There couldn’t have been a better scenario for Filipino golfer Miguel Tabuena to pull off golf’s most prized accomplishment.
In the biggest golf tournament the Philippines has hosted in decades, it was but fitting that the top Filipino male golfer would score a hole-in-one, and in a course that he calls home.
Miguel Tabuena, the country’s top bet in the International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus, on Friday sank just the second in-tournament hole-in-one in his storied golf career, accomplishing the feat on the 171-yard par-3 14th hole of the Sta. Elena Golf Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The ace was part of Tabuena’s fiery second-round 7-under 65 that put him at 10-under for the LIV Golf-backed international tournament that offers $2 million in prizemoney. That it was done at Sta. Elena made it even more special for the 31-year-old.
“It’s not every day you make a hole in one, but I was glad I kept it together,” Tabuena said. “You know, there’s a lot of golf to be played, but it was nice, it’s been probably six years since my last one and only second in competition. So, it was nice that it was here in front of friends, family and my home club.”
Tabuena used an eight iron for his historic shot, even though he never saw the ball drop into the cup.
“I didn’t see it go in, but they said that it took one bounce and then in. I just heard the crowd go wild and Dustin (Johnson) said, ‘it’s in.’”
But Tabuena didn’t stop there. He eagled the par-5 16th to cap off a blistering second that featured four birdies and two eagles against a lone bogey.
“So on my scorecard from 14 to 16, it was one, four, and three, which is great. That was a perfect seven wood for me on 16. I don’t know how many times I’ve eagled that hole, so it’s a pretty familiar hole for me. And that is my favorite pin position for that hole, so it was very green light for me all day.”
Despite that 65, Tabuena felt he could have done better.
“I left quite a few. I could have hit more fairways. You know, I missed two greens inside 140 yards, which is a no-no. So you have to take advantage when you’re in the fairway, because when you’re in the rough the ball can go anywhere. So hopefully more fairways tomorrow, and more green lights.
“I think I took advantage of the calmer conditions in the morning, and then once we got to the turn the wind started to blow. Which can get tricky out there, you know, you have to think of the lines off the tee, think about the pin positions, think of—if you’re in the rough—where to miss it. The course is normally a walk in the park, actually, to be honest, but Sta. Elena made it so much tougher than what it is, which is good. It will bring out the best of all of us.”
The 65 and subsequent 10-under 134 after two rounds gave Tabuena temporary pole position of the 141-man field, which was eventually taken over by Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, who shot a 66 to grab the lead with a 14-under 130.
Tabuena knows, though, that anything can still happen over the final two rounds, especially with such a star-studded field.
“Oh, it’s a good, strong field. It’s one of the stronger fields on the International Series and I’m glad it’s on my home course. You know, there’s a bit of local knowledge out there, but these are world-class players and they’ll adapt to anything. And I know I’m a world-class player, so we have two more days to get the job done.
“I seem to perform better when the course isn’t that much gettable. I would like to think I’m a very accurate driver, and I don’t make too many mistakes, so hopefully it gets tougher the next two days.”
Banner images from the Asian Tour