Wooyoung Cho announced his arrival as a force on the Asian Tour after claiming his first professional victory at the Philippine Golf Championship presented by Philippine Sports Commission on Sunday, February 8, in Manila.

Two years removed from helping South Korea capture Asian Games gold, the 24-year-old delivered a composed and clinical performance on the demanding East Course at Wack Wack Golf & Country Club, finishing four shots clear of Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert.

Cho holds firm down the stretch in Manila

Starting the final round two shots behind overnight leader Karandeep Kochhar of India, Wooyoung Cho surged into contention with a five-under-par 67 to close at 11-under for the tournament. The victory came in the Asian Tour’s season-opening event and marked a major milestone in his young career.

Despite dropping a shot on the opening hole, Cho responded immediately with birdies on the second and third to seize momentum. From there, he controlled the pace of the round, turning the contest into a tense two-man battle with Pavit, who played alongside him in the penultimate group.

Cho’s round was defined by resilience as much as shot-making brilliance. He produced crucial par saves on the 11th and 12th holes to maintain his advantage, admitting afterward that those moments proved decisive in separating himself from the field.

“The most important thing in my game today were the saves on 11 and 12,” Cho said. “On hole 11 I just wanted to make bogey, just an easy bogey, but I think it was lucky to make par. On hole number 12 I think it was very important to make par as well. That’s why I won this tournament.”

The drama intensified on the par-three 17th, where both contenders missed the green. Pavit’s superb bunker shot to six feet briefly applied pressure, but he failed to convert the par putt, while Cho calmly holed his from slightly closer range to preserve a two-shot cushion.

Moments later, Cho sealed the victory in style with a birdie on the par-four 18th, prompting visible emotion as he secured his maiden Asian Tour triumph.

“I just wanted to hit the green, but I missed it right,” Cho said of the 17th. “I didn’t care about Pavit’s ball. I just wanted to save a par. That chip to the green was very, very good to make the par. So yeah, God bless.”

Breakthrough season begins with statement win

The win earned Wooyoung Cho US$90,000 in prize money, plus an additional US$10,000 bonus for posting the lowest round of the day. It also marked a continuation of steady progress after a runner-up finish at the Bharath Classic late last year.

Cho turned professional immediately after his Asian Games triumph, where he competed alongside PGA Tour standouts Siwoo Kim and Sungjae Im, as well as Yubin Jang. Since then, he has captured two Korean PGA Tour titles — once as an amateur in 2023 and again in 2024 during his first full professional season.

For Pavit, the runner-up finish extended a long wait for another Asian Tour title, with his last victory coming in 2019. He acknowledged Cho’s clutch putting down the stretch while reflecting on his own near miss.

“I played my best today,” Pavit said. “I was hitting good irons and giving myself chances. I was hoping my putts would drop. But congrats to Wooyoung, he made some really important putts on the back nine. I was trying to get my momentum back, but I couldn’t do it.”

Australian Travis Smyth finished third after a closing 73, six shots behind Cho, while Kochhar slipped to fourth following a 77.

The Asian Tour now shifts to the Southern Hemisphere for the 105th New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort, set for 26 February to 1 March at Millbrook Golf Resort in Queenstown. Defending champion Ryan Peake headlines a field competing for a total purse of NZ$2 million, approximately US$1.2 million, as the 2026 season gathers momentum.