FRENCHMAN SALE MAKES HISTORY AT SMART INFINITY PHILIPPINE OPEN

On Sunday, the Frenchman delivered a spectacular five-under-par 65 in the final round to claim victory at the US$500,000 Smart Infinity Philippine Open, also marking his first professional win.

The 27-year-old Parisian – born on the tiny Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, some 680 kilometres east of Madagascar – started the final round two shots behind overnight leader Tomoyo Ikemura and finished on 11-under 269 total despite making a bogey on the par-five 18th hole of the Masters Course at Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Julien Sale of France pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday, January 26, 2025 after Round Four of the Smart Infinity Philippine Open at the Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club, Masters Course. The US$500,000 event is staged from January 23-26, 2025. Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour.

With Japan’s Ikemura (68) and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana (67) both chasing him, Sale reached the 18th tee with a cushion of three shots after he had made seven birdies and a bogey before that. Both Ikemura and Sadom birdied the last hole and finished tied second at 10-under.

“It feels great. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it feels so good to have my first professional win and my first win on the Asian Tour as well,” said the history-maker after getting his hands on the impressive trophy.

Coincidentally, the only member before Sale to win in his first start after graduating from the Qualifying School was Sadom, at the 2019 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open (his sixth Asian Tour start, but first as a professional). Sale also became the first French winner on the Tour in over 15 years, when Gregory Bourdy won the 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open.

Tomoyo Ikemura of Japan pictured on Sunday, January 26, 2025 during Round Four of the Smart Infinity Philippine Open at the Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club, Masters Course.
Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour.

Tiger Woods also won in his first start on the Asian Tour, at the 1997 Asian Honda Classic in Thailand, but he wasn’t a member.

Australian Kevin Yuan (68) birdied the last to finish sole fourth at 282, while the highest-ranked Filipino star in the field, Miguel Tabuena (66), surged to tied fifth at 273. Thai Poom Saksansin (67) and South Africa’s Ian Snyman (68) later joined him at that score.

The sliced tee shot on the 18th hole was Sale’s biggest mistake of the day as the wind picked up and tested the players once again.

Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour.

The champion said patience was the key for him.

“A lot was going through my mind when I started, but I played the front nine really solid,” said the man who lost his Challenge Tour card last year, missing 15 cuts in 23 starts last year.

“Today was a bit tricky; it was much windier from the start, while on every other day, the wind picked up in the afternoon. I missed a couple of putts for birdie on the eighth and ninth, but I stayed patient. That was the key word today: to stay patient.”

Sale credited his friend Stefano Mazzoli for the decision to come to Asia. The Italian enjoyed a successful rookie year with three top-10 finishes in the International Series events and was crowned the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year.

“The key moment for me last year was the second stage of DP World Tour Q-School when I felt I started to play much better. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the third stage and decided to come for the Asian Tour Q-school, and then from then on, I’ve been playing really great,” added Sale who finished 24th at this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School.

Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand pictured on Sunday, January 26, 2025.  Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour.

“I’ve been carrying the momentum from then. All the failures I had last year, I kind of learned from it, all the mistakes I made, I tried to improve myself. And it kind of worked really well today.”

Sadom, who heads to India for next week’s International Series India presented by DLF, led after the first two rounds. Although he missed out on what would have been his third Asian Tour title, he was happy with his result.

“I think everything was good. I missed only one shot on the sixth hole, my second shot. I hit it pretty bad and made a double,” said the 26-year-old. “So, I was just trying to get back into the tournament after that. I am happy I could score under par today.”

Tabuena, a two-time winner of the event, birdied his last two holes and said: “I felt I played really solid. Considering my four-over start on the first day, I believe that my game is there and I just ran out of holes. I’m still proud of the way I fought back after the first day, but I’m exhausted.”