Staff WriterThailand’s in-form Sarit Suwannarut set the pace on the opening day of the International Series Philippines, firing an eight-under-par 64 that gave him a slender one-shot lead at Sta. Elena Golf Club.
The 26-year-old Bangkok native dropped a single bogey but made up for it in style, rolling in nine birdies to edge ahead of Japan’s Kazuki Higa, who continued his hot streak after already lifting two Asian Tour trophies this season.
“It was perfect. I’ve been playing pretty good,” said Sarit. “I know I can share the ball number with my caddie and hit the shots. I tell myself, you can hit it, you can do it.”
A Morning Made for Birdies
Conditions were about as gentle as a Thai sunrise early on, and the field took full advantage. England’s Richard Bland, one of LIV Golf’s most consistent performers, grabbed a share of third after a 66, alongside Americans Charles Porter and George Kneiser, plus fellow Thai Chapchai Nirat.
Then came the big attraction. Dustin Johnson, the former world No 1 making his first appearance in the Philippines, gave the galleries exactly what they came to see. The American’s card might have included a double on the 15th and two other blemishes, but his total of 67—highlighted by nine birdies—kept him right in the mix.
“It was a good atmosphere,” said Johnson. “Miguel (Tabuena) is a really nice player and it was a lot of fun to play with him and Louis (Oosthuizen) today. We all played pretty well, it was a good atmosphere, and we made a lot of birdies. I played well.
If any day, any time you make nine birdies, you know you hit a lot of really good shots. I had a lot of good looks at birdie and hit just one bad drive on the 15th and ended up making a double. Obviously, still in a good position going into tomorrow and the rest of the week.”
Suwannarut’s Steady Rise
Sarit’s run of recent form reads like a man steadily climbing the mountain—fourth at the SJM Macao Open, tied 11th in Jakarta, and tied ninth in Taiwan. His confidence is visible, and his swing changes are starting to sing.
“I put in a new putter in Korea and it has started working well for me,” he said. “I also changed my coach. I have been working on my swing, and the changes are becoming pretty good.”
Sta. Elena isn’t the longest track on the circuit, but the thick rough punishes anyone who gets greedy. “If you miss your position, it is really hard to get it out,” Sarit explained. “You have to be hitting well and putting it in a good position to make a good number.”
Now a two-time winner on the International Series, Suwannarut knows exactly how to handle a leaderboard with big names breathing down his neck. “I just want to play good golf. I am excited to play with a lot of good players like Dustin, Patrick Reed, and a lot of the guys from LIV Golf. So, just excited to play well.”
Higa Keeps It Clean
Hot on his heels, Kazuki Higa kept things immaculate with a bogey-free seven-under round. “A round of seven-under was a little better than what we planned to achieve when I set out in the morning,” he said. “If I look back at the round, I think we could have made two or three more putts.”
Playing alongside Kevin Na and Sam Horsfield, Higa made it look almost effortless. “It was a good pairing. However, I know that to step up to the challenge of players like Dustin and Patrick Reed, I need to continue making good scores. Need to just keep going.”
A Global Field, a Growing Legacy
The International Series Philippines, presented by BingoPlus, is the sixth stop of the elite International Series circuit on the Asian Tour—a US$2 million test that blends rising stars and established names in equal measure.
With the field stacked from Johnson to Burmester, Bhullar to Chen, and a local crowd loving every birdie that drops, day one set the tone for a week that’s shaping up to be something special.
And with Sarit Suwannarut leading the charge, it feels like the Philippines might just have found its next Asian Tour classic.
