Tabuena fights back with 65; Reed surges with rare 59

MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena surged up the leaderboard with a 65 on moving day, but a scintillating 59 from former Masters champion Patrick Reed kept the Filipino ace six shots back as he climbed into the Top 6 of the Hong Kong Open in Fanling on Saturday.

Tabuena delivered another stellar round at the par-70 Hong Kong Golf Club, matching his first-round score of five-under. The round could have been even better if not for missed opportunities on the greens, as he needed 30 putts to close out the day.

Starting strong, Tabuena eagled the par-5 No. 3 to set the tone for his round and added birdies on Nos. 8, 10, 14 and 16. A lone bogey on the par-3 12th, where he missed an up-and-down attempt, slightly dampened his momentum.

The ICTSI-backed Tabuena remained consistent from tee to green, hitting all but two fairways and greens, and finished with a 12-under 198, tying him for sixth with several others, including Natipong Srithong (63), Sadom Kaewkanjana (63), and Wade Ormsby (64).

The day, however, belonged to Reed, who dazzled with a near-perfect performance, vaulting from joint 11th to solo first with a jaw-dropping 59.

The American star fired off five straight birdies to start his round, added two more through the middle stretch, and closed with four consecutive birdies to post an 18-under 192.

Reed, 34, hit every fairway and green in regulation and needed just 23 putts in what is being hailed as one of the finest displays on the Asian Tour and International Series in recent years.

Reed’s electrifying 59 is now the lowest score ever recorded in the 63-year history of the Hong Kong Open, surpassing Ian Poulter’s 60 set in 2010. Sub-60 rounds remain a rarity in golf, even on par-70 courses, making Reed’s feat all the more remarkable.

However, due to preferred lies being in effect, Reed's achievement does not stand as an official record.

The only official 59 on the Asian Tour remains American John Catlin’s incredible round in May at the International Series Macau. Coincidentally, Reed was paired with Catlin during that historic day, which also occurred in the third round of the tournament.

“Yeah, you know, it was kind of one of those days,” said Reed, reflecting on his stellar performance.

Reed, seeking his first victory in four years and a maiden Asian Tour title, admitted that the day didn’t start smoothly. “I got up, felt a little tight but ready to go, and had probably one of the worst warm-ups ever.”

Reed’s round ended in dramatic fashion, as he drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to cap off the magical round and solidify his position atop the leaderboard.

Trailing Reed by three strokes are Nitithorn Thippong and Rashid Khan, who posted scores of 195 after rounds of 63 and 66, respectively.

Ben Campbell and Chapchai Nirat grabbed the next two spots with 196 and 197 after 68 and 63, respectively.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Juvic Pagunsan rebounded with a three-under 69 to move up 18 spots to joint ninth after three rounds of the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at the Kochi Kuroshio Country Club, also on Saturday.

Pagunsan, who opened the tournament with a sparkling 66 but slipped with a 73 on Friday, now sits four shots behind leaders Michael Hendry and Young-Han Song.

Hendry carded a 69 to tie Song, who stumbled with a 73 after a shaky finish that included three bogeys from No. 15. The duo leads at 8-under 208 heading into the final round of the Y200 million championship, the penultimate leg of the 2024 Japan Golf Tour.

Pagunsan conceded an early bogey on the third hole but bounced back with birdies on Nos. 7 and 8, then added two more late in the round on Nos. 15 and 16. The Filipino standout hit 10 fairways and needed just 27 putts, including five scrambling pars, to complete a steady recovery.

With Tabuena and Pagunsan both in contention, the weekend promises to be an exciting one for Filipino golf fans as they aim to chase down world-class competitors on two challenging tours.