Tabuena logs Top 9 finish on hot 64

MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena delivered a strong finish in the BNI Indonesian Masters, closing with a fiery seven-under 64 to tie for ninth in the BNI Indonesian Masters ruled by India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar in runaway fashion in Jakarta Sunday.

Tabuena wielded a hot putter and scorched the par-71 Royale Jakarta Golf Club course with 25 putts, spiking his 31-33 card with two chip-in birdies on Nos. 5 and 12 as the top Filipino shotmaker charged back from way down at joint 29th to post a Top 10 finish in a remarkable Asian Tour campaign in the season about to end.

It was Tabuena’s seventh Top 10 effort in 16 Asian Tour events this year, highlighted by a come-from-behind victory in the DGC Open in India last March. The ICTSI-backed ace also annexed two tied for fourth finishes in the World City Championship in Hong Kong and in the Macao Open.

After a break, the two-time Philippine Open champion heads to Taiwan for the final Asian Tour leg in the Taifong Open on November 30-December 3.

Tabuena birdied two of the first three holes to get his final round bid going, then picked up strokes on Nos. 5 and 6 and regained the shot he dropped on the seventh with another birdie on the ninth.

He added three more birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 17 and two-putted for par on the closing par-5 18th. Tabuena pocketed $28,975 (P1.6 million).

Angelo Que, meanwhile, limped with a 73 and wound up at tied 61st at 273 while Justin Quiban skied to a 76 and ended up at 66th at 288.

Bhullar, on the other hand, cruised to victory with a 67 as he pooled a 24-under 260 and beat Karandeep Kochhar by five. Kochhar shot a 65 to complete India’s dominance in the $1.5-million event, which served as the final leg of the International Series.