Sarit Suwannarut displayed resilience at the International Series Philippines, shaking off any lingering effects from his fourth-place finish at last week's Macau Open. The Thai golfer grabbed the first-round lead with a stellar 8-under 64, demonstrating the form that saw him win the Indonesian Masters in 2022 and the Volvo China Open in 2023.
Suwannarut capitalized on favorable morning conditions at the Sta. Elena Golf Club, firing nine birdies in his opening round. "I am excited to play with a lot of good players like Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and a lot of the guys from LIV. So, just excited to play well," Sarit said, looking ahead to the competition.
Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson, a former world number one, made a solid start in his first appearance at the International Series Philippines. Johnson thrilled the large crowds following his group, which included home favorite Miguel Tabuena and Louis Oosthuizen, with an eventful round of 5-under 67.
Johnson's round was a rollercoaster, featuring nine birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey. After starting strong with two birdies in the first three holes, Johnson reached 3-under after five holes. However, a double bogey on the par-5 15th set him back. He recovered with a birdie on the 16th to finish the day three shots behind Suwannarut.
"Any time you make nine birdies, you know you hit a lot of really good shots," Johnson said. "Obviously one bad drive on 15 and ended up making double but other than that it was a really solid round," added Johnson. "It was a good atmosphere. It was a lot of fun and we made a lot of birdies and we all made a few mistakes we probably shouldn't have, but that's golf".
Kazuki Higa of Japan sits in second place after a flawless 7-under 65. A group of players, including Richard Bland, Chapchai Nirat, Charles Porter, and George Kneiser, are tied for third after shooting 6-under 66.
The International Series Philippines is the sixth of nine elevated International Series events on the Asian Tour in 2025, backed by LIV Golf. The tournament provides opportunities for local players to compete at a higher level.
