Tarlac, Philippines: The 98th Philippine Open presented by ICTSI, Asia’s oldest National Open, will move to a new venue when it returns onto the Asian Tour Schedule from December 17 to 20, 2015.
The US$300,000 event will be staged at the highly acclaimed Luisita Golf and Country Club in the city of Tarlac, becoming the final tournament of the 2015 season.
Carlos L. Coscolluela Jr, President of the National Golf Association of Philippines, said: “The NGAP is looking forward to the 98th staging of the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI in December. We would also like to thank Luisita Golf and Country Club for being our new host venue and look forward to welcoming the stars from the Asian Tour to our prestigious National Open.”
The storied Philippine Open has celebrated many worthy champions in the past including Australia’s Peter Thomson, Lu Lian-huang and Hsieh Min-nan of Chinese Taipei, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Filipino stars Frankie Minoza, Angelo Que, Larry Montes, Celestino Tugot, Ben Arda and Luis 'Golem' Silverio, who won as an amateur in 1966.
Marcus Both of Australia claimed an emphatic victory last year when he won the title by two shots. Victory was especially sweet as he had thought about quitting the game before the win.
Martin Lorenzo, Chairman of Luisita Golf and Country Club, said: “On behalf of Luisita Golf and Country Club, we are excited to be given the privilege to host the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI for the first time. We are very excited and confident that our championship golf course will offer a good test to the region’s top players and help identify a worthy champion in December.”
Enrique K. Razon Jr., ICTSI Chairman and President, commended Luisita Golf for taking the initiative to help make the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI happen. ICTSI is a port manager with businesses spanning 20 countries. It is a strong supporter of the domestic Philippine circuit and also sponsors numerous Filipino players.
“We are very pleased to be working with Luisita Golf, with whom we share the same passion and pride for the Philippine Open. ICTSI remains committed to develop Philippine professional golf, and supporting the Philippine Open is our way of showing this promise,” he said.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han welcomed the return of the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI, saying Asia’s oldest golf championship remains as one of the most sought-after titles amongst the golfers in the region.
“On behalf of our players, we look forward to return to the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI. The Asian Tour continues to provide the best career opportunities for players in the region including from the Philippines and I would also like to thank the NGAP, Luisita and ICTSI for their support towards the Philippine Open,” said Han., ISN
