He was number 430 in the world. Here’s why LIV Golf could be next

When miguel tabuena closed his final round, seven under 65, he won the International series Philippines On Sunday he dropped to his knees and pounded the turf. The 31-year-old had just scored the biggest victory of his career – and he did it on his home track in front of his family.

Tabuena shot three consecutive 65s to the top of a field that included Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Marc Leishman. That he did this a week after withdrawing due to neck cramps makes his victory all the more impressive. The victory was the fourth of his career, making him the most successful Filipino golfer on the Asian Tour. It also pushed him past the $3 million mark in career earnings on the Asian Tour.

“It’s really special. This is the biggest golf event the Philippines has ever hosted. To win it as a Filipino, in front of my people, is an incredible honor,” Tabuena said after securing the victory.

“My family and friends were there. My mother will be 60 in December and it meant everything to see me win. I just fell to my knees. It was hard to keep it together after such a long, emotional week. I had so many expectations – from others and from myself. This means everything.”

But Tabuena’s victory in his hometown could mean even more in a few weeks.

Tabuena entered the week ranked 430th in the Official World Golf Rankings. The victory took him to number 251 and now he is positioned for a shot at the biggest prize in the International Series – an exalted group of tournaments on the Asian Tour. Thanks to a partnership with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), the top player in the Order of Merit from the International Series gets a spot on LIV Golf for next season.

Tabuena’s victory at Sta. Elena Golf Club moved him up 46 places in the Order of Merit to No. 2, just 108.1 points behind Scott Vincent with three tournaments to play. Vincent was a member of the Iron Heads from 2022 to 2024 before losing his spot. He won the International Series Morocco event and finished second at the Jakarta International Championship, which will allow him to rejoin LIV unless Tabuena or someone else catches him.

For Tabuena, who was ranked 1543rd in the world at the end of 2022, the chance to work his way onto the breakaway circuit is now firmly within reach after his victory on home soil. He knows that finding a way to LIV could change everything for him.

“That’s obviously the goal, you know, we want to be at LIV Golf,” Tabuena said. “That was a big goal with my game this year. As of the beginning of this week, I didn’t have that in mind (I preferred to focus on the tournament), but to make it happen gives me so much confidence and belief in myself that I can actually win these events and hopefully next year.”

Last year, Joaquin Niemann finished the year first in the International Series standings, meaning no LIV Golf spot was awarded. However, Ben Campbell, who finished third, was signed by the RangeGoats after Thomas Pieters was traded to the 4Aces.

The next International Series event is this week at the LINK Hong Kong Open. The winner of the Hong Kong Open will also receive a spot in the 2026 Masters and the 2026 Open Championship, thanks to a recent change to the qualifying system by Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A. The International Series concludes with the Moutai Singapore Open on November 6-9 and then the PIF Saudi International on November 19-22.

If Tabuena doesn’t pass Vincent in the next three tournaments, he should still have a chance to earn a spot at the LIV Promotions event, the Q School tournament expected to take place at the end of the season in the breakaway league – although LIV Golf has not yet released a date for the event or any information on how many spots are up for grabs. There were three spots available in 2023, but LIV has reduced that to one in 2024. Henrik Stenson, who was relegated from LIV Golf after a poor season, is expected to be among the players teeing up at LIV Promotions in an attempt to force his way back into the circuit.