Late birdies keep Quiban's Philippine Open dream alive; Tabuena surges

CARMONA, Cavite – Justin Quiban mounted a late surge with a 69 on Saturday to reignite hopes for a breakthrough Asian Tour victory at the Philippine Open set to culminate in a thrilling Sunday finish at the Manila Southwoods’ Masters course here.

Two crucial birdies in the final three holes salvaged what could have been a difficult day for Quiban. As the leading Filipino contender, he carried the banner for the host country, while other local favorites faltered in challenging conditions and delivered lackluster performances.

Quiban’s brilliant 64 on Friday had vaulted him to a share of 10th, just six strokes behind Thai leader Sadom Kaewkanjana. Though he slipped to 12th after 54 holes at 206, the three-time Philippine Golf Tour winner is now just four strokes behind the new leader, Tomoyo Ikemura, who rose to the top with a gutsy 67 and a seven-under 202 total.

The leaderboard is tightly packed, with a slew of competitors breathing down Ikemura's neck. The final 18 holes promise a battle of nerves and precision, where every shot could determine the champion.

Despite slipping to second with his first-over card, a 72, following rounds of 65 and 66, Sadom Kaewkanjana stayed in the race for a third Asian Tour victory, trailing Ikemura by just one stroke with a 203.

Also in the hunt are Swede Bjorn Hellgren, who fired a 66, capped by birdies on the last two holes, to join four others at 204, including Danthai Boonma, who provided the round of the day with a tournament-best eight-under 62, soaring from tied 52nd to a share of second at six-under total, alongside Julien Sale, Xiao Brown, who matched 67 and Kevin Yuan, who shot a 68.

Other players in contention include Jiho Yang and Scott Vincent, who each carded 66s, Jose Toledo, who fired a solid 67, and Ian Snyman, who rescued a 69. They joined the 205 group at joint eighth, just ahead of Quiban's 206 tally.

Despite near-flawless ball striking – hitting 10 fairways and reaching all but two greens – Quiban struggled on the greens, needing 34 putts, a costly stat in a championship offering $90,000 to the winner.

Meanwhile, Miguel Tabuena, a two-time Philippine Open champion, showcased resilience and steady improvement, climbing back into contention with a 65. After flirting with elimination, he rose to 19th at 207, just five shots behind Ikemura.

His performance was highlighted by a spectacular frontside rally spiked by four straight closing birdies after starting the back nine with three birdies and two bogeys.

Elsewhere, Micah Shin faltered after his second-round 65, limping to a birdie-less 73 that saw him fall to Tabuena’s group. Aidric Chan’s 69 placed him in a share of 26th at 208, along with Sean Ramos, who recorded his second consecutive par-70 round.

Among the locals, Enrico Gallardo slipped with a 73 to joint 56th, alongside compatriots LJ Go, Carl Corpus, and Rupert Zaragosa, who each carded 70s. Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli dropped back with a 71, while Japan Tour-based Justin delos Santos struggled with a 75, falling to tied 62nd at 214 with four others, including local amateur Shinichi Suzuki, who shot a 72.