Tabuena fights through early wobbles to stay alive

Miguel Tabuena studies his line on the ninth green during Round 2 of the LIV Golf Promotions.

(Photo from asiantour.com)

MANILA, Philippines — Barely, but good enough to stay in the mix.

Miguel Tabuena once again proved why he remains one of the toughest competitors in Asian golf, overcoming a shaky start that would have rattled lesser mortals to card a gutsy 69 and advance to the final two rounds of the LIV Golf Promotions at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida on Friday.

Coming off an exempt status in the opening round, Tabuena stumbled early with two bogeys in his first three holes – an ominous beginning in a tournament where every shot carries enormous weight.

But the 31-year-old Filipino leaned on his trademark composure and fighting spirit, refusing to let the miscues define his round.

Instead of unraveling, Tabuena did what he has done time and again throughout his career – battle back. He steadied himself with back-to-back birdies from Nos. 4 and 12, showing patience, belief and resilience to negate another bogey on the seventh and grind out a 36-33 card on the par-70 Black Diamond Ranch Golf and Country Club course.

It was a response built not on flash, but on grit.

That effort proved just enough, as Tabuena finished tied from 16th to 22nd in a field of 47, safely inside the cut line as 22 players advanced to the final two rounds.

With scores to be reset, the race for the coveted three berths in this year’s LIV Golf League now intensifies, where the slightest lapse can derail months – or years – of work.

Korean Jeunghun Wang surged to the top of Round 2 with a 65, edging Round 1 ruler Richard Lee, Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren, and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana by a single stroke. The quartet, along with Tabuena, spearhead a formidable cast of Asian Tour and International Series stalwarts heading into the decisive weekend.

Wang’s rise has been no accident. He entered Florida fresh off a runner-up finish at the Singapore Open, where he narrowly lost in a playoff to Yosuke Asaji – the same player who edged Tabuena for the second outright LIV Golf slot.

“I’m just really happy to be playing the next two days,” Wang said. “I’m excited and will just give it my best.”

That sentiment is echoed throughout the field, as the remaining contenders prepare for an all-out sprint to the finish. Expect nothing less than desperation golf, where nerve, precision and mental toughness will separate the dreamers from the qualifiers.

Lee, Hellgren and Kaewkanjana matched 66s, while Sarit Suwannarut, Takanori Konishi, Oliver Bekker, Max Kennedy, Travis Smyth, Joe Pagdin, Lucas Bjerregaard, Jazz Janewattananond, and Danthai Boonma all posted 67s. Rattanon Wannasrichan and Christopher Wood carded identical 68s, while Jose Islas, Cory Crawford, Julian Perico, Kiera Vincent, Matt Jones, Anthony Kim – and Tabuena – signed for 69s to survive the cut.

Tabuena could have positioned himself even higher if not for late putting woes.

On the par-5 16th, he blasted his birdie attempt four feet past the cup and misread the comeback to the right. On the 17th, his birdie try from just off the fringe slid left at the finish. Then, staring down a 12-footer on the 18th, he stroked it gently – only to see the ball stop agonizingly one roll short.

Still, the missed chances did little to overshadow the heart he showed throughout the day. His gritty comeback from bogeys on Nos. 1, 3 and 7 speaks volumes about his resolve and readiness for pressure-packed golf.

For the two-time Philippine Open champion, the final 36 holes loom as perhaps the most demanding stretch of an already checkered career. But Tabuena has been there before – counted out, tested and pushed to the brink – only to respond with defiance.

And as long as he remains standing, his LIV Golf dream is very much alive.