FOR Miguel Tabuena, playing LIV Golf Virginia and placing solo 25th was like hitting the lottery. The Filipino ace took home $195,000, or a whopping P11.8 million, for four days work at the Trump National Golf Course in Washington D.C.
He was tied for 20th at the start of the final round, which means more payout if he had held the spot. But after settling for a 1-under-par 71 in the final round, he dropped five rungs lower.
Still, the take home pay was the grandest for the 31-year-old Filipino star who had a string of poor finishes that made many wonder when his best game would surface.
Tabuena avoids big numbers
It took a while but after six of seven LIV Golf legs, Tabuena finally avoided ruinous big numbers to secure his best finish - and biggest paycheck - since tying for 44th place in the league’s second leg in Adelaide, Australia last February where he won $88,500.
He actually was homing in on a much stronger finish. He was three under for his round, but two closing bogeys on the third and fourth holes, his 16th and 17th holes in the shotgun-style format, derailed his best intentions.
With LIV’s existence in doubt, after its Saudi backers announced it is withdrawing its financial support, Tabuena’s mini-surge is significantly fattening his bank account.
The league is expected to continue doling out its fantastically huge prize of $30 million ($20 million for the individual competition, $10 million for team events) for each of the remaining six tournaments.
And many players are trying to make the most out of its doubtful survival, including Lucas Herbert who turned back the spirited challenge of Sergio Garcia to win the tournament and the $4 million winner’s check.
Herbert shot a 3-under-par 69 to beat Garcia by four shots and score his first win in the league.
Garcia was solo second at 20 under after a final-round 70, with Bryson DeChambeau third at 19 under following a closing 6-under 66. Dean Burmester finished fourth at 18 under, and Josele Ballester rounded out the top five at 17 under.
EPSON TOUR: Bianca Pagdanganan ties 10th after 67
Bianca Pagdanganan shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 on Sunday and tied for 10th place at Epson Tour’s Reliance Matrix Championship in Las Vegas.
It was her best finish this season in both the Epson Tour and LPGA Tour where she is also competing when granted available spot.
Her score was a brilliant follow-up to her third-round score of 7-under 65, likely giving her confidence in her next campaigns.
Pagdanganan was 14 under for the tournament on total of 274 and won $5,063.
Cholcheva Wongras of Thailand won the title by five strokes after shooting 67 giving her a total of 262, 26 under par, a new tournament record.
The Thai, who is a rookie, capped her victory with an eagle on the 18th hole for her first Epson Tour title.
Clariss Guce tied for 17th after firing her second straight even par 72, and was at 11 under, while Dottie Ardina finished at 6 under and was tied for 41st.
The other Filipino in the tournament, Pauline del Rosario, had a final round 74 and settled for T48.
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