Lipad Pilipinas MPO winner Joey Bruno celebrates after his win. Photos: Kingsley Flett

Joey Bruno, one of three disc golfers playing all seven events of the 2026 PDGA Asia Tour, surged from a four-stroke deficit after round one, to a nine-stroke win, his first on the tour after five tries.

Asian disc golf legend Su Mei Yang had her first win on the tour too. In a dominant performance Yang stretched her six stroke, round one lead to thirteen strokes at the end.

FPO Winner Su Mei Yang Putts on the final hole.

Both players have enhanced their chances of taking out the overall tour title in Shanghai on March 15.

Full Results: Lipad Pilipinas IV - PDGA Asia Tour Event #5 »

From the drier climes of the northern Thai hill country in Chiang Mai, the Asia tour crossed South China Sea, 1,400 miles to Luzon, the largest and most populated of the Philippines 7641 islands. The host was Tarlac City, 80 miles north of Manilla and capitol of the province of Tarlac. The venue for the tournament was the Jose V. Yap Recreation and Sports complex, about eight miles west of Tarlac City and at the beginning of the foothills of the Zambales Mountains.

The course was principally designed by British Disc Golf hall-of-famer Derek Robbins, who divides his time between the Philippines and his Quarry Park course in the UK. Robins and the Tarlac crew created a testing track full of water hazards, OB and elevation changes. Ten of the eighteen holes were laid out on a disused part of the property with low scrub and volcanic rock formations. The area is a popular film location, and it’s not hard to imagine a stark, hard-bitten, Sergio Leonie style, western being set there.

By far the biggest challenge for all competitors though, was the heat. The 90 degree temperatures, 80% humidity, radiant heat from the black volcanic rock and scarce shade, made the tournament a test of endurance as much as accuracy.

Taking on the challenge was 117 players from nine different countries. Notable in this event was the 35 juniors, many of them playing on a separate nine hole layout at the back of the course which had been purpose designed for their skill level and throwing distance.

Junior development is a feature of Philippines Disc Golf, much of it due to the efforts of PDGA Asia Ambassador Luisa Bartolome. Bartolome’s recipe of involving local government organisations, implanting disc golf in schools and creating Physical Education teacher training programs in two universities, has led to a strong grass roots development in the country. “It’s not just about Disc Golf,” said Bartolome. “It’s to inspire the children. It’s about what our game can give as much as what our game can get.”

Part of this inspiration was to make sure the juniors had finished their rounds in the morning; so the kids had plenty of time to watch the lead cards and learn from players that were fast becoming their heroes.

In round one, MPO was dominated by Hawaiian Jackson Proctor who shot a 6-under-par 50 to gain four strokes over Bruno.

Bruno’s first round was well below his rating though and it seemed that he had some improvement to come. “I didn’t make a single putt outside of twelve feet during the first round,“ said Bruno. “Also, a big change was my mentality going into the second round. I had a long talk with Steve (travelling partner and tour MP40 points leader Steven Miller) after the first round, and it really came down to sticking to my game plan and staying positive even if one hole doesn't go to plan.”

Joey Bruno made his big move in round two.

The new approach worked. Bruno caught fire in round two, carding a provisional 1022 rated 10-under-par 46 to draw level with Proctor heading into championship Sunday. 

On the final day though, it only took until hole 2 for a separation to occur. Pollock carded a triple bogey six, while Bruno birdied the 394 foot par three hole. The four stroke gap was all the breathing space that Bruno needed.

“I was able to play with some freedom after that,” Bruno said.  “I was able to let loose, go for a few shots and play my natural game.”

By midway through the round Bruno had stretched the lead to six strokes. Proctor gave away a few more strokes in the back nine as he tried to close the gap. The final margin was nine. Bruno’s win was a popular one.

“It was a dream come true to get a win on the tour,” Joey said. “It was everything and more I could think of. This is hopefully a stepping stone to better things to come.”

Sue Mei Yang had a wire-to-wire win.

In FPO, Sue Mei Yang used her accuracy and ability to stay out of trouble to carve out a six stroke lead over local Maryviel Dublin with another Filipina Karyle Pante one stroke further back. The venerated Asian Disc Golf legend then all but ended the contest in round two, stretching her lead to 13 strokes. The two locals kept pace with Su Mei in the final round, but the gap remained unchanged. Su Mei cruised to an easy win.

The 100 tour points Yang earned for the win may prove crucial too in her quest to chase down current tour leader Chia-Fang Chen. With two events to play and both Okinawa and Shanghai likely to be courses that don’t necessarily play to Chen’s strength, which is her greater distance off the tee, Yang has kept her tour chances alive with the Lipad Pilipinas win.

Standings & Schedule: 2026 PDGA Asia Tour »

First time travellers to the Philippines will be struck by how distinctly different it is from the rest of Asia. 300 years of Spanish colonisation and Latin American influence have created a flamboyance and passion that is uniquely Filipino. It’s bright, colourful, festive and loud.  One of the disc golf media pack was overheard saying that ‘it’s like Thailand and Mexico had a baby”. The numerous student volunteers from the Tarlac State University, the hordes of cheeky fun-loving juniors and the passionate local players all combined to add this flavour to the event. The award ceremony had volume and joy in abundance as the winners were cheered on and off the stage.

The spirit of disc golf in the Philippines is strong and the Lipad Pilipinas was yet another distinct encounter in kaleidoscope of experiences that make up the PDGA Asia tour. Next stop – Okinawa, Japan.