Miguel never sought out greatness; it found him anyway
CABUYAO—Miguel Tabuena started hitting golf balls at one year and eight months old. He made his first television appearance on the defunct Martin After Dark of famous cousin Martin Nievera when he was three, just to show this traditionally non-golfing country that someone so young could be so good at the game.
Anyone who saw him then would have thought he was being groomed for greatness.
But that was farthest from what his parents, Luigi and Lorna, aimed for when raising him.
“We’ve been telling him—even very recently—that ‘if this (professional golf career) is something you don’t want, then we are with you,'” Luigi told the Inquirer, minutes after the celebration of Miguel’s International Series Philippines win died a bit on Sunday afternoon at Sta. Elena here.
“He was never forced into playing golf, he was never groomed for greatness,” Luigi added. “He simply loves the game, [and that started] from the time when we were watching tournaments on betamax and VHS tapes, you remember those?”
But greatness found Miguel anyway. And with his latest caper against a world-class field, he now has the distinction of being the first Filipino to conquer such a talented tournament.
And even if his parent did not set him out for it, Miguel is in line, to becoming the greatest Filipino to ever play the game.
Lorna still is contented without want any of that. Not that the entire family isn’t happy that Miguel is now an IS champ, a three-time Asian Tour winner and possibly the first Filipino to make the much-lucrative LIV Golf circuit.
Those, Lorna said, are temporary.
“I want him to know that he is an ambassador for God,” Lorna said. “I’ve been telling him: ‘Miguel, your person and your character are more important than anything else.
“It (his faith) is his life, it’s his lifestyle,” Lorna said. “God has to be glorified and honored with this win. It’s Him. It’s His perfect timing. It’s all because of Him.”
That may be the case, as Miguel, in a previous interview, sought for one thing before the rich event started last Wednesday.
“Please keep praying for me,” Miguel asked the Inquirer that day.
He did what he needed to on the course in the next four days, with an adoring throng whispering prayers for him along the way.
