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Philippine Open to offer record purse in 2007

Next year's Philippine Open will increase its total prize fund to a record US$500,000, with Asia's oldest championship becoming the curtain-raiser for the 2007 Asian Tour season.

Officials announced that the 91st edition of the Philippine Open will also return to the revered Wack Wack Golf and Country Club's East course from January 4-7, 2007. The Wack Wack management has also agreed with the Asian Tour and National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) to stage the Open in 2008.

The Asian Tour and NGAP recently signed a five-year agreement for the Tour to manage and stage the Philippine Open.

NGAP president Leandro R. Mendoza said the association would continue to coordinate with the Asian Tour in efforts to return the Philippine Open to its glory days. Great names like Australian legends Peter Thomson and Norman Von Nida, Filipinos Ben Arda and Frankie Minoza and Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Min-nan and Lu Liang-huan have claimed victories here in the past.

"We are working and coordinating our best with the Asian Tour to bring back the prestige for the Philippine Open. With an increase in prize money next year and as the season-opening event, I am confident all the Asian stars will converge at Wack Wack to battle for the title and provide us all with world-class golf," said Mendoza, who is serving his first term as the NGAP president.

With the Philippine Open positioned as the first event of the 2007 season, Asia's finest players are expected to launch their campaigns at Wack Wack next January. The likes of Thai stars Thaworn Wiratchant, the reigning number one, current UBS Order of Merit leader Jeev Milkha Singh of India, and Korea's Charlie Wi are expected to head full speed to Manila.

Louis Martin, Chief Executive of the Asian Tour, hailed the prize fund hike as "a landmark development for the future of the Philippine Open."

"The increase in prize fund marks as an historic milestone in the rich history of the Philippine Open," said Martin. "Following our agreement with NGAP, it is our ambition to further develop and improve the Open into one of the Asian Tour's flagship events and I am delighted that NGAP and Wack Wack management share this vision with us.

"As Asia's oldest Championship, there is every reason for us to be confident of a bright future for the Philippine Open and the success of this event into a multi-million championship will attract Asia's best golfers and showcase golf in the Philippines."

Wack Wack's president Benjamin Abalos also welcomed the move to stage the Open at the challenging East course for the next two years. "I can promise you that it will be a memorable Philippine Open as Wack Wack will host the championship for a record 50th time in our club's history and we will make it a spectacular affair by ensuring that our East course is in immaculate condition," said Abalos.

Martin added that the players at the on-going Philippine Open have spoken highly of the East course. "We have received only positive feedback from our players this week where they say that the East course is a wonderful test and the conditions are top-class. Our players will be happy to return to Wack Wack for the next two years," said Martin.

He added that the Asian Tour and NGAP would finalise details of sponsors over the coming weeks and live television coverage over ESPN Star Sports is also in the pipeline.

"We are producing a two-hour highlight show of this week's 90th Philippine Open and we anticipate that next year's championship will be beamed live across Asia, which would be a great boost to the country as a golf tourist destination," said Martin.

May 27, 2006