Richer, bigger Aboitiz Invit’l up at Riviera

MANILA, Philippines - The Aboitiz Invitational makes its return to the Asian Development Tour (ADT) calendar next month with an increased prize fund of US$100,000 and field toughened up by the country’s top guns and foreign aces.

The fourth edition of the event will be staged at the Riviera Golf and Country Club’s Couples Course for the first time from Aug. 27-30 with the prize pot seeing a significant 53.8 percent jump from US$65,000, which was offered during the first three editions held at the Cebu Country Club since 2011.

The Aboitiz Invitational, won by Jay Bayron in the inaugurals and Elmer Salvador the last two years, will also mark the ADT’s third stop in the Philippines this season and raises the schedule to a record total of 20 tournaments.

The ADT, which is the gateway to the premier Asian Tour, was launched in 2010 with five tournaments before growing to eight in 2011, 13 in 2012 and 16 in 2013.

Salvador, who claimed his third ADT victory at the ICTSI Riviera Classic at Langer course last May, played his way into the record books by becoming the first player to successfully defend a title on the ADT at the Aboitiz Invitational last year.

The tournament will feature leading Filipino stars such as Angelo Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner, Tony Lascuña, young gun Miguel Tabuena, 2012 ADT Order of Merit winner Bayron and back-to-back defending champion Salvador, who will compete against an international field from the ADT.

Erramon Aboitiz, president and chief executive officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc., expressed his delight with the extended partnership with the burgeoning ADT.

“The first three editions of the Aboitiz Invitational have been very successful and we are delighted to increase the prize fund to US$100,000 this year. We are proud to support our homegrown golfing talents as they pursue greater heights on the elite Asian Tour,” said Aboitiz.“

Aboitiz has always championed an active and sustainable lifestyle through sports. We hold annual sports festivals where our different business units will compete in various sports actively. We also support many external sports events such as the very first Aboitiz TRI2014. It is our honor to be involved with the growth of professional golf in the region and we look forward to a very successful tournament in August,” added Aboitiz.

Enrique Razon Jr., chairman and president of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. (PGTI), also hailed the return of the Aboitiz Invitational to the ADT Schedule. PGTI is the official organizer of the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT), and has supported the return of the Aboitiz Invitational to the ADT schedule.

“The PGT has been championing our local talents, and the ADT helps our cause for Filipino golfers to break through globally. The ADT is a good platform for upcoming players to gain exposure through regular four-day tournaments against leading players from across the region and internationally. It is great that players earn Official World Golf Ranking points by playing in ADT tournaments.  With strong support from Aboitiz, I am confident of the continued success of the Aboitiz Invitational,” said Razon.

Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han lauded the strong commitment and support from Aboitiz and PGT to grow the game of golf in the Philippines and across the region.

“On behalf of the ADT, I would like to thank Aboitiz and the PGT for their unwavering support over the years. The ADT has grown immensely since its inauguration in 2010 and this is largely due to the strong support from sponsors like Aboitiz and PGT,” said Han.

All ADT events continue to receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points for the second consecutive year. Through the world ranking status, players will have a chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The ADT will also reward the top five players on the final Order of Merit with playing rights for the 2015 Asian Tour season. Previously, the top-three players were offered Asian Tour cards since the ADT’s launch in 2010.