AN UNTIDY finish wiped out what began as a promising start for Miguel Tabuena, who shot a three-over-par 74 to fall to a tie for 49th place Friday after the second round of LIV Golf Mexico.
The Filipino wildcard, who started on the 13th hole of the shotgun-format tournament, scored three birdies and seven pars on his first 10 holes, but came undone when he bogeyed his 11th and 12th holes, and then totally lost it with two more bogeys and a double bogey in his last three holes.
In his last hole, the 12th at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City, Tabuena hit a wild tee shot, played out for his second, then his third shot landed in a bunker, blasted past the green, was on in five and two-putted for his seven at the par-5 hole.
When the dust settled, Tabuena, who was 39th place at the start of the round, was 15 shots behind new leader Jon Rahm who shot a four-under-par 67 for a 10-under total to grab the lead from Victor Perez who dropped to tie for sixth after shooting two-over-par 73.
Rahm, who shot an opening round six-under 65, leads three players tied at minus including a trio tied for second at 9 under, including Tom McKibbin, Matthew Wolff and Harold Varner III.
The sixth leg of the upstart league is being played under the shadows of possible defunding from its chief backer, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, which reportedly was contemplating pulling back from the league after pouring $2 billion over the past four years.
Meanwhile, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil told a broadcast partner that the league is only funded through this season, as its future remains very much in flux .
Also, O’Neil, in an interview with UK’s TNT Sports on Thursday, was asked whether the league would continue till 2030, said: “It’s just not the way the world works. We have commitments to have this be a going concern. The reality is you’re funded through the season, and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going.”
Bianca, Yuka in LA
Bianca Pagdanganan and Yuka Saso must have felt great and optimistic when the second round of the LPGA’s JM Eagle LA Championship Friday in Los Angeles, California.
And why not?
Pagdanganan shot four-under-par 68 in the first round, and Saso submitted a three-under-par 69. As they went up to the tee mound for their first drive, they must have thought the El Caballero course must be there for the taking.
Unfortunately, that did not happen. In what had been the story of their current and recent seasons, the two friends ended the day missing the cut - Bianca by one shot, Yuka by six.
Saso's departure can be rationalized easily. The player who is the youngest to win two US Opens, played like a weekend hacker, posting nine bogeys against a single birdie for an 80, five over par overall at 149.
Pagdanganan followed suit, scoring a 75 despite an eagle and going seven under par after three holes. Then no one saw what came afterwards.
Starting on the back nine, Pagdanganan bogeyed the 12th and then bogeyed three straight holes from the sixth, squandering a great start that included an eagle on the 11th.
Saso has missed nearly all her events, five in the current season, and perhaps could have missed all her seven starts if the other two had cuts.
This is the second time that she had missed the cut after shooting a 69 in the first round.
For Pagdanganan, 28, it was an opportunity missed. This is her first outing in the 2026 LPGA season and would have earned her significant points had she advanced to the weekend.
She is currently competing in the Epson Tour, the LPGA’s development tour, where she has played two events this season and made the cut in both.
Meanwhile, Sei Yung Kim shot her second straight 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over overnight leader Chizzy Iwai of Japan and Ina Yoon of South Korea.
Iwai shot a 68 after a first round 63, while Yoon scored a 64.
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.
