Philippine Open to return to Asian Tour in December

The 98th Philippine Open, Asia's oldest National Open golf, will move to a new venue when it returns to the Asian Tour from December 17 to 20.

The $300,000 event will be staged at the highly acclaimed Luisita Golf and Country Club here, becoming the final tournament of the season.

"The NGAP is looking forward to the 98th staging of the Philippine Open in December. We would also like to thank Luisita Golf and Country Club for being our new host venue and look forward to welcoming the stars from the Asian Tour to our prestigious National Open," National Golf Association of Philippines (NGAP) president Carlos Coscolluela Jr. said.

The storied tournament has celebrated many worthy champions in the past including Australia's Peter Thomson, Lu Lian-huang and Hsieh Min-nan of Chinese Taipei, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Filipino stars Frankie Minoza, Angelo Que, Larry Montes, Celestino Tugot, Ben Arda and Luis Silverio, who won as an amateur in 1966.

Marcus Both of Australia claimed an emphatic victory last year when he won the title by two shots. Victory was especially sweet as he had thought about quitting the game before the win.

Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han welcomed the return of the Philippine Open, saying Asia's oldest golf championship remains as one of the most sought-after titles.