Former Asian Tour money leaders Catlin, Janewattananond headline 108th Philippine Open

Former Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) winners John Catlin of the United States and Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand will lead the foreign players at the 108th Philippine Open, according to Edge Davao.

The tournament, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, closes the Asian Tour's 2026 season and begins November 12 at the Masters course of Manila Southwoods. Both Catlin and Janewattananond can still claim a second OOM title if they win the event and overtake Thailand's Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who currently holds the No. 1 spot and is seeking to finish on top for the first time in his long career.

Catlin is also chasing a seventh national open title. He has won national opens in Australia, England, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Ireland, and the Philippine Open is the oldest such championship in Asia. Speaking after his victory in Hong Kong last May, Catlin said winning a national open "just adds a little bit of extra prestige."

Catlin topped the OOM in 2024 with two wins, including a title in Macau where he carded a 59 in the third round, the first sub-60 score on the Asian Tour. He finished at 23 under and beat David Puig on the first playoff hole of that International Series event.

According to the Asian Tour, the top 20 players on the OOM have committed to the $1 million (around P64 million) championship. Australia's Travis Smyth is second in the standings, while South Africa's Ian Syman is aiming for the second win of his career after breaking through in Taiwan last May. Hong Kong's Taichi Kho, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, is fifth and is looking for a second win this season after taking the now-defunct International Series stop in Morocco.

A full field of 132 players is expected, with as many as 29 from the Philippines. Miguel Tabuena, ranked No. 447 in the world, is the highest-ranked Filipino entry. His last win at home came at his home course of Sta. Elena nearly 14 months ago.

Three former champions are entered: Angelo Que, Singapore's Mardan Mamat, and Berry Henson of the United States, who beat Jay Bayron at Wack Wack East more than a decade ago. Que recently clinched the local Philippine Golf Tour OOM after a solid finish in the tour's finale at Apo Golf.