By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
What began as a humble goal — to give his best effort and learn from the finest players in the field — turned into something much more for newly crowned International Series Philippines champion Miguel Tabuena.
After a spectacular showing at Sta. Elena Golf Club where he dominated the $2 million event by three strokes, Tabuena now has his sights set on joining the LIV Golf circuit.
“The goal has been to be on LIV,” said Tabuena after shooting a 24-under 264 in the four-round tournament presented by BingoPlus.
“I didn’t have that in mind this week, but after getting the job done, it gives me a lot of confidence.”
Still on cloud nine from that victory where he bested a competitive field that included Major champions and PGA veterans, Tabuena has already set his sights on his next challenge: the LINK Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.
His next stops include the Moutai Singapore Open from Nov. 6 to 9, followed by the PIF Saudi International in Riyadh from Nov. 19 to 22.
“I gotta stick to the routine. I gotta recover, I gotta rehab and reset… then get myself another one of these,” said Tabuena, pointing to the International Series trophy — his first.
Tabuena admitted feeling the pressure of playing before hometown fans at his home club. With all eyes on him to keep the Philippine flag flying high alongside 10 other Filipino players, the stakes were as high as ever.
He trailed Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut by five strokes after an opening-round 69, then cut the deficit to four with a sizzling 65 in the second round. He made his title campaign felt in the third round, seizing a share of the lead with Suwannarut and China’s Sampson Zheng after another 65.
Brimming with confidence, Tabuena held his ground in the final round, steadily pulling away from the field despite strong surges from Kazuhiro Higa and Yosuke Asaji.
“I’m glad I was able to trust every shot, every yardage I had, to execute everything I needed to do. I was nervous inside, but at the same time, I was mostly at peace out there,” Tabuena said.
“It was hard to keep it together. To be able to get it done, it’s such a relief.”
And he might just be getting started.
