Superal wavers in US Am opener

MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal faltered in a frontside finish and hobbled with a three-over 75, falling below the cut-off line at the start of the 36-hole stroke play qualifying of the US Women’s Amateur Open at the Portland Golf Club in Portland, Oregon Monday.

Staying in the top 10 with a one-under card with four holes left, Superal lost her touch and poise and bogeyed Nos. 6, dropped two shots on the next and holed out with another bogey on the par-3 eighth of the long par-72 (35-37) layout.

Her closing 38 at the front and a 75 dropped her to joint 70th among the 156 starters chasing the top 64 berths in the knockout phase of the annual event which features the world’s leading and rising women’s amateurs.

Last year’s US Girls’ Junior champion actually survived a rollercoaster birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey start at the back with a run of pars and a six-foot birdie putt on No. 1 to join a host of others at No. 10. But after three pars and a flubbed birdie-putt from seven feet on the par-5 No. 5, Superal missed the sixth green and failed to return a long putt for par, hit an errant approach shot into the water off a stymied lie on the par-4 seventh for a 6 then three-putted the next.