Open which until today, holds the distinction of being the oldest national championship in Asia.
Through the passage of time, significant golfing chapters have been rewritten.
The arrival of Spain’s Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido onto their shores for the 1977 World Cup wowed the galleries.
The Spaniards left the same way they came with their heads held high by bringing home the much coveted World Cup trophy.
During the heady days from the 1970s to the 1990s, top golfers including the legendary Gary Player, Doug Sanders, Peter Thomson, Fred Couples and even Asian Tour’s executive chairman Kyi Hla Han took center stage at among the many golf tournaments held in the Philippines.
In November, a new era will beckon for the professional golf in the Philippines when the Resorts World Manila Masters make its debut on the Asian Tour in November.
The adrenaline rush and excitement of getting up close and personal with the Who’s Who of Asian golf at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club will be felt in the weeks leading up to the inaugural US$750,000 event.
Just like the leading cast of internationals who created the buzz in the country some decades prior, it is the new generation of players who are charged with putting golf in the Philippines onto the world map today.
Veteran star Frankie Minoza, Angelo Que, Artemio Murakami and Juvic Pagunsan have a combined total of six Asian Tour titles between themselves with Pagunsan playing his place into the history books by becoming the first Filipino to win the coveted Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2011.
“I’m feeling very happy to be the first Filipino to win this prestigious award. I cannot believe that I can win the Order of Merit award. Without the Asian Tour, there will be no Juvic Pagunsan,” said Pagunsan following his career high.
On the Asian Development Tour (ADT), which is the feeder circuit to the Asian Tour, Jay Baron topped the Merit ranking in 2012 and is the most successful player with three ADT wins to date.
Elmer Salvador also has his name inscribed in the ADT roll of honour twice following back-to-back wins at the Aboitiz Invitational in the last two years.
The affable 43-year-old will also be best remembered for coming close to winning his first Asian Tour title in 2011 and 2012 but lost on both occasions in a play-off.
Then, there is also teen phenom Miguel Tabuena who became the youngest Filipino to earn his Asian Tour card when he finished inside the top-40 at Qualifying School in 2011.
As the first integrated resort in the country to offer a variety of leisure and lifestyle alternatives to guests from around the world, Resorts World Manila is surely living up to its promise of providing a myriad of entertainment options when it came on board as the title sponsor of the Resorts World Manila Masters.
Come November 14-17, all roads will lead to the Philippines for the Resorts World Manila Masters and like the Asian Tour which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013, it’ll be a party which should not be missed!
