Philippines’ Miguel Luis Tabuena competes in the men’s individual stroke play at the Olympic Golf course during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 2016. AFP / Emmanuel DUNAND
SANTA ROSA, LAGUNA— Miguel Tabuena finally realized a dream with a gutsy performance in the final round that was a nightmare for everyone else but himself.
The 22-year-old Olympian closed out with a hard-fighting, eagle-spiked level par 72 in conditions that were at their harshest all week, nipping Juvic Pagunsan by a stroke on Sunday to join an elite list of champions of The Country Club-Don Pocholo Razon Invitational.
Coming off his worst round on Saturday, an 80 that had him starting the day five shots behind Pagunsan, Tabuena gutted out a round that kept his head above water before getting the break in the final hole for the win worth P1.5 million.
Tabuena was at the scorer’s area when Pagunsan dropped out of a potential playoff with a wet bogey on the 72nd hole, finishing with a 78. He failed to become the first four-time winner of the rich tournament.
Counting his first two rounds of 75 and 74, Tabuena tallied a 13-over 301 as the newly-renovated The Country Club layout played as advertised and is now legitimately the toughest test of golf in the land.
First-round leader Toru Nakajima of Japan fired a 73 and salvaged third, three shots behind Tabuena.
Angelo Que, who trailed Pagunsan by a shot after 54 holes, shot an 81 for 306.
“Winning this tournament has always been my dream since 2011,” said Tabuena, whose previous best finish was 18th in 2014.
The 38-year-old Pagunsan had a one-shot lead when he stepped on the 16th tee, only to bogey the hole after missing the green. After a routine par on the par-3 island green 17th, it seemed like a playoff was inevitable.
He had a little less than 200 yards to the 18th green after a perfect drive and seemed to have hit another well-struck, high approach against strong winds with a long iron, only for his ball to bounce so hard on the green and roll out to the lagoon behind.
Tabuena eagled the par-5 8th after landing a 201-yard second shot on the green with a 7-iron and nailing a 20-foot putt for a frontside 33 that had him overhauling that five-stroke overnight deficit.