Staff WriterIf there was ever a day when golf’s gods decided to turn up the heat, it was moving day at the International Series Philippines. Under the sweltering skies of Sta. Elena Golf Club, China’s Sampson Zheng caught fire with a flawless 10-under-par 62 — a round so red-hot it could’ve melted his putter — to storm into contention heading into Sunday’s finale.
The 24-year-old, who’s yet to notch a win on the Asian Tour, was in sublime touch, holing eight birdies and an eagle on the par-five eighth. It wasn’t showy golf; it was disciplined, clinical, and utterly relentless. “I just hit a lot of greens and made a lot of putts. I honestly didn’t feel like I did anything super special, but I just stuck to the game plan,” said Zheng, whose best finish to date is a tied second at the Mandiri Indonesia Open.
By the time he walked off the 18th green — having calmly two-putted from 45 feet to save par — Zheng found himself part of a three-way tie at the top with local favourite Miguel Tabuena and Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut. The trio sits one shot clear of Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, with LIV Golf’s Dean Burmester and Japan’s Kazuki Higa lurking just behind at 14-under.
Tabuena, playing with the emotional weight of a blue ribbon in honour of his late friend Paolo “Paowee” Tantoco, turned the fairways into a homecoming party. The Filipino star carded a bogey-free 65 that included two eagles — on the par-five third and 16th — both struck with the precision of a man playing for something more than a trophy.
“To be honest, I totally forgot my score out there. I was just cruising and found myself in a real flow state,” Tabuena said. “I haven’t played in front of that many people in a long time. It just makes it even more special that it’s happening here at home. Hopefully, I can get the job done tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Sarit Suwannarut — a two-time International Series champion — found himself grinding rather than gliding. After 16 birdies in his opening two rounds, the Thai star could only add five on Saturday, giving a couple back with bogeys, including one on the par-five eighth. “It was a tough day,” he admitted. “I didn’t hit my driver as good as the first two days, and the pins were a little bit tougher. So, I’ll say overall solid, but not as good as I wanted.”
Still, Sarit knows a thing or two about pressure. “I feel the same as I did in Macao,” he said, referring to last week’s near-miss. “The number I have to shoot to be able to win, I’m just going to focus on that and try to do my best to outplay the other guys. Someone could shoot 10-under again and jump up the leaderboard. But yeah, I’m going to play my best, and let’s see what happens.”
While Zheng, Tabuena, and Sarit prepared for their Sunday showdown, the tournament’s marquee names were quietly plotting from the shadows. Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson posted a four-under 68 to climb to eight-under, while his 4Aces GC teammate and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed slipped to nine-under after a 71.
Zheng’s breakout round was built on rhythm rather than fireworks. “My second shot into eighth was probably the best shot I hit all day,” he said. “I hit a four-hybrid to 24 feet and the eagle gave me a lot of momentum. It got me from two-under for the day to four, and just kind of got the snowball rolling from there.”
He may have described it modestly, but make no mistake — his 62 was the kind of round that rewrites the script of a tournament. With the leaderboard tighter than a drum and the home crowd firmly behind Tabuena, Sunday’s finale at the International Series Philippines promises the kind of closing act golf fans live for: fire, finesse, and a fair bit of local pride.
Presented by BingoPlus, the International Series Philippines is the sixth stop on the 2025 Asian Tour schedule — and judging by Saturday’s fireworks, it might just be the best show of the season.
