Miguel Tabuena [main picture] has made history after being confirmed as the first player from the Philippines to earn full-time status on the LIV Golf League, following a standout rise through The International Series – the upper-tier level of events on the Asian Tour.

The 31-year-old will compete throughout the 2026 season as a Wild Card, beginning this week at LIV Golf Adelaide – which starts today at The Grange Golf Club.

Tabuena’s journey reached a turning point with a breakthrough victory at the International Series Philippines last October, which helped him finish the season in third place on The International Series Rankings.

After making a successful debut as a substitute for 4Aces GC in Riyadh last week, his pathway from The International Series to the LIV Golf League is now complete as he officially joins the league

He said: “This is really huge for me, my goal last year was to win an International Series event, and I did it. That win opened up so many opportunities, including playing bigger events like the Saudi International, and it also gave me a real chance to push for promotion.

Miguel Tabuena celebrates after winning the International Series Philippines last year. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

“This opportunity also proves that The International Series is a real pathway to LIV Golf. I didn’t earn the automatic spot straight away, but I played well across the season, and the LIV team saw that. It shows that if you compete on the Asian Tour and perform in The International Series, doors can open, even for players coming through Q School.”

The four-time Asian Tour winner will join a growing crop of International Series and top performers from the Asian Tour who have earned full-time LIV Golf cards for 2026, including Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, Yosuke Asaji from Japan, Canadian Richard T. Lee and Björn Hellgren from Sweden.

Tabuena’s announcement comes alongside further major news for 4Aces GC, with former Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim from the United States confirmed as a full-time team member for the 2026 season under captain and countryman Dustin Johnson.

Kim made five International Series starts in 2025 as he pushed for a return to the League, before sealing it with one of three Wild Card spots at LIV Golf Promotions in January.

The American also credited his time on The International Series with helping sharpen his form as he worked his way back into top-level competition, reflecting positively on his experience competing in Asia and the growing strength of the fields.

Miguel Tabuena.

Miguel Tabuena’s Additional Quotes

Q: Miguel, congratulations — you’re now a full-time LIV Golf player. How did you find out?
Tabuena: It was completely random. LIV’s Player Relations team called me early in the morning, around 7am, and I was actually still asleep! They told me they’d been trying to reach me all morning.

Then they told me that because I was the highest finisher in The International Series Rankings last year outside of the automatic exemptions, they wanted to offer me the Wild Card spot for the entire season after Anthony Kim has moved to 4Aces GC. I honestly couldn’t believe it.

Q: You finished third on the Rankings last year and are clearly being rewarded for that?

Tabuena: Definitely. The top two in The International Series Rankings got automatic spots, and I finished third, so I was the next highest-ranked player. They wanted to reward a player who competed in The International Series all year and performed consistently.

I’m really glad I finished third, because it shows that every event matters and that the Rankings truly mean something.

I played strongly at LIV Golf Promotions and just missed out, but everything worked out in the end. Sometimes you need a setback before something bigger comes along. The key is not giving up and staying committed.

Q: Now that you’ll be playing a full LIV season, do you still plan to compete in The International Series events this year?

Tabuena: Yes, absolutely. I want to play Japan for sure, and I think it’s Japan, then a week off, and then Mexico.

I’m the kind of player who needs to keep competing. I can’t just show up at a LIV event and expect to play well, these guys are honestly on another level. To stay sharp and tournament ready, I need to keep playing.

As long as I stay healthy and plan the schedule properly, I think I’ll play most of The International Series events this year, if not all of them.