Overview

This week marks the 108^th staging of the national open of the Philippines, and the 11^th time it has been part of the Asian Tour – since its formation in 2004.

As the oldest national open in Asia – having been inaugurated in 1913 – and one of the oldest in the game, it is steeped in history and is therefore the perfect way to draw the season to a close.

This year marks the first time in its history that the prizemoney has reached US$1million – which is double the purse on offer last year when Frenchman Julien Sale earned his maiden Tour win.

It will also be the most lucrative sports event in the country this year.

The tournament returned to the Asian Tour last year following a hiatus of 10 years. It was a popular return for one of the region’s most endearing national opens that means so much to the Asian Tour.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the title sponsor of this year’s season-opening Philippine Golf Championship, are partnering for the first time as presenting partner.

PSC’s sponsorship represents an important extension of their relationship with the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), the tournament’s guardian, and the Asian Tour, and their commitment to promoting the best sporting events in the Philippines. PSC is the official government agency responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and developing amateur sports in the nation.

This year marks the second time that the tournament has been the Asian Tour’s final event of the year.

It first occupied the position in 2015 when Filipino star Miguel Tabuena won the tournament for the first time. He was also successful three years later.

Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club.

Tournament Information

• Tournament: Philippine Open presented by Philippine Sports Commission
• Date: 12 – 15 November
• Venue: Manila Southwoods G&CC (Masters Course), Manila
• Par/Yards: 70/ 7,138 yards
• Purse: US$1million (winner’s cheque US$180,000)
• Asian Tour leg: 14th
• Edition of tournament: 101st (Asian Tour 1999, 2002, 2004-2008, 2011-2012, 2014-2015, 2025)
• Previous winner: Julien Sale (FRA)
• Previous winning score: 269 (-11)
• Total number of players: 132
• Format: Stroke play tournament over 4 rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 professionals plus ties.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: Andy Ogletree (2023), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Gavin Green (2017), Anirban Lahiri (2015)
• Nationalities: 25
• Top contenders: Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Travis Smyth (AUS), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Wei-hsuan Wang (TPE), Anirban Lahiri (IND), Kevin Na (USA)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Travis Smyth #190
• Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) #1
• No. of amateurs in the field: 1
• No. of Filipino Players in the field: 28

Travis Smyth.

Tournament Notes

• A total three players here this week can mathematically win the Merit title: current leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand, Australian Travis Smyth, second on the OOM, and sixth-placed Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand.
• Pavit is having his best ever season on the Asian Tour with his third Asian Tour victory coming at the Yeangder TPC in September. Earlier in the season he posted a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 at the International Series Japan. He has also recorded top-10s at the recent SJM Macao Open, Mercuries Taiwan Masters in September and International Series Morocco in June. If he wins the Merit list he will become the first to win both the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Merit titles. He claimed the ADT title back in 2014, having won more times than anyone else on that circuit with eight.
• Smyth also got off to a fast start to his season, posting a third placed finish at the Philippine Golf Championship and a solo-fifth at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook before winning the International Series Japan in early April for his second Asian Tour title. He also won the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit earlier in the year and has a chance to become the first player to win both the Asian and Australasia Merit crowns in the same season.
• Jazz, who won the 2019 Order of Merit, has been playing great golf for much of the season with five top-fives, the latest one a T4 at the Link Hong Kong Open. He is a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour.
• Chinese Taipei’s Wei-hsuan Wang recorded his breakthrough win a few weeks ago in Macao after beating Korean Sungjae Im in a playoff for his first Asian Tour victory. In 2025 he lost the same tournament in a playoff against German Dominic Foos. He also finished T4 at the Yeangder TPC in September after firing a final round 10-under-par 62. Wang had his best Asian Tour season in 2025 when he finished ninth on the Order of Merit following a runner-up in Macao after a playoff loss, a T2 at the Yeangder TPC and a third-place finish at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
• Singaporean Hiroshi Tai will be making his professional debut this week after a successful amateur career. He played his college golf at Georgia Tech and was the individual NCAA champion in 2024 at Omni La Costa Resort in California.
• Anirban Lahiri from India, the 2015 Order of Merit champion, is a highly decorated player that in addition to the Asian Tour has played on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf League. He has 18 professional wins on his resume, including seven on the Asian Tour, the latest coming at the 2015 Hero Indian Open. Represented the International team in the Presidents Cup in 2015 and 2017. This year he started out the final round in Hong Kong one shot out of the lead before a final round 74 saw him tumble down the leaderboard.
• American Kevin Na is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, where he played from 2004 to 2022. He started his professional career on the Asian Tour in 2002, ending his rookie season with a win at the Volvo Masters of Asia in Kuala Lumpur.
• The Philippine Open is one of the longest-running tournaments in the world; the first edition was played in 1913 in Caloocan. It is the oldest national open in Asia, being played for the 108th time this week.
• The winningest player in the history of the tournament is Filipino Larry Montes who won the tournament an incredible 12 times between 1929-1954.
• This year will mark the sixth time that Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club has hosted the event. It also staged it in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2025.

Pictures by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.