Miguel Tabuena believes his game is ‘close’ to the form that delivered his breakthrough home victory at the International Series Philippines, after positioning himself firmly in contention heading into the weekend at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
The 31-year-old carded a composed three-under-par 69 in the second round to move to seven-under, sitting seven shots behind leader Caleb Surratt but very much within striking distance in the final tournament of The International Series schedule.
Currently third on season-long Rankings race with 232.28 points, Tabuena is chasing a big finish to significantly strengthen his chances of securing one of the two coveted places on the 2026 LIV Golf League.
A closing birdie on the 18th capped another encouraging day.
“Yeah, I felt like I hit it well all day. Just didn’t hole as many putts as I wanted to. To end with a birdie is always good,” he said. “I’m still there. There is still a chance with two days left… All I wanted was a chance and I got one.”
With Japan’s Yosuke Asaji - second on the Rankings - missing the cut, the door has opened wider for Tabuena if he produces a high finish.
But the Filipino star insists he is keeping his focus tight.
“Just with the clarity… I believe if I play good golf it’ll take care of itself. I don’t want to think too much about results. Just focus on what I can control - my process - and see what happens.”
Asked whether his game is close to the level he showed to secure an emotional home win in front of a partisan home support at Sta. Elena last month, he didn’t hesitate: “It’s close. It’s close. I believe I still have two good rounds in me to see how far I can get.”
With a host of LIV Golf players at the top of the leaderboard, Tabuena knows the weekend will demand smart but fearless golf.
“If I’m in position to play aggressive then I will. There are definitely some risk-reward holes here, so you have to take your chances. You have to go deep the next two days and see what happens.”
The PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers event marks the final stop of the 2025 International Series schedule.
The top two non-exempt players on the season-long rankings will earn direct entry into the 2026 LIV Golf League, while those finishing inside the top 40 will advance to January’s LIV Golf Promotions, where another two golden tickets will be awarded.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of a set of elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings Winner & Runner-Up promotion to the LIV Golf League.
