Superal advances in US Am KO stage

MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal fumbled with back-to-back bogeys from No. 12 and hobbled with a three-over 73, dropping to No. 15 at the close of the 36-hole stroke play elims of the US Women’s Amateur Championship at the Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, New York Tuesday.

Tied for eighth with a 70 after the first round, Superal reeled back with a double-bogey mishap on No. 7 then hit a birdie on No. 11 but the top ICTSI-backed bet tumbled down again with those bogeys.

She wound up with a 143 and shared 15th place with four others, including Sarah Burnham (69), Jiyoon Jang (71), Ember Schuldt (71), Portland Rosen (72) and Ashley Burke (72).

Bethany Wu, whom Superal toppled in the quarters en route to her US Girls’ Juniors victory in Portland last week, strung up a 69 and 68 to take the low medal honors in the qualifiers that drew 153 entries with the top 64 advancing to the knockout stage.

At No. 15, Superal drew No. 50 Raegan Bremer in one of the matches in the lower bracket of the 64-player draw with a victory pitting her against the winner in the Jang-Emma Talley duel.

While she expressed confidence of her chances this week, the 17-year-old Superal said it will boil down to putting in the knockout stages.

“I’m confident but at the same time I should really be focused on what I should do,” said Superal, who edged Mexican Marijosse Navarro on the 37th to become the first Filipino-born player to win the US Girls’ Junior crown.

“But I know it will come down to who putts well in the match play rounds,” said the Team ICTSI mainstay, the reigning SEA Games gold medalist and winner of junior titles in the Asia Pacific region.

Regina de Guzman, the other Filipina bet, wavered with a 78 after a 72 for a 150 and missed the cut by two.