Two years after helping South Korea secure a memorable gold medal at the Asian Games, Wooyoung Cho has claimed his maiden Asian Tour title with a commanding victory at the Philippine Golf Championship presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The 24-year-old Korean closed with a composed five-under-par 67 to finish on 11-under 277, pulling clear of Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert by four shots on the demanding East Course at Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Manila. The tournament marked the opening event of the 2026 Asian Tour season.
Starting the final round two shots behind overnight leader Karandeep Kochhar, Cho quickly asserted himself despite a dropped shot at the first. Back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes gave him the lead, and although Pavit applied sustained pressure throughout the day, Cho never relinquished his advantage.
The decisive moments came on the back nine, where Cho produced vital par saves on the 11th and 12th holes to steady his momentum. With two holes remaining, he held a two-shot cushion, and both contenders found trouble off the tee at the par-three 17th. While Pavit missed a key par attempt after a superb bunker shot, Cho calmly holed his par putt before sealing the victory with a closing birdie at the 18th.
“It feels very amazing,” said Cho, who turned professional immediately after his Asian Games triumph. “This is my first event of the year and to start the season like this is really special. The par saves on 11 and 12 were the most important moments for me today.”
The win earned Cho US$90,000, along with an additional US$10,000 bonus for posting the lowest round of the day. It also builds on a steady rise that has seen him previously finish runner-up at last year’s Bharath Classic and claim two victories on the Korean PGA Tour.
Pavit, seeking his first Asian Tour title since 2019, settled for second after an admirable challenge. Australia’s Travis Smyth finished third, while Kochhar placed fourth after a difficult final round.
Ervin Chang of Malaysia. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
From a Malaysian perspective, Ervin Chang delivered a solid and consistent performance, signing off with rounds of 71, 73, 72 and 70 to finish joint fifth on two-under-par 286. Fellow Malaysian Khavish Varadan completed the tournament tied 36th on four-over-par 292.
The Asian Tour now heads to the Southern Hemisphere for the 105th New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort, to be played at Millbrook Golf Resort in Queenstown from 26 February to 1 March, where Australia’s Ryan Peake will defend his title in an event offering NZ$2 million in prizemoney.
