Pinay golfers open bid in World Am

MANILA, Philippines - US Girls Juniors champion Princess Superal anchors Team Philippines’ opening day bid in the World Amateur Golf team championships, raring to slug it out with the world’s leading players in the Espirito Santo Trophy at the Karui East Golf Club in Karuizawa, Japan today.

“They’re in high spirits, they’re playing well and I’m sure they can handle both courses,” said Team Philippines and ICTSI coach Bong Lopez on the eve of the biennial event which gathers the world’s best amateurs in both the men’s (Eisenhower Cup) and the ladies sides.

Pauline del Rosario and Miya Legaspi complete the Phl clashing with Turkey and Austria at the start of the three-to-count format event with del Rosario pitted against Turkey’s Damia Bilgic and Austrian Lea Zeither at 8:25 a.m. and Legaspi taking on Sena Ersoy of Turkey and Nadine Dreher of Austria at 8:35 a.m.

Superal, the spearhead of Team ICTSI who became the first Philippine-born player to win the prestigious US Girls crown when she nipped Mexico’s Marijosse Navarro on the 37th hole in Arizona last July, tees off at 8:45 a.m. along with Turkey’s Elcin Ulu and Austria’s Leonie Bettel at the Oshitate course.

“They actually had a tough time during practice since it rained and we expect both courses to play longer than their 6,310 yardages because of the wet conditions,” said Lopez.

The 32-team field, divided into two, will switch courses tomorrow with the Philippines playing Iriyama layout Thursday.

The Pinay golfers posted their best-ever finish in the World Am in 2010 when the troika of Dottie Ardina, Chihiro Ikeda and Mia Piccio wound up joint eighth in Argentina. They actually moved to fourth in the second round but wavered in the last two rounds.

Korea ruled the last two stagings of the event and remains the team to beat.

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