Super finish nets Princess runaway win

MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal bucked a shaky start with a strong windup, beating Japanese Minami Hiruta by three and winning the Under-21 crown of the Faldo Series Asia with a closing 70 at Mission Hills’ Faldo course in Dongguan, China yesterday.

Superal, 18, blew an overnight one-stroke lead with bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 but leaned on a big three-shot swing on No. 12 to regain control before fending off Hiruta’s late charge with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 to clinch the victory, staking her claim as one of the region’s top players.

“I’m happy with this victory but it was tough out there. Minami just wouldn’t give up. I just kept on going and cashed in on her mishap on No. 12,” said Superal, who trailed the Japanese ace by two at the start of the 54-hole tournament then surged ahead with a gutsy two-under 70 Thursday.

She went 2-up after Hiruta fumbled with an opening hole bogey but dropped into a tie with those back-to-back missed-green bogeys from No. 2. The top ICTSI-The Country Club bet struck with a birdie on No. 6 to regain control but the Japanese countered with a birdie on the par-5 10th to draw level.

But Hiruta hit a wayward drive on the par-4 12th, needing to play out before reaching the green in four and two-putting for 6.

In contrast, Superal split the fairway and hit a superb 8-iron shot from 140 yards within 10 feet, which she drilled in to storm ahead by three.

Hiruta tried to press her fightback with a birdie on No. 15th but Superal fought back with her birdie on the next before closing out with a bogey-birdie for a 37-34 card and clinching the three-stroke win.

It was Superal’s second straight victory abroad after running away with the Spring Junior crown in Los Angeles last month. She, however, fell short of her title bid in the ICTSI Ladies Tour of the Taiwan LPGA, losing by one to Korean Hwang Ye-nah last week.

Sofia Chabon, meanwhile, ended up joint sixth in the Under-16 class, finishing with a second 77 for a 228, seven strokes behind Japanese Yumi Kudo, who nipped Chinese Yan Liu and New Zealand’s Brooke Hamilton in the countback to snare the crown.

Kudo carded a 74 while Liu and Hamilton had 75 and 77, respectively, for identical 221s.