Tabuena stumbles with 74, ties for 8th in International Series Morocco

MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena faced challenges with his long game and irons in the final nine holes, ending up with a 74 and settling for a joint eighth place in the International Series Morocco won by Ben Campbell in a dramatic sudden death at the Royal Dar Es Salam’s Red course in Rabat Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Despite a promising start with a two-birdie, two-bogey performance on the front nine of the par-73 layout, Tabuena struggled on the back nine but managed to salvage four consecutive pars from the 10th hole. After a regulation par on the par-3 15th hole, he missed the fairways on the last four holes.

However, the ICTSI-backed player showed resilience with impressive recoveries, dropping only a single stroke on the 15th. This effort, though commendable, was insufficient for a last-minute comeback, leaving him without a chance to contend for a Top 5 finish in the $2 million championship.

Tabuena concluded the tournament with a nine-under 283 total (worth $39,480), tying for eighth place with four other competitors. He ended six strokes behind Campbell, who thwarted John Catlin’s wire-to-wire attempt with a brilliant eagle-birdie finish, forcing a playoff at 277 after scoring 71.

In the playoff, Campbell clinched victoryby sinking a 20-fo ot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole. His win, worth $360,000, was marked by a spectacular comeback as he trailed by three strokes with two holes remaining.

Campbell eagled the par-4 penultimate hole from 35 feet and then made another birdie from 10 feet on the final hole, leading to the sudden death. Catlin narrowly missed his birdie attempt from a similar distance.

Earlier in the round, Catlin had a rocky start with back-to-back bogeys but managed to recover with three birdies, ultimately carding a 72.