Philippine golf surges in 2025 with milestones, masters in the making
MANILA, Philippines — If 2024 was a banner year for Philippine golf, 2025 proved to be a breakout season.
Across the men’s and ladies’ professional circuits, the sport surged to greater heights, fueled by commanding performances, thrilling finishes and stunning reversals.
The youth ranks likewise delivered a milestone campaign, culminating in a spirited Ryder Cup-style finale that showcased not only individual brilliance but also an emerging flair for team play—competition and camaraderie seamlessly blending on the fairways.
Bridging the gap: Intercollegiate golf rises
The introduction of the ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour further cemented the country’s golfing development pipeline, offering a structured and competitive platform to help student-athletes transition from junior to professional golf. By awarding World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and formalizing varsity-level competition, the circuit elevated collegiate golf in the Philippines, laying the groundwork for future champions.
Despite challenges—from academic conflicts to natural calamities, typhoons, and even volcanic threats – the circuits endured, adapting and overcoming, rising stronger and more resolute with each test.
Pro golf
Angelo Que finally clinched the elusive PGT Order of Merit title after a triumphant and remarkably consistent season marked by two victories, a pair of runner-up finishes, and multiple podium placements.
Although an illness forced him to withdraw in the final round of the Valley Golf Challenge—the 10th and last leg of the PGT—the three-time Asian Tour winner still secured his first OOM crown with P1,560,916 in earnings.
Despite a decorated career spanning more than two decades, highlighted by multiple Asian Tour triumphs, a Philippine Open title, and a Japan PGA Tour victory, the season-long OOM prize had remained just out of reach for Que until the closing stretch of the 2025 campaign.
Korean Minwook Gwon opened the 2025 PGT season in dramatic fashion, pulling off a stunning come-from-behind victory over Guido van der Valk at The Country Club Invitational—the flagship event of every PGT campaign.
Van der Valk, however, found redemption months later, edging out Que and Keanu Jahns at Forest Hills.
Que opened strong, sweeping the Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge legs, the latter in dramatic comeback fashion from six shots down. Meanwhile, Keanu Jahns solidified his emergence with back-to-back wins at Caliraya Springs and Bacolod, proving his skill across both open and tight layouts.
However, his bid for a third straight win at Marapara fell short, as Rupert Zaragosa romped to a commanding victory—this time over a full 72 holes, validating his rain-shortened triumph in 2024.
The tour then shifted to Mindanao, where Reymon Jaraula took top honors at home in Del Monte, while Fidel Concepcion and rookie Jeffren Lumbo delivered career-defining wins at Apo and South Pacific, respectively.
With the Valley leg rescheduled, Tour rookie Carl Corpus seized the moment, defeating cousin Aidric Chan to conclude a 10-leg circuit marked by diverse storylines.
Que and van der Valk demonstrated they can still win at the highest level; Jahns, Jaraula, and Zaragosa showed they’re primed to shape the Tour’s future; and Concepcion, Lumbo, and Corpus signaled their intentions for bigger pursuits next season.
"Our commitment remains unwavering—to keep raising the bar for professional golf in the Philippines,” said Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. general manager Colo Ventosa. “We will continue to provide our local pros the platform to showcase their talent, refine their game, and pursue greater success at home and abroad."
Jahns reinforced his rapid rise as the next major force in Philippine golf by dominating van der Valk in the finals to claim the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational crown, securing his third title and cementing his status as the tournament’s winningest player.
Ladies PGT
The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour delivered its share of excitement this season, marked by unpredictability, tight leaderboards and finishes that kept fans on edge.
Sarah Ababa emerged as the tour’s breakout star, securing her first-ever Order of Merit crown after a season defined by steady excellence. With a pair of victories, a runner-up finish and multiple Top 5 performances, she amassed P615,500 over 10 legs—just enough to edge out the surging Florence Bisera, who finished with P579,250, in what ranks as one of the closest OOM races in the history of the country’s premier women’s circuit.
Mafy Singson, winner at Eagle Ridge and No. 4 in the OOM standings, also ended her season on a resounding high. She captured the Match Play Invitational crown with a commanding triumph over Martina Miñoza, showcasing the form and confidence that have made her one of the tour’s brightest young talents.
The Davaoeña ace, a China Tour campaigner, hopes her strong finish will set the tone for an even more successful campaign next year, both on home soil and in her planned overseas stints.
From Sam Bruce’s victorious LPGT debut at Pradera Verde, to Singson’s playoff triumph over Bisera at Eagle Ridge, and Chanelle Avaricio’s runaway win at Forest Hills, the season delivered compelling narratives.
Princess Superal marked her return to form with a sudden-death victory over Sarah Ababa at Caliraya, while Pauline del Rosario, taking a break from the Epson Tour, staged a dramatic comeback to win in Binitin. Bisera bounced back with a clutch rally at Marapara, while Ababa staged a dramatic comeback from five strokes down to defeat Avaricio in sudden death at Del Monte.
But Avaricio bounced back quickly with a dominant win at Apo to nail her second leg victory, which Ababa matched with a thrilling win at South Pacific— rounding out a season packed with high-stakes golf and no shortage of compelling storylines.
Intercollegiate Tour
In the inaugural ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour, co-developed by the PGTI and the Philippine Golf Foundation, La Salle asserted dominance across the four-leg eliminations and the finale at Summit Point.
Led by Julia Lua, who claimed the individual crown, the Taft-based squad swept the women’s team title, while the La Salle boys captured their side of the team competition.
Sean Granada of St. Benilde, however, prevented a La Salle sweep, edging Zach Castro in a stormy sudden-death finish to win the men’s individual crown.
"This tour bridges the gap between junior and pro golf, and we’re proud to provide student-athletes with a clear path toward a future in the sport. We remain committed to institutionalizing varsity golf in universities nationwide," said Ventosa.
"The IIT is not just a tournament series—it's a movement to solidify the role of golf in the academic and athletic development of young Filipinos," she added.
Junior PGT
While pros and collegians took center stage, the future of Philippine golf blazed its own path in the Junior PGT.
In a first-of-its-kind Ryder Cup-style showdown at TCC, Team North raced to an early lead in Fourballs and never looked back. They swept the Foursomes and built an insurmountable advantage in Singles, holding off a spirited Team South rally to win, 26 1/2-21 1/2.
The competition format not only highlighted emerging individual talent but also emphasized teamwork and sportsmanship—hallmarks of the Junior PGT ethos.
No less than legend Frankie Miñoza hailed the initiative.
“What ICTSI is doing by organizing this kind of tournament is truly commendable. It's a big boost to the junior golf program – this is where our future champions will come from,” he said.
With Miñoza’s ringing endorsement, the Junior PGT gears up for an even bigger and better 2026 season.
"The Junior PGT has become more than just a competition—it's a proving ground for future stars. We're focused on nurturing young talent through structured, high-level tournaments to prepare them for international play," said Ventosa.
“Our goal is long term. We're here to guide these kids from the fairways of today to the global stage of tomorrow,” she added.
With thriving pro tours, a dynamic junior pipeline, and a visionary collegiate program, Philippine golf is not just growing—it's surging toward a brighter, bolder future.
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