Tabuena steals show with birdie blitz at ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth - Asian Tour

Tabuena steals show with birdie blitz at ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth


Perth, Australia, February 14: Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena went on an amazing seven-hole birdie blitz to set the early pace with Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth on Thursday.
The Filipino started his round with seven straight birdies and added another on the 18th hole to reach the turn in 28, which matched the Asian Tour’s record for the lowest nine-hole score in relation to par.
Tabuena then got to nine-under-par after 10 holes with another birdie on the first hole to lead by five shots at that stage.
But he dropped two shots on holes five and nine before signing for a seven-under-par 65 which was still enough to keep him in the share of the first round lead with Reitan, who is playing in his rookie season on the European Tour.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell posted a 67 to share third place with England’s Ricahrd McEvoy while India’s S.S.P Chawrasia also opened his accounts promisingly with a bogey-free 68 to trail Tabuena and Reitan by three shots in tied-fifth place at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club.
The six-time Asian Tour winner credited his putting where he made a total of 28 putts to put himself into an encouraging position on the leaderboard after day one.
Did you know?
  • Miguel Tabuena matched the lowest nine-hole score of 28 (-8) in relation to par on the Asian Tour.
  • He is the second player to start with seven straight birdies on the Asian Tour, after Thailand’s Danthai Boonma achieved a similar feat at the TAKE Solutions Masters last year.
  • The Filipino is a two-time Asian Tour winner. He won his National Open in 2015 and added another victory last year when he lifted the Queen’s Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation last year.
  • He also notched three top-10s to finish in 16th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings in 2018.
  • When he won his first Asian Tour title on home soil in 2015, he became the first Filipino to win his National Open since 2008 at just 21 years old.
  • He was a silver medalist winner in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010.
  • Kristoffer Reitan is playing in his rookie season on the European Tour.
  • He came through all three stages of Qualifying School at the end of 2018 and was the only amateur to earn a European Tour card from Qualifying School that season.
  • S.S.P. Chawrasia has missed the cuts in his first two events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
  • His last victory on the Asian Tour came in 2017 when he won the Hero Indian Open

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