The stars are here

STA. ROSA, Laguna — The calm before the competition filled Sta. Elena Golf Club as players began their practice rounds for the International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus on Tuesday.

Under clear skies, golfers walked the fairways, studied the greens, and tested their shots in preparation for one of the most exciting tournaments on the Asian Tour.

The course was in excellent shape, and players were impressed with its layout — including five-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Na.

“It’s a beautiful course,” Na said. “Really well-maintained, but the rough will make it hard to control the ball.”

Na, known for “walking in” his putts, believes low scores are within reach. “A couple of guys can definitely go 18-under to win it,” he added.

Na’s last PGA Tour victory came at the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2021. He later joined LIV Golf during its inaugural season.

Anthony Kim echoed Na’s assessment, calling the course “gettable.”

“There will be a lot of birdies out there,” Kim said. “I’m happy with my game right now. I just need to get more rest — it was a long trip.”

Two hours later, Kim was back on the driving range.

Former World No. 1 Dustin Johnson arrived after lunch and headed straight to the range to shake off the jet lag. The other major champions in the field — Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel — have also completed their practice rounds.

Johnson will open his campaign in the same flight with top Filipino Miguel Tabuena and South African Louis Oosthuizen at Hole No. 1 on Thursday at 11:40 a.m.

Na, on the other hand, will be paired with Sam Horsfield of Great Britain and Kazuk Higa of Japan while Patrick Reed, Den Burmester and John Caitlin will be in the same flight as well as Charl Schwartzel, Jiichiro Kozuma and Wade Ormsby.

Tuesdays are often the best days for fans to catch their favorite players in action. The crowds are lighter, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and players are more willing to mingle — selfies included.

Other players spent the day trying different strategies, noting how the greens rolled and how the wind moved through the trees. Caddies and coaches followed closely, helping their players find the right lines and club choices.

The tournament, presented by Bingo Plus, is the biggest international event in three decades, featuring four major champions and a clutch of LIV Golf stars.

“It’s just great for, not just our tour, but golf in general, that these good guys are playing this week. It adds to the feel, it makes more people want to watch the event,” said Australian Orsmby, who won the Jakarta International Championship this month.

Orsmby, along with Steve Lewton, Dominic Foos and Gaganjeet Bhullar, faced the media to share their thoughts about the event.

The traditional pro-am event is set on Wednesday with Johnson, Reed and Oosthuizen seeing action.

Eleven Filipinos, led by Tabuena, are in the field. The others are Justin Quiban, Sean Ramos, Aidric Chan, Carl Corpus, Angelo Que, Keanu Jahns, Rupert Zaragosa, Clyde Mondilla, Perry Bucay and Enrico Gallardo.

The event, the sixth in the International Series calendar, offers a total cash pot of $2 million with the winner taking home the top purse of $360,000 (P20.9 million) on top of a golden opportunity to see action in the prestigious LIV Golf League.