Since its first announcement to the press on Sept. 24 at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club in Santa Rosa, Laguna, the world-famous professional golf tournament International Series—which recently debuted in the Philippines— saw its decisive conclusion on Oct. 26.
Sponsored by BingoPlus, the International Series Philippines (ISP) was no straight golf tournament. Its primary intention was not merely for the competition and enjoyment of world-class golfers.
Rather, both the International Series and BingoPlus sought to spread interest in golf among the Filipinos.
JAMPACKED
It was jampacked with joyful caravan events, a music festival, and an opening gala, drawing thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic new Filipino audiences to the world of golf after its month-long campaign.
As stated on its website, the International Series (IS) was launched in 2022 as part of the Asian Tour, the “official sanctioning body for professional golf in the [Asia] region.”
Being a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, the Asian Tour oversees official tournaments held in Asia apart from Japan, as the land of the rising sun has its own Japan Golf Tour.
The establishment of IS through a partnership between LIV Golf and the Asian Tour brought 10 elevated events occurring alongside the Asian Tour schedule in the next 10 years. The first-ever International Series was inaugurated at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hin Lek Fai, Thailand on Mar. 3, 2022.
PHL DEBUT
About three and a half years later and more than thirty events held across five continents, it now sees its debut in the Philippines.
Last Sept. 24, BingoPlus and the International Series held a Media Golf Day to announce their plans for the ISP. It is there where Rahul Singh, the head of International Series, provided the group’s reasoning for finally holding it in the Philippines.
“This is the first time the International Series will be hosted in the Philippines and we hope to provide entertainment and excitement with the idea to show the Philippines that golf can be more and that it is an opportunity to come out and enjoy the outdoors to be with your family or bring out your inner sportsperson, as well as hopefully inspire the next generation of players.”
WORLD-RENOWN GOLFERS
What the organizers had hoped eventually came true, as a big crowd gathers to Sta. Elena Golf & Country Club, the official golf course for the ISP presented by BingoPlus, during the course of its four-day run from Oct. 23 to Oct. 26. According to the organizers, the opening day saw thousands of spectators with more than 6,000 people seen over the weekend.
This, of course, does not account for those who might not have attended the tournament but nonetheless were made aware of golf, its presence in the country, and those who had ignited some interest towards the sport.
Accounting for the caravans, opening galas, music festivals, and those who were reached by the media releases and strong influencer-heavy campaign, the figure would undoubtedly skyrocket to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.
World-renowned golfers came to the country to participate in the event. Among these individuals are some noteworthy names such as six-time world golf champion Dustin Johnson, who was noted as an important figure in changing the landscape of professional golf; Asian Games gold medalist Taichi Kho; two-time 2024 International Series winner Peter Uihlein; LIV Golf star and six-time PGA Tour champion Marc Leishman; and 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner John Catlin. World famous golfers such as Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen, and Charl Schwartzel also stepped foot in Sta. Elena Golf Club and took part in the tournament.
Being the host country, Philippines didn’t hold back as well. One of the event’s star figures is 3-time Asian Tour winner Miguel Tabuena, one of the best Filipino golfers around who had garnered both love and respect worldwide.
During an ArenaPlus press conference held at the Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts on October 21, Tabuena claimed that although Sta. Elena was his home and that he knows its terrains very well, he still cannot stop but feel a certain amount of both pride and pressure representing the Philippines, as the other competitors are also professional players who can quickly adapt to a new terrain or different conditions.
PHL CLAIMS TOP SPOT
Despite the heavy hitters participating in the game, Tabuena clinched the top spot by three shots over Japanese pro golfers Kazuki Higa and Yosuke Asaji, who won the second and third place, respectively, and earning Tabuena the championship title.
The 31-year-old golfer took home the grand prize worth US$2,000,000. With this historic win, he now steps closer to his goal of being on the LIV Golf Circuit.
Over the month-long campaign of the event, the ISP presented by BingoPlus saw its fair share of artists and performances. Influencers also took part in giving the campaign a healthy amount of social media pull. During the BingoPlus Caravan 2025, actors Derek Monasterio, Lance Carr, and Teejay Marquez gave lively performances, while the boyband YML stole the hearts of the audience.
But one of the most awaited parts of the ISP is the BingoPlus Music Festival, which was held at the Aseana City Concert Grounds in Parañaque on Saturday, October 25. Featuring the theme “Swing for the Filipino Sports Dream,” the music fest promises a night of star-studded performance.
CHARITY FEATURE
The International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus event does not only act as a celebration. It also acts as a charity event.
“The donation aims to support the development of the country’s sports community, consisting of ₱5 million plus an additional ₱200 for every ticket redeemed on-site at the festival. This initiative coincides with a grand celebration of music and sports, as the nation marks its success in hosting the first-ever International Series in the country,” the online gambling platform says in a press release.
“All guests [of the music festival] will receive special gifts and have the chance to win up to ₱5 million in cash prizes by completing a raffle ticket upon registration,” they continued.
The music festival launches to the stratosphere with the mix of both international and local icons. The list includes EDM icon Alan Walker, Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, and iconic OPM artists such as Bamboo, Parokya ni Edgar, and Urbandub. Other artists such as LILY, Sandwich, Kiara, Arthur Tan, and Hoest, as well as dance groups A-TEAM and UPeepz, also performed at the event.
The historic win, the grand celebration, the monumental achievement of the International Series’ inauguration in the country, and with the enormous amount of people that the ISP presented by BingoPlus drew in to the sport, promises an even brighter future for the landscape of Philippine golfing.
What the partnership between the International Series and BingoPlus did for the future of golfing in the country is to pull the current generations into the game—to give a fresh interest and attention—and in the process, generate future golf champions. — Joseph Reyes
