PRINCESS Superal charged back with a 35 to salvage an even par 72, tying Thailand’s Budsabakorn Sukapan in the individual race and leading the Philippines to second in the team classification in the Santi Cup Golf Championship Tuesday at the Emeralda Golf Club in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The diminutive Superal played big on the back nine, birdying Nos. 15 and 16 to momentarily seize the solo lead before Sukapan birdied the par-5 17th to force a tie for the lead in the ladies side of the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships also known as the Putra Cup.
With Cyna Rodriguez and Jayvie Agojo scoring 74 and 75, respectively, the team pooled a 221 aggregate and stood three strokes behind the hot-starting Thailand side, which assembled a 218.
Sarah Jane Ababa hobbled with an 80 and didn’t count in the four-to-play, three-to-count format event.
The Philippines is eyeing redemption after last year’s slip-up in Hong Kong where the Filipinos dominated the first three days only to collapse and lose by one to the Thais.
Malaysia scored a 224 for third followed by Indonesia (228), Singapore (234) and Hong Kong (242).
Superal birdied No. 3 to go one-under after five holes but bogeyed the next two holes then dropped another stroke on No. 14 before coming up with back-to-back birdies.
Rodriguez rebounded from a 39 with birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 but bogeyed two of the last six holes against a birdie and settled for a 74.
Agojo, priming up for her defense of the Hong Kong Amateur Open crown next month, was even par through 10 holes but fumbled with three bogeys in the next four holes and wound up with a 75.
Meanwhile, Rupert Zaragosa III shot a 73 while Andres Saldana and Raymund Gonzales Jr. wavered with a 78 and 81, respectively, as the men’s team put in a 232 for fifth in a field of seven, trailing Singapore (217) by 15 strokes. Jobim Carlos skied with an 83 and didn’t count.
Thailand shot a 226 for second while Malaysia had a 227 and Indonesia made a 230 with Hong Kong and Brunei in the last two spots with 236 and 242, respectively.
Lloyd Go made a 74 but Gio Gandionco and Justin Quiban struggled with 78 and 79, respectively, as the Philippines scored a 231 for third in the Lion City Cup paced by Thailand with a 222, eight shots ahead of Malaysia. Basti Lorenzo didn’t count with an 83.
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