President’s Cup debuts in Asian Tour next month

MANILA, Philippines — On the heels of world championships staged on home soil last year, the country is presenting another big international sporting event in the $500,000 Philippine President’s Cup at the famed Wack Wack East Course in Mandaluyong.

A full field bannered by the cream of the crop in the Asian Tour slugs it out in the 72-hole event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and slated Feb. 5-8, three months after the first stop of International Series in the country ruled by home bet Miguel Tabuena.

The Philippine President’s Cup is the latest marquee event to be held in the Philippines following the country’s hosting of the FIVB Men’s World Cup, the Futsal World Cup, the gymnastics junior world championships and a windsurfing classic last year.

And all these are in line with the sports tourism drive of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee headed by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio.

“What is sports tourism? It is hosting international events in the country. (With this) we don’t have to convince them to visit the country, they really have to visit the country because they have to compete,” said Gregorio.

“The Philippine Sports Commission supports all these initiatives and we support golf as a premier sports tourism event, and we should identify all these opportunities,” he added.

And while the main goal is to improve tourism, Gregorio partners with the National Golf Association of the Philippines for the President’s Cup “as we believe we can excel in this sport.”

NGAP chairman Al Panlilio said the full field of 144 players will feature 97 Asian Tour campaigners, 25 Philippine pros, six Philippine national amateurs and invites of the NGAP and the venue host.

Wack Wack, with its rich tradition and history of hosting big tourneys including the Philippine Open, is happy to be once again in the middle of it. And club president Ben Abalos said they’re putting daily pot as added come-on.