Thai ace: Prize may not be much, but PH Open packs a lot of Jazz

Jazz Janewattananond —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CARMONA, Cavite—Jazz Janewattananond is making no fuss about the prize money the Smart Infinity Philippine Open has at stake for the Asian Tour field starting off its season this week here.

But the star from Thailand knows exactly how important this event is for everyone’s respective seasons.

“If you look at it, that may not be too much,” the 29-year-old, a former Order of Merit (OOM) winner who has experience playing in all four of golf’s majors, told the Inquirer of the $500,000 pot during the Pro-Am on Wednesday where he led a team made up of Gary and Marienelle Sales and Grace Castillo to a 13-under total.

“But this event carries a lot of weight, being the start [of the Asian Tour season],” he went on. “Everyone wants a good start to their year, so this is big for me.”

Janewattananond leads a big Thailand contingent in the revival of Asia’s oldest national championship starting on Thursday even as Miguel Tabuena, Justin Quiban and Justin delos Santos banner the lean but mean local charge wanting to keep the title on local soil.

“That’s definitely a motivation for me being a Filipino here,” Tabuena, who will play his first tournament with new caddy, Kenneth Quillinan. “Of course, I would love to have my name written on that trophy for the third time.”

Hulking veteran

Tabuena’s 2016 triumph at Luisita was the first of his three Asian Tour wins, and the 30-year-old dynamo has been playing well of late that he looms as one of the favorites in the event at the Manila Southwoods Masters layout.

He finished the OOM at seventh last year and his last victory came in New Delhi in India late in 2023, giving him all the motivation he needs as he also prepares for another tournament next week.

“My game has come along fine,” he had told the Inquirer. “We’ll see. There are a lot of good players out there this week.”

Janewattananond is one of those, as well as Sihwan Kim of the United States, Britain’s Steve Lewton and another Thai in Prom Meesawat, the hulking veteran who is one of the most decorated talents his country has ever produced.

Angelo Que is also in the field and will be shooting to win the event for the second time in his career, 17 years after he first pulled off the trick at Wack Wack East.

“I have prepared well for this and will just hope for the best this week,” Que, a club member who is now 46 years old, said in a separate interview. “I think the key will be putting and knowing where to miss.

“We [Filipinos] have local knowledge of this course. We just need to take advantage of that,” he said of the Masters, which will play as a par-70 for the first time.