MIGUEL Tabuena had a closing round 2-over-par 73 but still emerged a big winner after pocketing $125,000 for finishing at joint 45th place at LIV Golf New York that saw Joaquin Niemann score a wire-to-wire victory.
The 31-year-old Filipino star would have earned just the minimum $50,000 had he finished in the bottom 10 of the 57-player field, but an eagle on the par-4 3rd hole, his 12th in the shotgun-style format, provided the difference between a small and a bigger paycheck.
Tabuena finished just a stroke above 46th place which earned the $50,000 minimum.
This marks the second time that Tabuena is bringing home a huge paycheck, worth P7.6 million (before taxes) in local currency, as he continued to reap financial rewards from the league whose survival remains tenuous despite news that an investor has come in to keep LIV alive.
Tabuena’s previous big paycheck was last May during LIV Golf Virginia where he placed solo 25th and earned $195,000 (P11.8 million).
Tabuena posted a four-day total of 294, 10 over for the tournament but 26 strokes behind Niemann, who finished 16 under after a final round 2-under-par 69 to win by three strokes.
The win was Niemann’s ninth, making the 27-year-old the winningest in the league which has just one more tournament left in the season, the LIV Golf Indianapolis beginning August 20.
Niemann turned back the challenge of Harold Varner III who melted in the back nine after tying the Chilean for the lead after 11 holes.
But Varner bogeyed the 12th and Niemann sank a 58-foot birdie putt at the 13th to regain his two-shot advantage. The Chilean then practically clinched the title when he eagled the 15th.
Jon Rahm, meanwhile, won his third consecutive season-long Individual Championship despite a mediocre stint at Trump National Bedminster course which proved challenging for many stars.
Rahm, twice winner this year as well as a runner-up four times, shot a closing 5-over-par 76 and finished tied for 41st, his lowest position in 36 starts with LIV.
PGA Tour: Brennan earns FedEx Cup spot; Hoey ties for 25th
Michael Brennan shot a 6-under-par 64 to win the Wyndham Championship and earn his ticket to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
It was Brennan’s second PGA Tour title, but more importantly, it extended his season by making it to the postseason and the opportunity to earn more big bucks.
Brennan was at No. 105 at the start of the tournament and needed to win to advance. He did it in style as he started hot with five straight birdies to overtake Beau Hossler, who was one stroke ahead at the start of the round.
His run started on the fourth hole where he made his first of five birdies. By the time he reached the turn, he was five strokes ahead and on his way to victory.
Ben James, the No. 1 player from the PGA TOUR University, shot a 61 to finish third.
Rico Hoey completed his season with a final round 1-under-par 69 and finished tied for 25th.
It was not the ending Hoey had envisioned after a strong second round that saw him in fourth place when he shot 65. He shot 71 in the third round that basically ended his quest for a playoff spot.
US Women’s Amateur: Asterisk Talley crushes Iwanaga, 8 and 6, to win title
Asterisk Talley ended years of frustration by winning the US Women’s Amateur Championship on Sunday (Monday in Manila), beating Japan’s Anna Iwanaga, 8 and 6, in their 36-hole finale at the Honors Course in Tennessee.
Talley had to fend off not only Iwanaga but inclement weather for five straight days that suspended play, including Sunday’s championship round, before clinching victory.
Iwanaga had fought Talley on even terms in the early going, seizing the lead twice, but the American showed she was made of sterner stuff and took a three-point lead at the turn with a string of birdies.
Talley had six birdies against Iwanaga’s three.
She extended her lead to six with birdies on the 23rd and 24th holes and coasted from there.
"This pretty much completes my amateur career,” said Talley. “This is one of the biggest events to ever win, so I think this is going to be the top of my list from now on.”
The win erased the near misses for the 17-year-old American who memorably lost two championship matches to Rianne Malixi in 2024 when the Filipino star beat her in the US Women’s Amateur and the US Girls Junior.
Malixi, however, did not progress much in this tournament where she lost in the round of 32 in match play.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
