MANILA, Philippines – Needing a blast to crash back into contention, Princess Superal did just that, scoring 10 Stableford points on a blistering bogey-free five-under round to jump from joint 50th to seventh halfway through the fourth Thailand Mixed in Samut Prakan, Thailand Friday.
Thai Atiruj Winaicharoenchai also hit five birdies against a bogey for a second straight nine-point output. He thus grabbed the lead with 18 points over Chaiyasit Chaiyachot and former LPGA Tour campaigner Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, who posted six points apiece for joint second with 16 points heading to the last 36 holes of the Bt3 million championship at the Thana City Country Club.
But it was Superal who made the biggest surge in the day. The recent winner of the inaugural Asia Pacific Cup in Jakarta bounced back from a mediocre two-point showing Thursday with five birdies worth 10 points for a 12-point aggregate, six points behind in the overall race but just four points adrift of Santiwiwatthanaphong in the battle for the women's diadem.
Arpichaya Yubol pooled nine points also shot five birdies against a bogey for nine points and a 14-point total for joint fourth with Naras Luangphetcharaporn and Vanchai Luangnitikul, who carded nine and six points, respectively.
After a two-birdie, two-bogey round while trying to get her game going in the first day, Superal settled down and hit her stride in a backside start in the second round. The ICTSI-backed ace birdied Nos. 14 and 15 then added three more on Nos. 2, 7 and 9.
The points are based on the number of strokes taken at each hole with the albatross (double eagle) worth 8 points, eagle 5 points, birdie 2 points, par 0, bogey -1, and double bogey or more -3.
Superal hopes to sustain her form in the third and put herself in title contention Sunday.
She is also set to vie in the SAT-TWT (Thai Women’s LPGA) $7 on August 31-September 2 and the BGC Thailand Masters on September 7-9.