Superal player to watch in Asia Pacific Cup

MANILA, Philippines — The second Simone Asia Pacific Cup unfolds today in Indonesia with defending champion Princess Superal expecting a heightened level of competition despite the absence of major champions but with world No. 9 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka adding a touch of star power to the 56-player roster.

The Filipina outshone luminaries like New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, Korean Hyo Joo Kim and Hinako Shibuno of Japan for her maiden pro championship worth $100,000 in last year’s inaugural, winning by three over former US Women’s Open champion So Yeon Ryu of Korea.

But the 26-year-old Superal anticipates a more challenging competition with Thailand and Korea fielding an impressive lineup of players eager to dominate both the individual and team championships.

The 54-hole tournament, put up by the Asia Golf Leaders Forum to advance the development of women’s golf in the Asia Pacific region, offers not only a substantial total prize of $750,000 but also carries the allure of world ranking points.

Flanking Superal are fellow Filipinas Bianca Pagdanganan, Dottie Ardina and Daniella Uy.