PSC saves day for Philippine Open

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Open lives.

Facing cancellation barely three months out following the collapse of a league it was supposed to partner with, the country’s flagship golf event got a lifeline after the Philippine Sports Commission came on board to keep it alive.

The 108th edition of the Philippine Open, Asia’s oldest national championship, will now be held as scheduled on Nov. 12-15 at the Masters course of Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite – with even bigger stakes.

The PSC partnered with the Asian Tour to put up a $1 million purse, making the event a worthy destination for the region’s best.

And with an event in Saudi Arabia being scrapped due to security concerns, the Philippine Open will now serve as the final event of the Asian Tour season, where Tour cards and Order of Merit positions will be on the line.

“It was a no-brainer for the PSC to step in and chip in its share,” said PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio. “The Open is the crown jewel of pro golf in the Asian region and there’s no doubt that it is worth saving.

“And of course, this is another chance for the country to open its doors to various cultures, for them to experience the Philippines in a different way,” he added. “This is just another chance for us to show them the best of our country — our players included.”

The tournament hit rough waters in August when LIV Golf’s restructuring left the National Golf Association of the Philippines and the Asian Tour scrambling to put together a decent prize fund.

What was supposed to be an International Series stop is now back as a regular Asian Tour event, with Frenchman Julien Sale returning as defending champion.

Through it all, Southwoods remained as host and continued sprucing up its Jack Nicklaus-designed layout.