Staff WriterMiguel Tabuena is charging toward the season’s defining moment, and he’s doing it with the sort of gritty confidence that makes you think he might just drag a whole nation along for the ride.
Fresh off that roar-soaked victory at the International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus, Miguel Tabuena has become the heartbeat of Filipino golf on the world stage—and now he heads into the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers with two LIV Golf spots dangling like a carrot just out of reach.
Sitting third on The International Series Rankings, Tabuena knows exactly what’s on the line at the finale in Riyadh Golf Club from 19–22 November. His win on home soil vaulted him to second place, though Japan’s Yosuke Asaji nudged past him after a T2 in Manila and a win at the Moutai Singapore Open.
That’s the sort of late-season shuffle that would rattle most players. Tabuena isn’t most players.
He’s keeping the blinkers on, sticking to what’s worked all year. “It definitely wasn’t on my radar before the Philippines, but after that week at home, it certainly is now,” Tabuena said about the potential LIV Golf place next season. “Still, it’s not something I’m trying to force to happen.
“You can’t force these things – you just have to stick to your game plan, trust what works for you, manage your recovery, and let things happen naturally. You can’t force yourself to play well; you have to let it flow, be free out there, and just play your game.”
It’s that easygoing steel—rare, but invaluable—that’s kept him in the hunt. Since that emotional homecoming win at Sta. Elena, he’s stacked up a T21 at the Link Hong Kong Open with four rounds that looked like they came off a copy machine (66-67-66-67), followed by a T18 in Singapore at 12-under. Not fireworks, not collapse—just sharp, steady golf right when it matters.
Of course, he’s not the only one with a horse in this race. Scott Vincent, winner in Morocco and runner-up in Jakarta, sits on top of the standings. The 2022 champion is widely tipped to march back into the LIV Golf League after two seasons with Iron Heads GC. Behind him, the shuffle continues: International Series India champion Ollie Schniederjans in fifth, Jakarta winner Wade Ormsby in sixth, Kazuki Higa in tenth, and four current LIV players clogging the rest of the top ten.
And then there’s the kicker: the finale in Riyadh is no ordinary week. With elevated points in a US $5 million blowout, it’s the sort of event that can rewrite careers—whether you like it or not.
Beyond the two automatic LIV Golf berths, two more golden tickets await at the LIV Golf Promotions event in Florida this January.
Tabuena knows he’s right there. One more week, one more push, and the door swings open. He doesn’t need luck. He needs exactly what he already has—nerve, control, and a game that travels.
Encouraging? Absolutely. But the truth is simple: the next step is his to take.
