Tabuena eyes redemption in Mercuries Taiwan Masters

MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena is determined to claim another Asian Tour title as he heads into the Mercuries Taiwan Masters at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club’s Tamsui course.

Coming off a solo third-place finish at the Yeangder TPC in New Taipei City last week, the Filipino golf star is poised to make a statement in the $1-million event, which gets under way Thursday in Taipei.

Though Tabuena contended strongly in the first three rounds of the Yeangder TPC, his final round of 70 left him just shy of the top, finishing behind eventual champion Thai Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who carded a closing 69.

Despite the near-miss, Tabuena remains confident, buoyed by a consistent string of performances this season, including a tie for ninth at the Donghae Open, fifth place at the Korea Open, and a tie for eighth at the International Series Morocco.

His recent form has many believing that another victory is imminent, with his last triumph coming at the DGC Open in March 2023. Backed by ICTSI, Tabuena will need to navigate a strong 125-player field, including defending champion Jaco Ahlers of South Africa and local favorite Chan Shih-chang.

Tabuena’s campaign kicks off at 12:10 p.m., where he will play alongside Phachara Khongwatmai and Wang Wei-Hsuan.

Another Filipino hopeful, Justin Quiban, looks to recover from a tied-40th finish at Yeangder after an impressive start with back-to-back 68s.

Tabuena, who was just two strokes off the lead heading into the final round, will aim to build on his momentum and secure the win that has eluded him in recent tournaments.