Singson rallies late, ties for 23rd in China; Superal makes cut in Japan

MANILA, Philippines — Mafy Singson staged a gritty comeback in the closing stretch to card a one-over-par 73 and secure a share of 23rd place at the China Golf Women’s Legacy tournament, won by local amateur standout Zining An at the Poly Chengdu Golf Club in Sichuan, China on Friday.

The ICTSI-backed Filipina looked headed for a disappointing finish after stumbling to four-over through 10 holes, but regained her rhythm late with a string of birdies that highlighted her resilience. Singson birdied Nos. 14 to 16 to finish with a 39-34 card and a 54-hole total of 209.

Singson had opened her campaign in dazzling fashion, firing a bogey-free 65 in the first round to share the early lead with Chinese amateur Shiyuan Zhou. But she cooled off in the second round, carding a 71 on a three-birdie, two-bogey performance that saw her slip to a share of fifth, two shots behind new leader Yanhong Pan.

Her final round proved turbulent. After seven pars, disaster struck with a double bogey on the par-5 No. 8, followed by back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes. Although she responded with a birdie on the 11th, she gave the stroke back with another bogey on 13.

But her late surge — highlighted by a birdie on the par-3 14th and back-to-back red numbers on the following two holes — helped her salvage what could have been a far worse outcome.

Despite the late stumble, Singson’s overall performance marked a promising turnaround. She was coming off back-to-back missed cuts at the ZF.Kove Chongqing Women’s Open and the Beijing Women’s Challenge, making her strong start in Chengdu a welcome sign of resurgence.

Her top-25 finish, while short of expectations set by her opening round, showed that Singson remains a contender and continues to build on her potential on the international stage.

Over in Japan, Princess Superal continued her struggle to regain peak form but managed to make the cut after a second consecutive one-over-par 73 in the second round of the Twinfields Ladies Tournament at GC Twin Fields on Friday.

Superal, still looking to bounce back after a string of missed cuts on Japan’s Step Up Tour, showed early promise with a birdie on the opening hole. However, her momentum was derailed by a double bogey on the par-4 fourth. She rebounded with another birdie on the ninth to make the turn at even-par, but a bogey on the par-3 14th resulted in her second straight one-over par card, giving her a two-day total of 146.

Despite the up-and-down round, the Filipina golfer, whose campaign is also supported by one of the world’s leading port operators, did just enough to secure a spot in the final round, finishing in a tie for 27th place, eight strokes off the leader. The cut was set at 150

Japan’s Reina Maeda slowed with a 71 after a fiery 67 but held sway at the lead with a six-under 138, one stroke ahead of Tsugumi Miyazaki, who rallied with a 68 for a 139 in a tie with Asuka Minayoshi, who carded a 70, while Sakura Kito stayed within striking distance at 140, also after a 70.