Tabuena ties for 16th in Korea; Que ends up 12th in Thailand
Miguel Tabuena tees off in the third round at the Manila Southwoods. AFP
MANILA, Philippines -- Miguel Tabuena encountered late-round woes and closed out with an even par 71, finishing tied for 16th in the Maekyung Open Golf Championship won by Hongtaek Kim via playoff in South Korea Sunday.
Tabuena waged a frontside charge of two-under 34 but wavered at the finish, bogeying two of the last three holes to nullify his earlier birdies on Nos. 2 and 9, leaving him with a 282 total, eight strokes behind Kim.
The Korean rallied with a 69 to tie Thai Chonlatit Chuenboonngarn, who carded a 71, at 274 with the former clinching the victory in sudden death.
Despite his wobbly windup, Tabuena, whose campaign is supported by ICTSI, shone with eight scrambling pars, including four straight from No. 5, showcasing his superb short game and resiliency amid adversity.
While his tee-to-green performance faltered, with only five fairways hit and eight greens reached in regulation, he compensated with a stellar display on the greens, requiring just 26 putts to tackle the course.
In Thailand, Angelo Que settled for a 12th place finish, coming off an ever-par frontside stint with three birdies in the last eight holes, leading to a 68 and a 10-under 274.
The three-time Asian Tour winner, however, fell short by five strokes behind Kammalas Namuangruk, who eagled the par-5 18th to match Amarin Kraivixien’s closing 69 and 259 before nipping his fellow Thai in the playoff to clinch the championship.
Rupert Zaragosa, meanwhile, fumbled with a 72 and wound up tied at 30th at 281.
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