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Korea's Wooyoung Cho celebrates after winning the Philippine Golf Championship, February 8, 2026 at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News

Korea's Wooyoung Cho celebrates after winning the Philippine Golf Championship, February 8, 2026 at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

Article (news)

GOLF

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770548016935viber_image_2026-02-08_18-13-03-929.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Korea&#x27;s Wooyoung Cho celebrates after winning the Philippine Golf Championship, February 8, 2026 at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/>Korea&#x27;s Wooyoung Cho celebrates after winning the Philippine Golf Championship, February 8, 2026 at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA --  Korea&#x27;s Wooyoung Cho bagged the Philippine Golf Championship crown after an impressive performance in the final round held on Sunday at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.Entering two strokes behind India&#x27;s Karandeep Kochhar, Cho fired a five-under-par 67 to win the Asian Tour&#x27;s season-opening tournament amid the persistent rains. The 24-year-old, who turned professional in 2024, began with a bogey in the opening hole before bouncing back by firing six birdies to end up as the tournament winner. Cho was ecstatic and received cheers from the crowd when he buried a long putt from 20 feet that pushed his score at 11-under, resulting in a four-day total of 277.Despite already being a two-time Korean PGA champion, the victory marks the Korean golfer&#x27;s first ever Asian Tour title. &quot;This is my first event [that is] not in South Korea, [and this is] my first international event and it means so much to me. I want to go to the US [next] and this really means so much to me,&quot; Cho told reporters after the awarding ceremony.&quot;I think today is very good, [and what&#x27;s] difficult is the mental, my mental is not at its best, but what&#x27;s important is that I try to get better and better and better. I&#x27;m like okay just next, so that we can score a birdie,&quot; he added.Cho talked about how he overcame bogey in the opening hole and the rains that poured during the competition.&quot;The bogey is circumstantial, so if it really flies [far] away, then there&#x27;s the bogey. It really did hurt mentally, but I keep trying, keep trying to get better,&quot; he said.&quot;I think the rain [makes] it more easier in this golf course. It&#x27;s hard to hit the golf ball before the rain, but after the rain it was softer to hit, so there&#x27;s more consistency in my shots,&quot; Cho explained.The Korean golfer dedicated his win to his parents, his coach, and his girlfriend. After waiting two years for his first Asian Tour title, Cho offered some advice for young golfers eyeing success in the sport.&quot;Keep trying. Get your mental [intact], I think that&#x27;s the most important in golf. And keep doing exercises everyday,&quot; Cho said.Thailand&#x27;s Pavit Tangkamolprasert tried to catch up to Cho in the 12th hole with back-to-back birdies but fumbled with a bogey in the 17th hole. The Thai golfer finished in second place with a 70 for 281, while Travis Smyth of the United States came in third with a 73 for 283.Overnight leader Kochhar ended with a 77 for 285, good enough for fourth place.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/2/7/kochhar-leads-philippine-golf-championship-1740">READ: Kochhar leads Philippine Golf Championship</a></div>With the victory, Cho takes home top prize money of $90,000 and $10,000 from Wack Wack Golf, which is given to the player with the day&#x27;s lowest score. Cho tallied 67 in round four, which was his lowest after shooting 69, 70, and 71.Keanu Jahns was the best Filipino finisher at 287, as he tied for 9th to 14th spots to earn $8,650. &quot;I wasn&#x27;t hitting my irons too good and I couldn&#x27;t really find a rhythm early on. I kinda got it back towards the end with two nice birdies, but it was a bit of a struggle today,&quot; he said.&quot;Overall, I think I performed pretty okay. Of course, disappointed with how I finished today. But I&#x27;ll take this as a learning experience and I&#x27;ll get better,&quot; Jahns said of his performance.After the Philippine Golf Championship, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio underscored the importance of bringing international sporting events to the country.&quot;When you bring a tournament here, they [local players] can participate. When you host an international tournament here, the young generation can observe, can watch, can really analyze the level of competition,&quot; Gregorio explained.&quot;When you host an international tournament, you develop the sport. You fast-track the development of the sport. And you highlight the beauty of the destination. That is the strategy of big hostings, international hostings,&quot; he added.Gregorio said they are eying to host more tournaments, not just in the men&#x27;s division, but also in the women&#x27;s and juniors level.&quot;I don&#x27;t consider this just as a tournament. I consider this a strategic development for Philippine sports and Philippine tourism. This is a strategy that our President wants as part of convergence of Philippine sports and tourism,&quot; Gregorio said.&quot;Funding for all of this it&#x27;s an investment for Philippine sports and sports tourism. We will never hesitate as long as it gives all the values, the media value, we become the talk of the town as far as sports tourism is concerned,&quot; he shared.The Philippine Golf Championship is being eyed for a return in February 2027.

Korea's Wooyoung Cho bagged the Philippine Golf Championship crown after an impressive performance in the final round held on Sunday at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

Korea's Wooyoung Cho bagged the Philippine Golf Championship crown after an impressive performance in the final round held on Sunday at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

Korea's Wooyoung Cho rules PH Golf Championship

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Korea's Wooyoung Cho rules PH Golf Championship

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 08, 2026 06:55 PM PHT

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abssports

golf

Philippine Golf Championship

Wooyoung Cho

Wack Wack Golf and Country Club

Philippine Sports Commission

National Golf Association of the Philippines

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