MVP Sports a major PH Open backer

MANILA, Philippines — Staying true to its commitment to help Filipino golfers play in the Olympics, the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation has also thrown its support to the ICTSI Philippine Open teeing off on May 15.

While sponsoring all amateur events of the National Golf Association of the Philippines since last year, the foundation has come in as a major presenter of Asia’s oldest national championship.

The Open, which took a hiatus last year after the calamities that struck the country, is an Asian Tour event and will be played at the daunting Wack Wack East in Mandaluyong.

Defending champion Mardan Mamat of Singapore will be trying to conquer the best in the region as well as the local aces like Angelo Que, Antonio Lascuña and Frankie Miñoza.

Incidentally, the MVP foundation will also be presenting the Philippine Junior Amateur Match Play championship to be played at Alabang Country Club starting Tuesday.

Rupert Zaragosa will try to duplicate his 2011 feat of holding the boys’ and men’s titles at the same time.

No Filipino has won a foreign-flavored Open since Que triumphed in 2008.

Jay Bayron and Miguel Tabuena came close to winning in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

American Berry Henson kept Bayron at bay in one of the most enthralling final-round battles of the modern Open era, winning by just a stroke with his birdie on the par-4 seventh hole standing out as the highlight of that day.

The Open will be the country’s second big international golf event this year after the Solaire Open at The Country Club won by Canada’s Richard H. Lee.