Tabuena draws confidence from Taiwan Masters Top-10 finish ahead of Asiad

MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena may have fallen short of his target at the Taiwan Masters, but a Top-10 finish was enough to give the Philippine ace the momentum and confidence he needs heading into next week’s Asian Games golf competitions in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Tabuena could have secured a share of seventh place but dropped a shot on the final hole of the Taiwan Golf and Country Club, settling for a closing 71 and a 72-hole total of 285 for a share of 10th in the Asian Tour event won by local ace Hung Chien Yao.

Hung, who also closed with a 71, finished at eight-under 280 to edge Australian Wade Ormsby by one stroke.

The Top 10 came a week after Tabuena tied for 16th in the Yeangder TPC at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club, also in Taiwan, giving the former Asian Games silver medalist two solid finishes heading into the continental showpiece.

Tabuena, then only 16, announced himself on the international stage by winning the silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou while still an amateur. He turned professional soon after and has since collected victories on the local circuit and abroad, highlighted by his triumph in the Asian Tour’s International Series at Sta. Elena last year that helped earn him a place in the LIV Golf League.

Tabuena, who turns 32 in October, returns to the Asian Games with considerably more experience but also a much tougher challenge.

The men’s golf competition at the Kasugai Country Club’s East Course in Aichi Prefecture will feature defending champion Taichi Kho of Hong Kong, as well as a strong cast from powerhouse golfing nations such as South Korea, Thailand and Japan.

Hung, who will spearhead Taiwan’s bid in the Nagoya Asian Games also adds another layer of danger after emerging from a tightly contested Taiwan Masters with his confidence soaring. His victory over Ormsby should give the local star considerable momentum heading into the Asiad.

Tabuena, however, will not be carrying the Philippine flag alone.

Joining him in the men’s team are Justin delos Santos and Carl Corpus, with the trio determined to stay in medal contention through all four rounds in both the individual and team competitions.

Delos Santos brings valuable experience from competing regularly on the Japan Golf Tour, giving the Philippines a player familiar with the demands and conditions of Japanese courses.

The 31-year-old Filipino-American posted a career-best third-place finish in the Handa Championship in Auckland in March and followed that with a tie for 11th in the Sansan KBC tournament in Fukuoka last September.

Corpus, meanwhile, provides the youthful punch to the Philippine squad. The 25-year-old shotmaker has won once on the local circuit and also owns a victory on the Asian Development Tour, credentials that underscore his ability to contend when his aggressive game clicks.

Together, Tabuena, delos Santos and Corpus will carry the Philippines’ hopes of ending a four-decade wait for a men’s golf gold medal in the Asian Games.

For Tabuena, the Taiwan Masters may not have produced the finish he wanted, but the timing of the Top 10 could hardly have been better.

With the Asiad now just days away, the veteran ace heads to Japan with his competitive rhythm intact — and another chance to turn experience, momentum and confidence into a medal run.