November 23, 2025 | 11:27am
MANILA, Philippines — Almost – but not quite.
Miguel Tabuena stood on the precipice of one of golf’s most exclusive and lucrative stages, poised to break into the rarefied air of the LIV Golf League. For hours, the dream felt real, tangible, within arm’s reach.
But in a cruel twist familiar to anyone who has ever battled pressure on the back nine, he watched the door swing open before slamming shut on the weight of a few costly miscues.
Tabuena closed with a two-under 69 and settled for a share of 11th at 13-under 271 in the Saudi International – a finish that looked, for one electric stretch, like it would become his passport to a historic season in LIV Golf next year.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Josele Ballester delivered the kind of closing round that wins big-time championships, firing a bogey-free 65 to post a commanding 22-under 262. He claimed the $1-million top prize by three shots over Caleb Surratt, who finished at 265 after a final-round 69.
Carrying the hopes of an entire nation, Tabuena walked into Riyadh Golf Club anything but overwhelmed. He needed a blistering start to give life to what many saw as a long-shot bid for one of two coveted LIV League spots. He delivered instantly. Three birdies in his first four holes – driven by flawless tee-to-green execution – catapulted him into contention and into the running for the magic position he had targeted all week.
Calm, focused and unshaken by the magnitude of the moment, Tabuena looked every bit like a man who belonged among the giants gathered at the $5-million finale of the Asian Tour’s International Series.
From a precarious No. 12 in the season rankings, he suddenly rocketed into a share of fourth on the leaderboard – the exact position he needed. And with Yosuke Asaji missing the cut, Tabuena surged past his Japanese rival in the projected standings, climbing to No. 2 at 293.96 points against Asaji’s 285.30.
Just like that, the dream was no longer a dream. It was right there. Within reach. Within a swing or two of becoming Filipino golf history.
If his breakthrough win in the International Series Philippines had announced his rise, this run – under immense pressure, against the strongest field he had faced all year – felt like destiny taking shape.
But golf, in its cruelest form, never stops demanding perfection.
As birdies erupted across the course, Tabuena’s early fire cooled, his momentum slowly stalling. Then came the unraveling. At the par-5 12th, a hole he had conquered the previous round, he overshot the green and watched his ball trickle into an unraked sand trap – a terrible lie at the worst possible time.
His third shot barely escaped the trap. The resulting bogey was more than just a dropped stroke – it was a surge of hope deflating.
With six holes left, the climb suddenly looked steep again. From joint fourth, he slid to joint 10th– the live projections tightening uncomfortably.
He steadied himself with two pars before overshooting the par-5 15th, again into the backside bunker. This time he escaped cleanly, blasting to four feet and converting the birdie. But even that only pushed him into a share of sixth – still short of the points he needed.
Then came the shot that changed everything. At the firm, unforgiving 16th, his approach landed on the green but bounced hard and rolled off the surface. He chipped on but failed to save par.
Just like that – the bid dimmed again.
But he fought to the very end. On the par-3 17th, he hit the green only to watch his ball spin back to the fringe. His chip for birdie held promise before breaking left. On the last hole, he missed the green, came up short on his chip, and left himself with a treacherous 15-footer – but he drained it, abrave curling putt that dropped in slow motion.
He smiled, but the smile carried the sting of knowing he had been a handful of swings away from history.
In the furnace of a back nine where legacies are often forged, Tabuena confronted the brutal truth of golf’s finest stages: talent opens the door, but resolve must carry you through. The pressure was immense. The margins razor-thin. The stakes historic.
And still, through heartbreak, Tabuena proved he belonged. Not as a hopeful. Not as a regional standout merely happy to contend. But as a complete competitor – hardened by struggle, fueled by national pride and capable of standing eye-to-eye with the world’s best.
This time, he fell short. But not by much. And certainly not in a way that dimmed what he showed the world – the Filipino spirit burns bright even in golf’s toughest arenas.
Tabuena will return. And when he does, the lessons – and the fire – from this near-miss may yet shape the chapter where he breaks through.
