The Philippine Ladies Amateur Open returns to the exclusive Manila Golf Club next week, with a fresh cast of local standouts and rising Asian talents set to take center stage in the absence of top Filipina ace and world No. 18 Rianne Malixi and last year’s winner Grace Quintanilla.

Leading the local charge is World Amateur Golf Ranking top 500 mainstay Junia Louise Gabasa (No. 339), a former Philippine National Stroke Play winner who recently teamed up with Malixi in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship in New Zealand.

They will be joined by a deep supporting cast of younger Filipinas, including Francesca Nicole Gan (No. 735), whose 14-shot romp in the Girls Class B division of the 31st SICC Junior Invitational at Singapore Island Country Club underlined her international class, and Lisa Sarines (around No. 1082), the reigning Philippine Amateurs ladies champion.

Other prominent names in the field include Mona Sarines, Tashanah Balangauan of Cebu, Johanna Blair Uyking of Davao, Isabella Tabanas of Del Monte, Precious Zaragosa, Lia Duque, Aerin Chan, Marqaela Dy of Cebu, Chloe Ang and Bea Lapus.

Foreign entries give the event pronounced regional flavor.

Thailand’s Tanjira Issaraphon, ranked No. 343 in WAGR, headlines the visiting cast on the back of a national ladies’ amateur victory at the Singha Thailand Ladies Amateur Open and an amateur title in the Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf at Black Mountain.

Compatriot Ngampan Chantana (No. 692), a Thai junior/ladies squad regular with multiple junior wins and Thai LPGA starts, adds further depth to the Thai contingent.

From Singapore, junior standout Passion Hsu (No. 951) comes in with wins in HSBC Youth Golf Challenge legs, national ranking games, and regional junior championships, representing the strength of Singapore’s youth program.

Hong Kong’s recently crowned Ladies Close Amateur champion Alanna Tee (around No. 248) is tipped as one of the highest ranked players in the field and a strong threat to take the trophy out of Philippine hands.

The top Filipina performer in the event, which drew 73 participants from five countries, will get an automatic spot in the Philippine squad seeing action in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Indonesia in May.

Practice round is set on Monday with action kicking off the next day.

Organizers say Manila Golf’s narrow fairways, quick greens, and swirling winds will reward patience and precise ball striking, making experience from WAGR-counting events a key advantage. With Gabasa anchoring the home side, Gan and Sarines eager to break through, and Issaraphon, Chantana, Hsu and Tee leading a formidable foreign contingent, this year’s Philippine Ladies Open shapes up as a true showcase of the region’s emerging women’s and girls’ talent — even without Malixi in the field.