Tabuena trails by 5 in New Zealand Open

February 27, 2025 | 12:45pm

MANILA, Philippines -- Miguel Tabuena strung together three straight birdies from No. 11 en route to a two-under 69, but the Filipino ace found himself five strokes behind a red-hot Kevin Yuan of Australia and Korea’s Guntaek Koh, who fired scorching 64s to set the early pace at the New Zealand Open on Thursday.

Tabuena, playing at the Coronet course, stumbled with a bogey on No. 5 but rebounded with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 13. However, he lost momentum on the closing holes, settling for pars the rest of the way to finish with a 35-34 at the par-71 layout.

The tournament is being contested over two courses, the other being the Remarkable layout, in the $2-million event, the third leg of this year’s Asian Tour after the Philippine Open and the International Series India.

With low scores dominating the leaderboard, Tabuena dropped into a tie for 54th alongside 22 others, including former Asian Tour No. 1 Jazz Janewattananond, Australians Brad Kennedy and Jack Thompson, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho.

Meanwhile, Justin Quiban showcased an aggressive approach at Remarkables, carding six birdies. However, five bogeys marred his round, leaving him with a 71 and a share of 78th place with three rounds left in the 72-hole championship.

Yuan sizzled with a bogey-free 64 to seize a share of the lead with Koh, who highlighted his 31-33 round with an eagle-2 on No. 13, six birdies, and a lone bogey on No. 9.

Trailing by one stroke were Travis Smyth, Elvis Smylie, Lucas Herbert, and James Marchesni, who turned in 65s, while 13 players posted 66s, underscoring the high level of competition and setting the stage for an intense battle over the next three rounds.