Tabuena charges back with solid 67, ties for 9th

MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena fought through continued putting challenges by excelling on long holes, firing a bogey-free 67 to rescue a joint ninth-place finish in the Shinhan Donghae Open, won by Kensei Hirata in Incheon, South Korea on Sunday.

After a frustrating 32-putt round of 71 following consecutive 68s, Tabuena rebounded with five birdies, highlighted by dominant plays on holes 5 and 7, where he carded two-putt birdies. He also gained strokes on the 11th and 17th holes, capping off his day with a birdie on the par-5 18th, this time, on a one-putt finish.

Rising from a tie for 20th, the ICTSI-backed golfer wound up tied at ninth at 14-under 274. However, the three-time Asian Tour winner finished eight strokes behind Hirata, who separated from third-round co-leader Kosuke Suzuki with a brilliant 66, securing the victory at 266, powered by an eagle on the fifth.

Travis Smyth came in second, just one stroke behind, after a sizzling 64 that featured a record-setting frontside 28 with seven straight birdies. Despite another birdie on the ninth, Smyth settled for pars on the back nine, finishing with 267. Suzuki slipped to third at 270 after a 70.

Tabuena’s performance was marked by accuracy, hitting all but two fairways and greens. But putting remained a challenge, as he finished with a 31-putt round.

Still, his joint ninth finish was an improvement over his tied 16th result at the Indonesia Open the previous week, where a strong start was derailed by a final-round 72.