CARMONA, Cavite -- The revival of the Philippine Open at Manila Southwoods here later this month will have at least one legitimate Japan Golf Tour hotshot coming as he plays on the very course that helped hone his skills while still a budding amateur almost a decade back.

Aguri Iwasaki, the Japan Open champion in 2023 who is ranked 376th in the world, has given his confirmation as one of the direct invites of the host club, one which he represented, and helped win two Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub titles.

"He's coming home, sort of," Jerome Delariarte, the champion pro who is now Southwoods' assistant GM, said after getting confirmation from the two-time Japan Tour winner. "He's very excited to come over and play here again, and playing the Open at that. He's going to be one of the players to watch that week, for sure."

Iwasaki helped form a truly formidable triumvirate for SW back in the day, with the club also having now-PGA Tour star Tom Kim and DP World Tour standout Yuto Katsuragawa, who, incidentally, had to beg off because of prior commitments in the former European Tour.

"Aguri has got a well-rounded game, definitely one that can win a tournament as big as the Open," Delariarte said. 

The top stars of the Asian Tour will be flying over for a shot at Asia's oldest national championship on Jan, 23-26 at the world-class Masters layout with former champions Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que bannering the local challenge.

Incidentally, three more slots will be disputed Sunday by club members and accredited pros in an 18-hole qualifying, that number of slots increasing by one after Juvic Pagunsan declined an invitation by the club just before Christmas.

The $500,000 (roughly P29M), 72-hole championship, held again at the sprawling Carmona complex, will be the kickoff leg of the 2025 Asian Tour season.

Iwasaki won the Japan Open by two shots over Japanese superstar Ryo Ishikawa. The 27-year-old is also campaigning on the premier US PGA Tour. He has scheduled his practice rounds on Jan. 19 and 20.