Teen phenom Tabuena primed for ICTSI Philippine Open
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Teenage phenom Miguel Tabuena may only be 16 years old but he has already set his sights on settling an old score at the US$300,000 ICTSI Philippine Open next month.
The former amateur star will compete in his home Open for the first time as a professional at the venerable Wack Wack Golf and Country Club from May 12-15, 2011.
Asia's oldest national championship will make a welcome return onto the Asian Tour Schedule after a two-year absence during which the Philippine Open was held as a domestic tournament.
Last year, Tabuena jointly led going into the last round while he was still an amateur before finishing a creditable fourth as countryman Artemio Murakami claimed his first Open victory.
"I was tied for the lead going into the last day and finished in fourth place but it was still a good achievement. It is good that our Open is now an Asian Tour tournament as the local players will have an advantage playing at Wack Wack. You need to have a lot of local knowledge to play well on this golf course," said Tabuena.
A silver medallist in the Asian Games in China last year, Tabuena made heads turn when he earned his Asian Tour card, beating many seasoned pros, with a top-40 finish at the demanding Qualifying School in Thailand in January while still in the amateur ranks.
Golf is certainly in Tabuena's blood as both his parents were club champions and his liking for the game started as a two-year-old with plastic golf clubs. "I just started swinging the club naturally. I was born to play golf," said the bubbly Filipino.
Upon the encouragement of his coach Rick Gibson, a multiple winner in Asia, the youngster took the plunge into the professional world in February and has so far made two cuts out of two starts on the Asian Tour, finishing in the top-30 at the SAIL Open in India and the recent Indonesian Masters.
The rookie enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime when he played a practice round with current world number one Lee Westwood at the Indonesian Masters which ultimately gave him an insight of what he needs to become a world-class player.
"It was an honour to play with Lee. It is not everyday you get to play with one of the best players in the world. He is a very good ball striker and very down to earth. We talked more about football than golf," said Tabuena.
Westwood, who triumphed in the inaugural Indonesian event to reclaim his top ranking, was complimentary of the young talent. "He looks to be a very good player. He's very good considering he wasn't born when I turned pro!" said the Englishman.
One of Tabuena's early impressions of the Philippine Open was the 2002 edition when his coach Gibson claimed the title. In fact, he is tipping his mentor to contend next month.
"I didn't watch much of the Philippine Open but my most memorable Open has to be the one where my coach won. I think he will have a good chance of winning it again because he knows the course very well," said Tabuena.
Gibson, who was Asia's number one in 1991 and has lived in Manila for over 20 years, believes his young protégé could become the next big thing on the Asian Tour.
"He's like a 30-year-old touring pro on the golf course and a typical 16-year-old off it," said the 49-year-old Canadian.
"I like everything about him. He is quietly confident about what he does but he's taking it all in. He's like a sponge. When he played his first event in India, he was watching his partners and learning from them.
"I am sure he will be in contention this year and it's only a question of when he would win his first tournament on the Asian Tour," added Gibson.
The International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), which is in the business of acquiring, developing and operating container ports and terminals worldwide, is title sponsoring the Philippine Open.
The co-sponsors of the ICTSI Philippine Open include San Miguel Corporation (Official Beer), Globe Telecom (Official Telecommunications Provider), Lexus (Official Car) and HSBC (Official Bank) while Srixon (Official Golf Ball), Ricoh (Office Solutions Partner), BlackBerry (Official Mobile Partner), Splash Corporation (Official Personal Care Sponsor), Inetol (Official Headwear Supplier), Motorola (Official Radio Supplier) and Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria (Official Hotel) will support the event as official suppliers.
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