PH golf squads launch Asian Games medal bid in Aichi

NAGOYA — The Philippines launches its Asian Games golf campaign on Wednesday (Sept. 30) at Kasugai Country Club’s East Course in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Armed with a mix of veteran experience and youthful talent, the country aims to end a multi-decade dry spell in the men’s division and reclaim glory on the women’s side.

The men’s squad – spearheaded by Miguel Tabuena, Justin delos Santos and Carl Corpus – opens against powerhouse rivals China and defending champion Thailand with Corpus teeing off first at 8:03 a.m. against Thailand’s Pongsapak Laopakdee and China’s Jin Zihao.

Delos Santos, utilizing his familiarity with Japanese courses, follows at 8:14 a.m. against Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and China’s Yunhe Zheng, while Tabuena anchors the team at 8:25 a.m., facing Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and China’s Wenyi Ding.

Coached by Ramon Brobio, the country’s last individual men’s gold medalist (1986 South Korea), the trio seeks the nation’s first men’s golf gold while competing against elite regional contenders.

Meanwhile, looking to reclaim their 2018 Jakarta team gold, the Filipina trio faces Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong in the opening rounds.

Pauline del Rosarioi kicks off her bid at 11:31 a.m. against Hong Kong’s Arianna Lau and Indonesia’s Elaine Widjaja, while ICTSI teammate Bianca Pagdanganan sets out at 12:04 p.m. alongside Hong Kong’s Virgini Ding and Singapore’s Shannon Tan, using her tour experience and long-hitting game to build early momentum.

Rianne Malixi, an amateur standout playing out of Duke University, completes the roster, competing against Singapore’s Amanda Tan and Indonesia’s Holly Halim.

To take home the top spot, the Filipinas will also have to surpass a formidable Thai squad led by LPGA star Arpichaya Yubol, who led the country’s sweep of the individual and team gold medals in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

Tabuena, delos Santos and Corpus will be making their first major team appearance together, but the combination brings together a blend of experience, course knowledge and hunger that could make the Philippines a factor in a competition expected to be dominated by some of Asia’s strongest golfing nations.

The challenge is considerable.

Thailand arrives as the defending team champion, while Korea is determined to retain the team gold it captured in Hangzhou in 2023 behind Im Sung Jae, Kim Si Woo, Woo Young Cho and Yu Bin Jan. Thailand settled for silver in the previous edition, while Hong Kong continues its pursuit of an elusive team gold.

For the Philippines, the mission is clear: end the country’s long wait for a men’s golf gold medal while testing its depth against Thailand, China, Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, meanwhile, headlines the individual competition after capturing gold in Hangzhou, where he defeated Korea’s Im Sung Jae and Taiwan’s Hung Chein Yao.

Kho returns to the Asian Games spotlight in another high-profile grouping, drawing Korea’s Kim Joo Hyung and Japan’s Keita Nakajima at 8:20 a.m. The 8:09 a.m. flight features Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung, Japan’s Kazuki Higa and Korea’s Kim Seonghyeon.

Amid the heavyweight names, however, the Philippines enters with a group of its own capable of making noise.

Tabuena, delos Santos and Corpus will have to withstand an early barrage from the region’s established powers, but their first-ever team-up also gives the country a fresh combination as it pursues a medal that has long eluded the men’s side.

The Filipinas, meanwhile, know they will have to contend with a formidable Thai contingent.

Yubol faces another LPGA-caliber opponent in China’s Ruoning Yin and Japan’s Aira Nagasawa in the 12:37 p.m. feature group, where the afternoon conditions could provide another layer of difficulty.

Thailand’s PK Kongkraphan, a former LPGA campaigner and multiple winner in Taiwan, the Philippines and Thailand, goes out at 12:26 p.m. against China’s Yan Liu and Japan’s Ai Goto.

Natthakritta Vongvateelap begins Thailand’s challenge at 12:15 p.m. against China’s Weiwei Zhang and Japan’s Mamika Shinchi.

With Japan also determined to make the most of home-course advantage, the stage is set for a wide-open and fiercely contested opening round in both divisions.

For the Philippines, Wednesday is more than the start of another Asian Games golf competition. It is the opening chapter of a two-pronged medal campaign: a men’s team seeking to break through after years of waiting, and a women’s squad chasing a return to the summit after its historic triumph in Jakarta.

With Tabuena, delos Santos and Corpus bringing experience and local knowledge on the men’s side, and Pagdanganan, del Rosario and Malixi combining power, experience and youthful promise among the women, the Philippines enters Aichi with medals firmly in its sights. — Reira U. Mallari