Pinay bets eased out of US Am

MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal, Cyna Rodriguez and Clariss Guce all tumbled right in the first round of match play and bowed out of the US Women’s Amateur Championship at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina Wednesday.

Superal, who turned in a solid five-under 66 to finish in 10th place in the 36-hole stroke play elims, dropped a 3&2 loss to lower-ranked Alexandra Harkins while Rodriguez, who also rallied with a 67 to claim the No. 14 spot, fell to lesser-fancied Maria Fassi of Mexico via the same score.

Guce, who struggled to finish No. 49, lost to No. 16 Lori Beth Adams, 2-up.

Superal never recovered from a poor start of three straight bogeys and Harkins birdied No. 4 to race to a 4-up lead.

The 16-year-old spearhead of Team ICTSI did fight back and move to within one with a birdie and two pars after No. 10 but bogeyed the par-3 11th and Harkins birdied the par-5 15th to go 3-up again. The Illinois native matched Superal’s par on the 16th to clinch the win.

Despite yielding the opening hole, Rodriguez kept it close against Fassi, falling two holes after No. 7 but bouncing back with a birdie on No. 11. But the Filipina bet dropped two strokes on the next and Fassi eagled the No. 15 and parred the next to complete the 3-up win.

In contrast, Guce blew a 2-up lead after six holes as she fumbled with two bogeys in the next four holes, enabling Adams to square the match. They matched pars in the next four but Guce bogeyed No. 15 and Adams capped her comeback with a last-hole birdie for a 2-up win.

Low medalist Yumi Matsubara held off Bianca Fabrizio, 2&1, but Laure Wearn pulled off a 3&2 upset win over second seed Allisen Corpuz.