Tabuena fights to survive as Corpus, 4 others stumble
MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena mounted a late charge but still found himself on the wrong side of the projected cut line after an opening even-par 71 in the International Series Japan at the Caledonian Golf Club on Thursday.
Tabuena birdied three of his last six holes to negate a bogey and salvage a respectable finish after a shaky start, but his joint-73rd standing left him needing a stronger second round to advance to the weekend of the $2-million championship.
South Korea’s Hongtaek Kim set the early pace with a blistering seven-under 64 in the afternoon wave, highlighted by a mix of birdies and an eagle that underscored his composure in challenging conditions. He held a one-shot lead over Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and fellow Korean Younghan Song, who both carded 65s.
American John Catlin briefly seized control with a 66 in the morning group, punctuated by a hole-in-one on No. 17, but slid into a share of fourth as the afternoon scoring surge reshaped the leaderboard.
With a crowded leaderboard — 13 players at 67 and 10 more at 68 — the tournament is shaping up for a tightly contested battle heading into the weekend, with valuable points at stake in the season-opening leg of the International Series that offers pathways to the LIV Golf League.
While Tabuena showed resilience, the rest of the Filipino contingent faltered in otherwise favorable morning conditions.
Tabuena’s round itself was a tale of recovery. After a bogey on No. 3 and a costly double bogey on the eighth against a birdie on the par-3 fifth, he steadied himself with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, then bounced back from another miscue on the 17th with a closing birdie for a 38-33 card. He hit nine fairways and 11 greens, finishing with 29 putts — numbers that reflected solid ball-striking but costly lapses.
Carl Corpus carded a 73 to sit tied for 85th, undone by a double bogey on the par-4 No. 15 after an errant drive. Despite matching Tabuena’s nine fairways and 11 greens and needing just 29 putts, Corpus couldn’t capitalize on his opportunities.
Aidric Chan showed flashes of a comeback, rallying from two-over through 10 holes with birdies on Nos. 12 and 14. However, a costly mistake on the 14th — where he missed both fairway and green — led to a double bogey that derailed his charge, resulting in a 74 and a share of 103rd.
Sean Ramos also struggled to sustain momentum, mixing two birdies with four bogeys, including three straight from No. 13, to finish alongside Chan.
Further down the leaderboard, Lloyd Go stumbled to a 75 for joint 129th, his round unraveling on the front nine with a 41 that featured a double bogey on No. 8 after a promising one-under back-nine start.
It was an even tougher outing for Justin Quiban, who entered the tournament fresh off a win on the Philippine Golf Tour but limped to a 76. A triple bogey on No. 5 proved too much to overcome, dropping him into a tie for 141st in the 156-player field.
With most of the Filipino bets trailing the cut line, Tabuena remains the country’s best hope — though he will need another strong finish to keep his campaign alive.
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