Tabuena leads by 6 after record 64 in TCC Invitational opener

STA. ROSA, Laguna – Miguel Tabuena resumed his dominance at The Country Club here, redisplaying remarkable skill on the challenging course with a record eight-under 64 in calm conditions to seize a commanding six-stroke lead over a charging Korean Min Seong Kim and two others at the start of the rich TCC Invitational Tuesday.

Despite a mishap on the opening hole, Tabuena bounced back with a kind of resolve that wins big-time championships with birdies on the next two, followed by a three-birdie binge from No. 6. He sustained his assault on the 7,735-yard course with awesome ball-striking and superb iron play and putting, birdying four of the first seven holes at the back to assert his control over the elite 30-player field, which includes former champions and top finishers from last year’s Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit ranking.

“I didn’t expect to play like this but sometimes, with no expectations, you play better,” said the 2017 champion, who birdied all four par-5s. He thus underlined his exceptional start on the course where he triumphed last November with an imposing 4&3 victory over Lascuña in the final of the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational.

“It wasn’t as windy in the morning so the course actually played easier for the rest of the field. I would like it to be windier but I took advantage of the less wind and posted a good score at the frontnine and kept the momentum,” added Tabuena, who set up birdies from as close as three feet and buried a couple from as far as 25 feet.

Tabuena’s 64 also shattered the 67 posted by Micah Shin in the third round en route to winning this event in 2018.

Kim rallied with three birdies in the last five holes to buck a bogey on No. 13 and post a 70, joining Tony Lascuna and Sean Ramos at second while longshot Rico Depilo holed out with a bogey to slip to solo fifth at 71.

Lascuña, the 2004 winner of this flagship tournament of the PGT, put in a four-birdie, two-bogey card for a 70 while Ramos fought his way back from a two-over card with four birdies in a seven-hole stretch from No. 8.

While Tabuena thrived, the majority of the field struggled, including reigning OOM winner Jhonnel Ababa, who also bogeyed the challenging closing hole to end up with a 72, dropping to joint sixth with Guido van der Valk and Clyde Mondilla.

Van der Valk’s quest for a record three-straight championship in the P6 million event put up by ICTSI chairman/CEO Ricky Razon in 2003, suffered a setback after the 2020 and 2023 titlist squandered a two-under card after 10 holes with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 16.

The multi-titled Mondilla did rebound from a double-bogey miscue on No. 1 with birdies on Nos. 3 and 8. But the winner of the Solaire Philippine Open here in 2019 missed a couple of birdie chances and settled for pars the rest of the way.

Angelo Que matched Tabuena’s bogey on No. 1 in a marquee match-up with Shin but the three-time champion could only hit one birdie while dropping another stroke on the ninth to finish with a 73 with Ferdie Aunzo, Reymon Jaraula, Rupert Zaragosa and last year’s runner-up Lloyd Go.

Shin, who looked poised to challenge Tabuena with a birdie on No. 4, yielded two strokes on the demanding par-4 No. 5. The Korean-American, who honed his talent and skills in Davao and scored a career breakthrough at Luisita in 2016, birdied Nos. 7 and 8 to wheel back into contention but made two bogeys against a birdie in the next four holes and hobbled with a double bogey on the 18th to limp with a 74 for solo 14th, 10 strokes off the leader.

“He was good, his game was solid,” said Shin of Tabuena’s performance.

Tabuena actually mishit his opening drive, leading to a bogey. But the two-time Philippine Open champion remained unfazed, knowing there were plenty of holes to make up for it.

“And I kept it in the fairway and made my putting do the work. Hopefully, my putting stays hot for the next three days,” said Tabuena.

He expressed gratitude to God for keeping him alive and having the energy to compete and credited his team, including swing coach J3 Altea, who also worked on his bag, saying: “I wouldn’t be able to compete at this level without them.”

“But it’s still a long way to go, there are still three more days and I’m gonna stick to my routine, hit a few putts and recover,” he added.

With Lascuna and the rest needing to recover more, Tabuena could be on his way to turning the event, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and supported by PGTI official apparel Kampfortis Golf, into a personal showcase.