Pagunsan, Tabuena target Thai Masters crown

MANILA, Philippines – Juvic Pagunsan seeks to spike a prolific season with a victory abroad while Miguel Tabuena tries to pull off a reprise as they join the title chase in the rich Thailand Masters unfolding Thursday at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in Pattaya.

The Filipino aces are among the full-packed field all primed up for four days of duel of power and iron play in the $500,000 event serving as the final leg of the Asian Tour with Pagunsan going all out for a victory that would highlight an explosive season that saw him post a couple of records to clinch the Philippine Golf Tour’s Order of Merit crown.

The former Asian Tour No. 1 vied in just five of nine PGT tournaments while on a break from the Japan PGA Tour and won four in consecutive fashions — both tour records.

While Tabuena struggled trying to recover from an injury, the two-time Asian Tour leg winner is hoping to duplicate his astounding feat in Thailand, also last December, when he outplayed local ace Jazz Janewattananond in a final round shootout to win the Queen’s Cup with a closing 66 in Bangkok.

But the Philippine duo will be in a for a tough outing against a field that includes Euro Tour campaigners Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts and Alex Cejka of Germany, Malaysia’s Gavin Green, Aussie Scott Hend, recent Thailand Open winner John Catlin of the US and Janewattananond.

Others in the fold are PGT and PGT Asia campaigner and former The Country Club Invitational champion Micah Shin, Nicholas Fung of Malaysia, Thais Prayad Marksaeng and PGA Tour veteran Kiradech Aphibarnrat and India’s Shiv Kapur and SSP Chawrasia.

The Thai Masters is promoted by the Jaidee Foundation which Thai golfing legend Thongchai Jaidee oversees.