Song cruises to crown

CARMONA — South Korean star Song Minhyuk turned the final 18 holes into a celebratory ride, protecting a massive seven-stroke lead to reign supreme in the 108th Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the Masters Course of the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club.

Song matched par in the final round, but the damage had already been done. His gripping 15-under run over the previous 54 holes proved insurmountable, as he closed with a total of 265 to claim the biggest national open in history and the lion’s share – $180,000 – of the whopping $1-million purse.

His compatriots Jung Jaehyun, Wang Jeunghun, Kim Minkyu, and Ham Jengwoo, along with Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan and Sarit Suwannarut, finished in a tie for second at 272.

Justin Quiban led the Philippine contingent in a tie for eighth at 276, while Sean Ramos, who had closed to within six strokes of Song and solo second after the front nine, settled for a tie for 18th after a final-round 71.

It was Song’s second Asian Tour title after winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at home last summer. The victory lifted him from 12th to the podium of the Order of Merit race with 1,125 points.

The Order of Merit title still went to Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, despite finishing tied for 41st in the Philippine Open at 281 (+1).

Tangkamolprasert, with 1,373.67 points, held off closest pursuer Travis Smyth of Australia (1,225.99), who made a late run to a tie for 12th at 275, to win the Asian Tour’s season-long title after 14 legs, with the Philippine Open serving as the finale.

But the glory in the Pearl of the Orient belonged to Song, who at just 22 years old is emerging as the next big Asian golf star after being named the 2024 Rookie of the Year on the KPGA.

He had effectively sealed the title in the first 36 holes, thanks to a flurry of eight birdies, an eagle, and a hole-in-one in a fiery second round that nearly broke 60 – a performance that separated him from the rest of the 132-player field.

“I felt it already in the second round,” Song said through an interpreter after firing a 10-under before the cut, then adding a 65 on Day 3 to take a 15-under lead into the final round.

“It could have been a tougher final, but when I tried to extend it to a nine-shot lead, I was relaxed from that point.”

It was never really a scare, though at least three golfers – led by Ramos – got to within six shots of Song at the 10th hole. The Filipino bet shot himself in the foot, however, by driving into the water for an eventual double bogey.

There was no looking back for Song from there, crediting good Filipino food – inihaw na liempo, bangus, and three cups of rice every meal – for fueling his marvelous title run.

“I was not really expecting to win. The first round was tough with an even-par until the miracle happened in the second round. It’s one of my greatest years for sure,” added Song, who started playing golf at nine years old at a nearby driving range, as he looks forward to chasing the Order of Merit title next year.

For Tangkamolprasert, missing the cherry on top in the Philippines hardly mattered, as he still got the job done to hoist the Asian Tour Order of Merit for the first time in his 20-year career.