Champ boots out Superal

MANILA, Philippines - Emma Talley pounced on Princess Superal’s shaky backside stint and fashioned out a 3&1 victory in their Round of 32 duel, cutting short the Filipina’s bid to add the US Women’s Amateur Championship crown to her US Girls’ Junior feat two weeks ago.

Superal actually took a 1-up lead with a birdie on No. 7 but could only keep it up to the next hole as Talley, winner here last year, birdied No. 9 to force an all-square match. The Kentucky native then took the lead after Superal bogeyed No. 10 and went 2-up with a par on No, 13.

The top ICTSI-backed bet tried to fight back but just couldn’t make the putt, missing a couple of birdie chances from seven feet on Nos. 14 and 15 before yielding the match when Talley birdied the 17th.

Talley, however, failed to sustain her charge and bowed to second seed Oh Su-hyun of Australia, 9&8, in the afternoon Round of 16 match.

Despite her early ouster from the world’s premier women’s amateur championship, Superal succeeded in becoming the first Filipino-born player to win the US Girls’ Junior crown, nipping Mexican Marijosse Navarro on the 37th hole in Portland two weeks ago.

The other quarterfinalists were No. 33 Hannah O’Sullivan, who nipped Augusta James after 20 holes; No. 8 Grace Na, who beat Lauren Kim, 2-up; No. 13 Brooke Henderson, who upset No. 4 Dylan Kim, 3&2; No. 5 Allison Lee, who edged No. 44 Eimi Koga on the 19th hole; No. 39 Kristen Gillman, who upended No. 10 Casey Danielson, 5&3; No 3 Andrea Lee, who eased out No. 14 Jessica Porvasnik, 4&2; and No. 11 Eunjeong Seong, who outlasted Liv Cheng on the 19th hole.