STA.ROSA. Laguna -- International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus is shaping up to be the “gateway for aspiring Filipino golfers to pursue their dream and represent their country”. That was the view of players and key spokespeople at a special pre-tournament press conference ahead of the LIV Golf-backed event at Sta. Elena Golf Club.
The tournament brings a mix of LIV Golf superstars, local talent and the cream of the Asian Tour to the Philippines in the biggest golf event the country has ever seen. It is the sixth of nine elevated events across the 2025 Asian Tour calendar that will provide a pathway to LIV Golf for the end-of-season Rankings champion.
LIV Golf stars Marc Leishman and Peter Uihlein were joined by rising star Taichi Kho from Hong Kong and John Catlin, last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit champion at the press conference along with representatives from BingoPlus, The International Series and the Asian Tour. All four players praised the Sta Elena Golf Club course ahead of the tournament.
Jasper Vicencio, President of AB Leisure Exponent Incorporated, said: “This collaboration was once a vision, and now we are making it a reality. BingoPlus has been very consistent in bringing entertainment in all forms.
“This is the first for The International Series to be here in the Philippines, and I am proud to say that we are the pioneers in bringing this prestigious event to our country. We wanted this to be the gateway for aspiring golfers to pursue their dream and to represent our country. A swing for the Filipino Sports Dream is about to happen. We planned this for so long, and we cannot wait for this event to unfold.”
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of Asian Tour, highlighted the important golfing legacy the Philippines had in the region as he explained: “Manila is one of our favourite destinations and golf is actually very strong in the Philippines (historically).
“Even before the Asian Tour existed there was what was called the ‘Asian circuit’ and the Philippines was a major part of that. The Philippines was part of the original Asian Tour up to 40 or 50 years ago and has been a strong market for Asian golf.
“This is without a doubt the biggest tournament we will ever host in the Philippines so thank you to BingoPlus for making this happen. It is not just this week that BingoPlus has been involved. Last week we had an Asian Development Tour event in the Philippines and the BingoPlus Foundation was involved in that, offering two exemptions for this week, and it worked really well in the lead-up, supporting the ADT and the local players in the Philippines.”
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “The tournament marks the start of a thrilling run in, the first of four events in a five-week stretch that will determine who wins the Rankings race and claims that life-changing place on the LIV Golf League next year.
“As we like to say on The International Series, This Is…. Everything. This run-in could not have a better launch destination, or better partners. Our collective, progressive approach has enabled us to build a truly world-class event that is sure to be a massive hit with golfers and fans alike. “
International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus takes place from 23-26 October at Sta. Elena Golf Club. Tickets for the tournament, including free entry on Thursday and Friday, are available here: https://bit.ly/4mP5bAH
