Tabuena wins Splendido Classic

YOUNGSTER Miguel Tabuena set the greens of the Splendido Tall Golf and Country Club on fire as he shot in a course-record 66 during the final round of the ICTSI Splendido Classic to claim the title by three strokes over Ferdie Aunzo yesterday in Tagaytay.

The win was the first for Tabuena on the local pro circuit since joining at age 16.

He set the wheels in motion at the very start, wherein he made a birdie-eagle-par-birdie combination. He then sealed the deal with two birdies at the back nine to finish with a total score of 209.

Aunzo, on the other hand, could not handle the pressure as he finished with a bogey-bogey-par-double bogey stretch for a 73-212.

It took Tabuena 18 tournaments to nail his first championship, a campaign previously highlighted by a fourth-place finish in Taiwan Masters last year, where he banked in P1.2 million.

Tabuena actually kicked off his bid in this kickoff leg of the 17-stage ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour with three straight birdies but wound up with a 72 before adding a 71 to trail Aunzo by four heading to the final round of the 54-hole tournament.

Aunzo, winless for the last two years, hung on to the lead with a solid 34 at the turn. But he bogeyed the next two holes, enabling Tabuena to tie and eventually take the lead./Correspondent Jonas Panerio