Relegated but refocused, Tabuena targets strong LIV response

MANILA, Philippines — Relegated to wildcard status after just one outing, Miguel Tabuena heads into his second LIV Golf League appearance with renewed determination — dogged to prove to everyone, including the 4Aces Golf Club, that he belongs among the game’s elite.

The 4Aces, led by two-time major champion Dustin Johnson, opted to drop Tabuena from their roster following his tied-for-48th finish at LIV Golf Riyadh — his debut in the high-profile, breakaway circuit.

Despite contributing to the team’s third-place finish in the team competition of a six-under total, Tabuena’s individual showing apparently wasn’t enough to secure his spot.

In his place, the 4Aces tapped Anthony Kim, who finished tied for 22nd in Riyadh. Kim now joins Johnson, Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry as the team’s fourth member heading into LIV Golf Adelaide.

For Tabuena, the demotion could easily sting. Instead, the 31-year-old Filipino standout is choosing to treat it as fuel.

The International Series Philippines runaway champion now finds himself competing without team affiliation, one of five wildcards in a stacked LIV field. But rather than dwell on what could have been, Tabuena views the setback as a challenge — and an opportunity.

He begins his Adelaide campaign in Group 16, teeing off from No. 15 at The Grange Golf Club in South Australia alongside none other than Kim himself and Fireballs GC’s Luis Masaveu. The pairing only heightens the narrative — a direct chance to respond on the course against the very player who took his spot.

Now freed from team responsibilities, Tabuena can focus solely on the individual competition. Still, the task ahead remains daunting. The field features defending champion Joaquin Niemann, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, and Riyadh winner Elvin Smylie, among others.

Having experienced the unique atmosphere and immense pressure of LIV Golf — competing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the sport’s biggest names — Tabuena is expected to be more settled this time around. The nerves of a debut are behind him. What remains is unfinished business.

The frustration of relegation, he hopes, will translate into sharper focus, greater intensity and a stronger performance from start to finish. If anything, being dropped may have clarified his mission — prove that he has the game, the resilience and the competitive fire to stand with the cream of the crop.

In Adelaide, Tabuena won’t just be chasing birdies — he’ll be chasing validation.