Hot start nets Miguel Tabuena 65, share of lead

MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena marked his World Super 6 Perth debut in style, stringing up a stirring personal-best seven birdies in a  row at the backside of the Lake Karrinyup Country Club for a lead-sharing 65 at the start of the $1.15 million event in Australia yesterday.

The diminutive but talented Filipino shotmaker actually hit a nine-under card with birdies on Nos. 18 and 1 but stumbled with two bogeys in the last five to settle for a share of the lead with Norway’s Reitan Kristoffer, who turned in an equally impressive eight-birdie exploit against a lone bogey.

They stood two shots ahead of Aussie Ben Campbell and Englishman Richard McEvoy, who both shot 67s, while six others, including India’s SSP Chawrasia, Nick Flanagan, Ryan Fox and Brad Kennedy of Australia, Swede Anton Karlsson and Britain’s Michael Hoey with half of the starting 155-player field still to complete play in the novel tournament featuring 54 holes of stroke play and match play in the final round.

“It was surreal,” said Tabuena, whose backside 28 tied the Asian Tour’s lowest nine-hole score in relation to par. “I have never shot eight-under on the frontnine before.