Smells like a big Sunday in Santa Elena. The third round of the International Series of the Philippines has left us with a three-way tie with a taste of the Asian Tour. A claim of their own against the luxury guests from LIV Golf. Sampson Zheng (62), Miguel Tabuena (65), and Sarit Suwannarut (69) share the lead at -17. One stroke behind is the Japanese Yosuke Asaji, while three strokes back is Dean Burmester (-14), the best representative so far of the wealthy Saudi league this week.
Zheng signed the round of the day —of the tournament and almost of his life— with a 62 (-10), a result that changes your stride: eight birdies, four of them in a row from 14 to 17, and an eagle. As often happens in this type of round, golf flowed easily. “I didn’t do anything super special; I hit many greens, left many close, and the putts went in. The second shot on 8, a 4-hybrid to seven metres, gave me the boost,” explained the 24-year-old Chinese player, who has been showing his potential in recent times (second in the Indonesia Open and fourth in the International Series of England last season).
Tabuena, the soul of the tournament at home and a classic of the Asian Tour, thrilled the crowd with two eagles —on the par 5 of the 3rd and on the 16th— the day after his hole-in-one. It’s his week. He plays with a blue ribbon in memory of his friend Paolo “Paowee” Tantoco and talks about letting the golf flow rather than focusing on numbers: “I wanted to get into that state and execute my plan without looking at the scoreboard. I did it.” This Sunday, he will seek his big celebration in front of his people.
Sarit, who had opened a gap with -14 in 36 holes, lost ground with a more human 69: five birdies and two bogeys, one on the par 5 of the 8th. Painful. The kind that makes you fall back a lot. “I didn’t find the driver like the first two days, and the pins were tougher. It’s time to focus on the number to win because here anyone can shoot -10 and pass you,” said the Thai player, a two-time champion of the International Series.
Behind, waiting for a slip from the leaders are Yosuke Asaji (-16), Dean Burmester (65), and Kazuki Higa (68) at -14, or Gaganjeet Bhullar (-13) opening the second row. Marc Leishman (65) also made it into the top-10 with -12. A Sunday with fireworks everywhere.
The International Series of the Philippines —the sixth “elevated” event of the Asian calendar— is a showcase and springboard towards 2026, and much was expected from the LIV names, often required to play these tournaments to fulfil their contracts with PIF. Burmester is the best placed (T5, -14) and Leishman has climbed to -12; Patrick Reed (-9) fell to T19 after a 71 and Dustin Johnson signed a 68 to sit at T25 with -8. Among those absent for the weekend, key figures did not make the cut, such as Oosthuizen, Anthony Kim, or Horsfield. The only Spaniard present at this event, Eduard Rousaud (-1), also did not make the cut. He was two strokes short.
Who is Sampson Zheng?
Beyond the 62 delivered this Saturday, the leader has a unique trajectory: he represents China but grew up in Japan, is trilingual, studied at the University of California, Berkeley, won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball 2023 alongside Aaron Du, and this summer secured his ticket to the Open Championship on the same day he turned 24.
Santa Elena Golf Club (Robert Trent Jones Jr.) debuts in the International Series with TifEagle greens and a setup that rewards precise hitters and good putters. Remember that the leader of the International Series ranking will earn a full LIV card for 2026, an extra incentive. Currently, the standout leader of this ranking is Scott Vincent, followed by Lucas Herbert and Wade Ormsby.
