Solid 66 leaves Superal two adrift

MANILA, Philippines – Princess Superal turned in a bogey-free five-under 66 but chopped just one stroke off Inez Beatriz Wanamarta’s overnight three-shot lead as the Indonesian ace hung tough with a 67 in the second round of the 24th SICC/DBS Junior Invitational Golf Championship at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Bukit course late Wednesday.

Superal, coming off two victories in Sabah and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia late last month, hit two birdies at the front then drilled in three more in the last six holes to complete a solid 33-33 round for a 136 aggregate, counting her 70 in the opener of the 54-hole championship.

But Wanamarta fended off The Country Club ace’s charge with her own flawless 67 to remain on top at 134 heading to the final 18 holes of the event, second to last tournament of the ICTSI-backed Filipina campaigners for the season.

After four straight pars, Superal pressed her bid with a birdie on No. 5 but Wanamarta matched her rival’s second birdie on No. 7 then buried a five-foot birdie putt of her own on the eighth to remain three-up at the turn.

The two players continued to match shot-for-shot, putt-for-putt at the back, both birdying No. 13 before Superal closed out with two birdies in the last three holes against Wanamarta’s birdie on the 17th to move within two in their shootout for the Class A crown.

Southwoods’ Annika Cedo carded a 74 and moved to third but way behind at 148 while Abby Arevalo, also of TCC, limped with a 79 and tumbled to 10th at 155.

A down-to-the-wire finish also looms in Class B with TCC’s Sofia Chabon matching par 71 to force a three-way tie with erstwhile joint leaders Mikha Fortuna and Ribka Vania of Indonesia.

Chabon birdied No. 16 to save an even-par card and earned a crack at the crown at 146, the same output put in by Fortuna and Vania who both stumbled with one-over 72s.

Bernice Olivarez-Ilas, who shared the first round lead at 74, groped for a 75 and slid to solo fourth at 149, three shots off the pace while local bet Ou Yang Hua, who also shot a 74 in the first round, wavered with a 78 and fell to fifth at 152.