Tabuena bags crown, OOM ICTSI TOUR

Miguel Tabuena holds up his trophy. Photo from Inquirer Golf

Miguel Tabuena put the finishing touches to his domination of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open field with a bogey-free five-under-par 67 Saturday to win a second straight crown and bag the Order of Merit (OOM) title at Luisita.

Tabuena highlighted his superb play with an eagle and six birdies, tallying a 22-under 266 for the P450,000 champion’s prize that finally unseated Antonio Lascuña for the OOM title with still a leg left in the circuit.

Jonel Ababa returned a 68 and finished nine shots off the pace, even as Micah Shin fired a 69 for third another three shots back.

Tabuena could have taken it easy in the final round, which he started with an eight-stroke lead over Ababa.

But the 21-year-old, who will be flying to Japan in the next few days to try his luck in the lucrative tour there, didn’t slow down a bit and picked up from where he left off in the third round on Friday when he also fired a 64 under winter rules.

It was the fourth leg win and second straight for Tabuena, who came from four strokes down in the final round at Wack Wack East last week to nip Lascuña.

Lascuña managed a 72 and finished out of the Top 10 with a 287 total.

“It’s a nice feeling to win again but I plan to concentrate more on the Asian Tour where I hope to play with this level of confidence against the best in the region,” said Tabuena.

Dutchman Guido Van der Valk dropped to fourth at 279 after a 71, with Summit leg champion Jay Bayron shooting a 69 to tie first-round co-leader Zanie Boy Gialon, who had a 72, at fifth at 281.