Tabuena 4 shots off Macau Open leader; Go, Quiban also shine

MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena flashed awesome power and dominated the long holes of the Macau Golf and Country Club on his way to a five-under 66, four strokes behind Thai Phachara Khongwatmai and Scot David Drysdale at the start of the Macau Open Thursday.

Tabuena bucked the wind in the afternoon wave and flourished on a par-71 course reeling from the wrath of a typhoon last week, forcing the organizers to apply preferred lies and leaving the joint leaders’ blistering nine-under 62s, the official course mark, out of the record books.

But it led to a low-scoring opener of the $1-million championship serving as the fifth-to-last leg of this year’s Asian Tour that features 10 money-rich International Series events with 83 players from the starting field of 136 scoring 70 or better.

Tabuena tied for sixth in last week’s IS Singapore and he rode on that strong showing to fuel his remarkable start.

He birdied all par-5s, including the closing hole which negated his three-putt miscue on the par-3 17th for a 33-33 round and a share of 14th place that includes Hong Kong star Taichi Cho, who recently bagged the Asian Games individual gold in Hangzhou, China.

The ICTSI-backed ace actually missed five fairways but hit regulation 15 times and could’ve posted a lower output if not for a couple of missed strokes that led to 30 putts. He, however, produced three par-saves.

Lloyd Go, meanwhile, turned in his best Asian Tour start of 67, anchored on a solid frontside finish that saw him birdie Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 7. He mixed two birdies with two bogeys in the first nine holes at the back of the 6,606-yard layout.

Justin Quiban likewise put up a fiery frontside windup, birdying th6e three holes for a 31-3 as he joined Go and eight others at 22nd.

Three-time Asian Tour winner Angelo Que, however, also birdied No. 18 to rescue a 71 and a share of 84th.

Lee, younger brother of women’s world No. 7 Minjee Lee, spiked his 30-32 card with an eagle on No. 2. He gunned down eight birdies against a bogey, while Drysdale hit all 18 greens to match Lee’s 30-32 card but in bogey-free fashion.

The duo took a one-shot lead over India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, Ben Campbell of New Zealand and South African Ian Snyman.

Over in Japan, Juvic Pagunsan fought back from a four-over card with a birdie-par-eagle finish as he salvaged a one-over 71 for a share of 31st after 18 holes of the Japan Open paced by Mikumu Horikawa and amateur Kohei Okada at the Ibaraki Country Club’s West Course in Ibaraki, also yesterday.

After a two-birdie, two-birdie card at the front, Pagunsan went on a skid, bogeying four of the first six holes but birdied the 16th then produced a couple of solid shots on the par-5 18th and made an eagle for a 35-36.

He trailed Horikawa and Okada by five after the duo matched 66s for a one-stroke lead over Keita Nakajima, Kota Kaneko and Akio Sadakata.

Justin delos Santos also birdied the 18th for a 72 and a share of 45th in a field of 117 in Japan’s premier championship offering a total purse of Y210 million ($1.4 million).