Just days after his emotional victory at Sta. Elena — a win that cemented him as the most successful Filipino golfer on the Asian Tour — Miguel Tabuena is back to work. No hangover, no complacency, just focus.

“Well, maybe a little hangover,” he laughed. “I wear a Whoop band, and my recovery was like 2 percent on Monday because I had a few drinks with the family. But I think we deserved that.”

That celebration was short-lived. The 31-year-old has since flown to Hong Kong for the next leg of the Asian Tour’s International Series, where he’s hoping to carry over the same fire that powered him to victory at home.

“It’s a totally different week,” Tabuena said. “Everyone starts at even par again. There’s still stuff that needs to be done — preparation, recovery — but the neck is almost 100 percent. I’ve got my full team here this week and next week, so we’re going to give it our best and make a big push. It’s within reach, but you can’t be complacent. You can’t get ahead of yourself.”

Calm under pressure

Tabuena’s win at Sta. Elena was as much a mental triumph as it was physical. Asked how he stayed calm in front of an emotional home crowd, he said something clicked inside him that week.

“It was weird,” he recalled. “My heart rate was the highest during my first shot on Thursday — 170 beats per minute — and then it was low the rest of the week. Somehow, I felt so much at peace. Like I was wearing blinders, just focused on what’s in front of me.”

Even when the galleries swelled with friends, family, and young fans cheering him on, he stayed locked in.

“I saw so many familiar faces walking down the fairways,” he said. “It was overwhelming, but I reminded myself — just focus on the next shot. That was the key.”

Turning the corner

For Tabuena, the Sta. Elena win was a breakthrough long in the making.

“Before that, my best finish in the International Series was third in Qatar last year,” he said. “But Sta. Elena was probably one of the hardest tournaments I’ve ever played, mentally and physically. It gave me so much confidence — that even with that amount of pressure and expectation, I can still perform.”

That realization, he said, freed him from the fear of failure.

“It made me realize I belong on the world stage,” Tabuena said. “At 31, this is probably the peak of my career. My goal now isn’t just to win as many tournaments as possible, but to stay healthy, trust the process, and be a better person off the golf course. The records will come if I stick to what I can control.”

Looking ahead

As he heads into the Link Hong Kong Open this week, Tabuena is keeping things in perspective.

“This is probably the strongest International Series field,” he said. “But I’ve played well here before, and I just want to stay emotionally stable, like last week.”

He also shared a brief but meaningful moment with Taichi Kho, the young Hong Kong star who won last year’s event.

“He congratulated me on the putting green a few hours ago,” Tabuena said. “I told him I know exactly what he’s feeling. I wished him peace and good luck. It’s an amazing journey we’re both on.”

Tabuena doesn’t make bold predictions — that’s not his style. But if his calm focus and self-belief are any indication, the Filipino star’s story may just be entering its next great chapter.

“I was put in that position for a reason,” he said. “All I can control is how I prepare, how I react, and how I handle my emotions. The rest — I just let it happen. Last week, the stars aligned. And somehow, I came out on top.”