Miguel Tabuena is in a race against time to earn a spot on the season-ending LIV Golf Promotions event, and the Filipino golfer is confident he can finally start to convert his Asian Tour form onto The International Series stage, starting this week at the Link Hong Kong Open, with three of 10 elevated events to go this season.
Tabuena was last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit runner-up behind Andy Ogletree, the American who also earned a place on the LIV Golf League with Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC after running away with The International Series Rankings title.
This year Tabuena has shown glimpses of his undoubted talent: he currently sits 13th on the Merit race thanks to a fifth-placed finish at the Kolon Korea Open, a T4 at the SJM Macao Open and a third at Yeangder TPC.
He has struggled to replicate that form on The International Series however. A season-high T8 in Morocco and a T12 recently at International Series Thailand have lifted him up to 45 in the rankings, meaning he needs a decent result to break into the top 40, to claim a place in the Promotions event and compete for a place on the LIV Golf League roster.
A two-under round of 68 took him to seven under at the halfway stage of the Link Hong Kong Open, one of three tournaments in three weeks that will end the season and settle the rankings.
Playing alongside Scott Vincent (-5) and clubhouse leader Nitithorn Thippong (-11), he is just four shots behind and well placed for a push on moving day.
He said: “I holed more putts yesterday, but I am playing well, I am happy and need to remain patient and see what happens in the next two days. Both Scott and Fever are both good friends of mine and it was nice to play two days with them, we fed off each other yesterday. Fever is on fire and I think he is the man to beat this week.
“I have played really well this year but not on The International Series events. But there are two more to go after this and if I play the way I’m playing I think I should be good. I will finish high this weekend and take it from there.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
