Super Princess: SEAG queen Superal leads Pinay golfers golden sweep

NAY PYI TAW – Young Princess Superal, who has won so many national and international tournaments she has lost count, became the youngest queen of the Southeast Asian Games with her scintillating conquest in women’s individual event which also helped the Philippines annex the team gold in the golf competitions of the 27th SEA Games yesterday.

On a clear sunny day over the three-year-old par-72 Royal Myanmar golf course, the 16-year-old Superal kept a steady par in the first nine holes and held sway at the backside to preserve a six-shot victory with an even par 72 (36-36) to win the individual gold medal with a three-day total of 210.

Second was Myanmar’s Yin May Nyo with 216 while third was Indonesian Tatiana Jaqueline Wijaya with 217.

Her aggregate score with Mia Legaspi and Kathy Briones gave the team a cumulative three-day total of 428 for the team gold, making up for the loss of Rupert Zaragosa, Jobim Carlos and Justin Quiban in men’s individual and team competition.

Silver medal went to Myanmar (439) and the bronze to Thailand (440).

“It’s just hard to do what they did, but they tried their best and they did it,” said national women’s coach Carito Villaroman. “We thank all those who believed in us and gave us the chance to be here.”

For a team that was not expected to go to the SEA Games and not expected to win a medal, the victory was sweet vindication. The Filipinas worked their way up from the first round, gained ground in the individual and team events in the second and never relinquished it against opposition from host Myanmar and chief rival Thailand and Indonesia.

It was a victory reminiscent of similar exploits by Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin and Dottie Ardina and company in previous editions of the biennial meet.

But even as Superal had won many tournaments – she couldn’t remember how many because all these were in her i-phone 4 which was stolen from her golf bag on the fairway – going into final round that produced jitters on the eve of the final round.

“I woke up at 3:28 and was not able to go back to bed again,” said the second year high school student on a home study program and the spearhead of Team ICTSI, the golf program of Ricky Razon and handled by coach Bong Lopez.

The moment she made a par in the seventh hole, Superal knew she didn’t have anything to worry about and went on to finish the front side with a decent 36 to formally claim the title.