Tabuena falls short in final push, ends up joint 16th

MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena narrowly missed out on a Top 7 finish at the Indonesia Open after a faltering finish, dropping three strokes in the last four holes to card a 72, settling for a share of 16th place in the Asian Tour event won by Steve Lewton in a three-man playoff at the Damai Indah Golf Course on Sunday.

Tabuena, coming off a solid 65 on Saturday, seemed poised for a strong final round at the par-71 course. He continued his momentum with birdies on Nos. 6 and 11, and despite a bogey on the 12th, he regained his rhythm and shot another birdie on No. 14.

However, his round unraveled on the par-3 15th, where he missed the green and three-putted, costing him two strokes. A further bogey on the par-5 17th saw him finish with a 35-37, marking his first over-par round of the tournament following earlier rounds of 69 and 68.

Tabuena, supported by ICTSI, ended with a 10-under 274 total, tying for 16th with four others, six strokes behind Lewton, who clinched the title after birdieing the second playoff hole to defeat third-round leader Aaron Wilkin and Sampson Zheng.

Lewton and Zheng both shot 68s to catch Wilkin, who closed with a 69, at 16-under 268. Lewton appeared set to win outright but double-bogeyed the 18th after taking a two-stroke lead with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17.

In the playoff, all three players bogeyed the 18th on the first extra hole, but Lewton prevailed after his approach shot on the second playoff hole stopped just eight feet from the pin. He drained the putt, sealing a victory that ended his decade-long title drought.

Zheng nearly chipped in for birdie, while Wilkin missed his 12-foot birdie attempt.

“It’s been a long, long time, and I feel like in the last three years, I’ve been playing quite good. So, it’s just nice to get over the line and win a tournament again,” said Lewton, whose last Asian Tour victory came in the 2014 Taiwan Masters. He also won the 2017 Philippine Open at The Country Club.

For Tabuena, it was a disappointing finish after he had positioned himself within three strokes of Wilkin after 54 holes. Although early birdie opportunities in the final round didn’t materialize, he scrambled for pars to stay in contention.

His birdie on No. 6 rekindled hopes, and another on the 11th strengthened his charge. However, a bogey on the par-3 12th set him back, and his misstep on the 15th, followed by another on the 17th, ultimately dashed his Top 10 aspirations.

Looking ahead, Tabuena aims for a stronger performance in the Donghae Open, which begins Thursday at the Ocean Course at Club 72 in South Korea.

Meanwhile, Justin Quiban closed with a 70, finishing tied for 68th at 288.