Superal peerless, completes 8-shot win

BAGUIO – Princess Superal staked her claim as one of the country’s leading amateurs, whipping the field with a three-day display of flawless golf for a whopping eight-stroke victory over Chihiro Ikeda in the P500,000 ICTSI Camp John Hay Ladies Philippine Golf Tour at John Hay here yesterday.

Not only did Superal rout the pro field and a slew of fellow amateurs with a 17-under 190 but also beat them in style, finishing without a bogey in the 54-hole tournament which served as the final leg of the five-stage ladies pro circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

After virtually wrapping up the crown with a splendid 14-under 124 after 36 holes for an eight-shot lead over Ikeda and fellow amateur Pauline del Rosario, Superal played it safe by settling for pars in the first seven holes but resumed what she does best all tournament long – hit birdies.

She knocked down her first for the day on the eighth, added another on No. 10 then gunned down her last on No. 12 – all from eight feet, while missing 11 birdie chances inside seven feet.

“I really tried to make birdies today but they just won’t fall in,” said Superal, who capped her flawless stint with perhaps her most pressure-packed putt in three days – a 10-foot par save on the par-5 17th off the greenside bunker.

With the title secured as early as Wednesday, focus shifted to the battle for runner-up honors with Ikeda outlasting Del Rosario in a down-to-the-wire finish. Tied at eight-under overall with three holes left, Ikeda birdied Nos. 16 and 17 then watched Del Rosario fall by the wayside with a double bogey on No. 17 to seize solo second at 198 and the top purse of P100,000.

Del Rosario, who holed out with a birdie, wound up third at 200 after a 68.

Superal and Del Rosario’s 1-2 finish also underscored the country’s leading amateurs’ superb form contrary to what the local golf body and sports commission’s claim that there’s a dearth in talent in women’s golf, thus forcing the Philippines not to send a ladies team to next month’s SEA Games in Myanmar.

“It’s pure hard work. Princess, Del Rosario and their teammates have been training and working hard not only to improve their respective games but also to build up stamina for tough courses like John Hay,” said Team ICTSI coach Bong Lopez.

Absentee Dottie Ardina and Cyna Rodriguez split the first four legs of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. but both also didn’t see action in two legs although Rodriguez took the Order of Merit honors with a final round rally of five-under 64.

Rodriguez’s birdie-birdie finish shoved her past Jayvie Agojo for solo fourth, snatching the P70,000 runner-up prize with a 206. Agojo slid to fifth at 207 after a 68 worth P45,000. Rodriguez also finished the OOM derby on top with P270,000 in earnings with Agojo, who had two third and three fifth place finishes, wound up with P257,000.

But it was Superal who emerged the most consistent, losing by just one to Ardina in the kickoff leg at The Country Club, and placed third in Cangolf and Wack Wack before dominating the final leg of the circuit backed by Nike Golf, Pacsports, Gatorade, Sharp and Custom Clubmakers,

Thai Amolkan Phalajivin bounced back with a 66 and placed sixth at 209 worth P36,000 while amateurs Sam Bruce (72) and Mikaela Fortuna (75) came in seventh and eighth with 211 and 214, respectively.

Lucy Landicho wound up ninth with 215 after a 72 and took the fifth prize of P32,000 while amateur Abby Arevalo shot a 72 to tie Apple Fudolin (69) and Lovely Guioguio (71) at 216.