Tabuena erupts for record-tying 62, pulls to within 3

MANILA, Philippines -- Miguel Tabuena produced the kind of blistering charge that has become a hallmark of his career, firing a scintillating 10-under 62 on Saturday to transform himself from an afterthought into a serious contender in the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship at Linkou International Golf and Country Club in Chinese Taipei.

Starting the day tied for 27th and a daunting eight strokes off the pace, Tabuena unleashed one of the most spectacular rounds of his career, matching the course record set by Thailand’s Tawit Polthai in the second round of the $1.2-million Asian Tour event.

His 62, built around an extraordinary 22-putt performance and 11 birdies against just one bogey, catapulted him to joint third at 16-under 200, just three shots behind Thai Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who hung tough with a solid eagle-spiked 67 to stay ahead by one at 197 over Japanese Kazuki Higa, who pooled a 198, also after a bogey-free five-under card.

But the spotlight was on Tabuena, who turned in a remarkable turnaround. Needing something special to keep his title hopes alive, he delivered in emphatic fashion.

Tabuena wasted no time setting the tone, opening with back-to-back birdies before adding another on the fifth. A bogey on the seventh briefly interrupted his charge, but he immediately answered with a birdie on the par-3 eighth.

The real fireworks began on the back nine.

After another birdie on the par-5 10th and a routine par on No. 11, Tabuena caught fire, stringing together five consecutive birdies from Nos. 12 to 16 to rip the tournament wide open.

The highlight of the stretch came on the 16th, where he chipped in for birdie, capping an extraordinary five-hole birdie binge and sending his round into another gear.

He then scrambled brilliantly for par on the par-3 17th before finishing in style, converting another birdie on the closing par-5 to complete a sensational 33-29 and a round that suddenly put him within striking distance of the lead.

What made the performance even more impressive was that Tabuena was not simply riding a hot putter. Although he hit only eight fairways, his iron play was virtually flawless, as he reached 14 greens in regulation and repeatedly gave himself scoring opportunities.

Still, it was his work on the greens that provided the spark.

Tabuena needed just 13 putts on the front nine and an almost absurd nine putts on the back nine – essentially one-putting his way around the closing nine. For a player known for explosive scoring runs, the combination of precise iron play and red-hot putting proved devastating.

The result was a round that ranks among the standout performances of Tabuena’s decorated career: 11 birdies, one bogey, 62 strokes and a stunning gain on the leaders in a single day.

More importantly, it completely changed the complexion of his tournament.

From eight shots adrift and seemingly buried in the pack after 36 holes, Tabuena suddenly found himself in the thick of the championship fight heading into Sunday’s final round.

Joining Tabuena at third are Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, American Peter Uihlein and local ace Hung Chien-Yao, who fired 64, 64 and 67, respectively, setting the stage for a final round shootout.

Justin Quiban also moved up the leaderboard, battling to a bogey-free 69 for a share of 50th at six-under 210.

But the day belonged unmistakably to Tabuena.

With 11 birdies, only one blemish and a course-record-equaling 62, he turned what had looked like a distant title bid into a very real Sunday opportunity – and did it in the most Tabuena-like fashion possible: by going on an explosive scoring spree when he needed it most.