The Philippine Masters will be revived, and, from being an all-Filipino event in the 1990s, will be included in the European and Asian Tour schedule for three years starting 2018.
Tranzen Group of businessman Salvador Zamora, which was supposed to bring the Jason Day-Rory McIlroy exhibition match originally scheduled for Tuesday, signed the memorandum of agreement together with the two tours to give Philippine golf a boost.
With the European Tour involved, the Masters will definitely see world-class players, guaranteeing a tougher international field compared to the Asian Tour-sanctioned Philippine Open, Solaire Open and Resorts World Manila Masters.
This will be the first time that the Euro Tour returns to the country after holding the Johnnie Walker Classic won by Fred Couples at Orchard in Cavite in 1995.
“The Philippine Masters further increases the playing opportunities for our members, and strengthens our strategic alliance with the Asian Tour,” said Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour.
“[Zamora’s] vision and support have been instrumental in bringing this new tournament to fruition, so we thank [him] for his interest and his desire to bring the European Tour back to the Philippines,” he added. “We look forward to working together to grow this tournament in the coming years.”
Josh Burack, chief executive officer of the Asian Tour, said: “The Asian Tour is delighted to welcome the Philippine Masters onto our schedule in early 2018.