The Philippine contingent’s chances at the upcoming Sta. Elena leg of The International Series of LIV Golf just got a major boost with the addition of Angelo Que.
Angelo Que knows what it’s like to compete on the international stage. He’s played on the Asian Tour, in Japan, the US Open, and the Open Championship. In the local scene, he’s stamped his class so far this year in the Philippine Golf Tour with two wins and two runner-up finishes.
Next month, Que will get the rare opportunity to compete against international talent in front of his home crowd as he vies in the Philippine leg of The International Series of the LIV Golf League scheduled for October 23-26 at the Sta. Elena Golf & Country Club in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Que is hopeful his local form will accompany him next month when he goes up against an international contingent led by former Major winners Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, and Louis Oosthuizen.
“Locally, I’ve been playing pretty well,” Que told The GAME in an exclusive interview.
“Out of six tournaments in the local event, I’ve won twice, finished second twice, third, and sixth. So, all in all, it’s been pretty solid locally. But internationally, I’ve only made one cut in Indonesia, but I finished third, which is a pretty strong finish for international play. Unfortunately in the Asian Tour, I’ve only played three Asian tour events so far this year and
I’ve missed all cuts. I’m hoping for a pretty good start and finish in the Philippines.”
The International Series is a pathway to the LIV Golf League with nine legs scheduled for 2025. Two Filipinos — Justin Quiban at 50th and Miguel Tabuena at 65th — are in the overall rankings, which are led by Lucas Herbert of Australia.
Que has played a few times in The International Series and wouldn’t mind competing for the big bucks in the LIV Golf League, but the competition is stiff.
“If given the chance, of course, who wouldn’t want to play in a bigger tour with that much money? Unfortunately, it’s not just me. Everybody wants to have a piece of the pie and live. We just have to try hard and hope that we get in.”
Which makes next month’s leg at Sta. Elena is extra special.
“I’ve played in a lot of International Series, but to be able to represent the country in the Philippines, it’s a big honor,” he said.
The Philippine contingent will be lean and mean. Que estimates there could be anywhere between seven to ten Filipinos in the field of 144.
“Five from the order of merit from the PGT, and I think two invites for (event sponsor) Bingo Plus, and then one winner, the highest-ranked player in the event the week before, which is in Luisita. That one is not (necessarily) for a Filipino, it’s for anybody who does well in Luisita.”
Three others — Tabuena, Quiban, and Sean Ramos — are also in the mix.
For Angelo Que, it will also be a sort of homecoming for him.
“I’m always excited to play on home soil, especially with Sta. Elena. I’ve always liked that golf course. I like the layout. It’s pretty wide open and conditions are always good. So, we’re expecting a good showing from everybody there.”
He is also looking forward to meeting Reed once more.
“It’ll be nice to be able to play with Patrick Reed again. he’s actually a very nice guy. even though we played a few times only, he still remembers me which is nice. So, yeah, I’m hoping that I could play with Patrick Reed again.”
In fact, Que thinks the entire International Series experience will be good for the local golf scene.
“Events like the International Series Philippines are a good way to see how we fare against other tours,” he said. “Despite the lack of tournaments, we’ve always been able to compete against the best, especially in Asia. We have to remember there’s only a few of us that started out playing in Asia and only three or four of us are successful campaigning abroad.
“We have a lot of young talents coming out, and this year I think there’s three of them that’s playing that’s new and young. Keanu Jahns, Carl Corpus, and Aidric Chan. Those three are up and coming and very hungry. And I’ve played with them. They don’t play like rookies anymore. They’re, you could say, experienced, and they want to try any opportunity that comes their way.”
Que is hoping Filipino golf fans will come out to Sta. Elena to catch world-class action, especially with the first two days of the tournament free to the public. For the last two days, fans can purchase tickets at SM Tickets.
“I really hope that people come and watch because Sta. Elena is very accessible to everybody. It’s not out of the way. It’s not that far from the city. So yeah, I’m really hoping that people come and watch.”
Banner images from The Asian Tour.