Tabuena is new match play king

Miguel Tabuena

Playing a course that his long game can very well conquer, Miguel Tabuena dethroned Antonio Lascuña with relative ease on a rainy Friday afternoon to become the new king of the ICTSI The Country Club Match Play Invitational in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“This course fits me,” said Tabuena after a 4&3 victory over Lascuña, who hits it a lot shorter than anyone else in the talented 32-man field that began the week but still overachieved. “It suits the longer hitters, and this year has been a pretty good year for me.”

The victory meant more than the P280,000 champion’s purse for Tabuena, it also gave him the confidence going to the LIV Golf qualifying event in Abu Dhabi next month.

“I’m pretty happy with where I’m hitting it. I tried out some shots that I could use next week,” added Tabuena.

A 2-up lead after the first six holes was all Tabuena needed to take complete command with a pitch-in birdie on the punishing 14th hole giving him a four-hole cushion that had Lascuña on the ropes.