Determined to bounce back from a disappointing outing in Taiwan, Miguel Tabuena came out swinging with a sizzling five-under 65 in the opening round of the Jakarta International Championship at the Damai Indah Golf PIK Course on Thursday.
Displaying renewed focus and confidence, Tabuena navigated the par-70 layout with precision, stalking early clubhouse leader Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand, who surged ahead with a stunning 64.
Tabuena stood just two strokes behind in a tie for fifth, part of a tightly packed leaderboard chasing the lead heading into Friday’s second round.
Starting his round on the back nine, Tabuena made an early charge with birdies on three of his first eight holes. A bogey on the par-4 18th briefly stalled his momentum, but the two-time Philippine Open winner steadied the ship with a string of pars across the front nine.
He had a chance to move closer to the lead but dropped another shot on the par-4 eighth, settling for a 65.
Despite the missed opportunity, Tabuena’s round was marked by solid ball-striking and a sharp short game. He hit 12 fairways and 13 greens in regulation, while needing just 26 putts – including three scrambling pars – to keep him in the early hunt.
It was a promising start for Tabuena, who is looking to regain consistency after missing the cut at last week’s Taiwan Masters. That followed a strong joint fifth-place finish at the Yeangder TPC, also in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Suteepat Prateeptienchai took advantage of near-perfect scoring conditions to post the early lead with a scorching 63. The Thai golfer carded eight birdies, five of which came on the front nine, to offset a lone bogey on the par-4 15th.
He grabbed a one-stroke clubhouse lead over Roberto Lebrija, Chang Wei Lun, and Wade Ormsby, who posted identical 64s
For his part, Justin Quiban also looked poised for a hot start after opening with three birdies in his first five holes. However, inconsistency crept in on the back nine, as he surrendered three bogeys and managed only one birdie to sign for a one-under 69 – leaving him trailing the early frontrunners.
Young prospect Sean Ramos was also making waves in the afternoon wave. He birdied two of his first five holes after starting on the back nine as posting time, and looked to build momentum as the round progressed.