Tabuena cops silver, averts golf shutout

GUANGZHOU – Youngster Miguel Tabuena knew he only had to par the 18th hole to win the silver medal and, like a golfer who has come of age, calmly sank the putt from four feet and claimed the country’s silver medal amidst the jubilation of the Filipino team yesterday at the Dragon Boat Lake golf course.

The 16-year-old Tabuena, who played in the last flight next to that of Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien Yap, received word from his coach Tommy Manotoc that the Taiwanese had bogeyed the last hole. They were even at the 17th hole and needed only to par that one to win the silver.

“I have confidence in this boy. He is only 16 but he is definitely above his class,” said Manotoc, who admitted getting the jitters as he watched his junior golf protégé reach the green and two-putt from 10 feet.

The ICTSI-backed Philippine team leaped in celebration and Tabuena, who had led the first two days but dropped to second in the third round, heaved a sigh of relief as he avoided a playoff for the silver medal.

Korean Kim Meen Whee, up front with a 16-shot lead after three rounds, was never threatened from the front nine which he ended with a 35.

The Korean, superb in his approach shots and even more superb with his cool putting over the undulating, fast greens over a course that is half mountain and half lake course, collected a cluster of three more birdies from the 13th for a 34 and 69, his fourth straight under-par round of the competition.

He finished with a 15-under-par 273, nine in front of Tabuena (282) and 10 over Hung (283), who took the bronze.

Tabuena’s feat thus bettered the bronze medal finish by Michael Bibat in the last Asiad in Doha, Qatar.

Tabuena’s score, however, could not lift the men’s team, which dropped to fifth with a four-round total of 877 behind Korea (842), India (874) and Chinese Taipei (875).

Mhark Fernando put in a 73, US-based jungolfer Marcel Puyat a 79 while Jerson Balasabas was out of the team score with an 80.

The ladies team did not improve from its sixth place at the start of the team competition, finishing at the same position with 601.

Chihiro Ikeda scored a par-72 and Dottie Ardina a 77 for the day’s scoring while Mia Piccio didn’t count with 78.

Korea made it a four-gold sweep by winning both the women’s individual and team events.

Kim Hyung Soo bagged the gold with a par-72 and a four-round mark of 11-under 277, 10 shots over China’s Yang Jing and fellow Korean Kim Jihee. Yang won the silver via the playoff.

The Korean team took the gold on the strength of its 16-under 560 total, 11 shots over China and 25 over third-placed Chinese Taipei.

The Taiwanese, running fourth at the start of the round, four shots behind Tabuena, was virtually counted out in the medal race, with Thai Attache Jaichalad just one stroke behind Tabuena at third.

But the Taiwanese charged the front nine of the up-and-down layout at the foot of a mountain and came through with a three-under 33.

He again birdied the par-3 12th hole to level up with Tabuena who went even-par throughout the entire length, four of his birdie putts kissing the lip of the cup.

Tabuena briefly quelled the Taiwanese surge with a birdie in the 15th but the latter birdied the next hole, sending the two into a neck-and-neck battle going to the last two holes even as they were one flight apart.

Both parred the 17th hole, and as Tabuena and three others waited for their turn before the 18th hole, the Taiwanese flubbed his putt and holed out with a bogey.