Miguel Tabuena and Tony Lascuña gear up for a title showdown in the ICTSI Riviera Classic firing off tomorrow (Wednesday) at Riviera’s Langer layout, both coming into the P1.5 million event in top form following decent campaigns in the Asian Tour last Sunday.

Tabuena and Lascuña bounced back from a pair of over-par opening rounds with a run of under-par cards in the next three days with the former closing out with a 69 to finish joint 16th at the Queen’s Cup topped by Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng. Lascuña shot a final round 68 to salvage joint 20th.

“It’s a good rebound from a poor 76 start,” said Lascuna, who shot two 69s before finishing with a four-under card at the Santiburi Samui Country Club in Koh Samui. “I just hope to sustain my form heading to Riviera.”

Tabuena, chasing a second leg win on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour after ruling the kickoff leg at Splendido, and Lascuña, still winless after racking up five victories in the ICTSI-sponsored circuit last year, head the cast in today’s (Tuesday) pro-am tournament of the seventh leg of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

They hope to re-familiarize themselves with the ravine-laced layout along with the other leading players on the circuit, including defending champion Elmer Salvador, Orlan Sumcad, Ferdie Aunzo, Marvin Dumandan, Mars Pucay, Jay Bayron, Joenard Rates, Arnold Villacencio and Frankie Minoza.

Charles Hong, winner of the circuit’s last leg at Luisita last month, begged off to honor a previous commitment to play on the Asian Development Tour.

Still, the fight for the top P270,000 purse is expected to be fierce in all four days with the par-71 layout tipped to provide a true test of golf for the competing field.

Nine Koreans, led by Park Jun Hyeok and Gyuha Park, are also in the fold, along with Japanese Yuta Sudo, who tied Tabuena at 11th at Luisita, South African Joshua Seale and Dutch regular Guido Van der Valk, all out to finally nail a victory on the tour.

Others in the fold are Clyde Mondilla, Rufino Bayron, Jun Bernis, Michael Bibat, Rene Menor, Zanieboy Gialon, Elmer Saban, Rey Pagunsan, Anthony Fernando, Jhonnel Ababa, Keanu Jahns, Dante Becierra, Jerson Balasabas, Rolando Marabe Jr., Mhark Fernando and Dino Villanueva.

Meanwhile, the circuit makes a return trip to Mindanao next week as it holds the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic on July 1-4 before the Apo Golf Club hosts the next stop, the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational, on July 8-11.