Superal vows to rebound in Tagaytay

MANILA, Philippines — Princess Superal has taken her botched comeback bid at Manila Southwoods in stride and will instead use the setback as motivation when she sets out for the ICTSI Champion Tour at Tagaytay Midlands beginning Wednesday.

“I’m super excited to play in Tagaytay since I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do in the final round at Southwoods,” said Superal, referring to the rain-halted event at Southwoods that saw Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung run away with the crown after only 36 holes.

Superal fired a second round 68 to pull within four of Wirairungreung but the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. decided to cancel the final round due to inclement weather and unplayable playing condition, handing the crown to the Thai ace.

But with the weather expected to improve this week, Superal looks forward to completing an unfinished business in the $75,000 event, the last of the two-leg ICTSI Champion Tour sanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA.

“I’m confident and I hope to sustain my form at Midlands,” added the former US Girls’ Junior champion, who is actually seeking a third crown in this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, including a record-setting 16-stroke romp over Cyna Rodriguez in the ICTSI Tagaytay Highlands Challenge last March. She then ruled the Riviera stop the following week.

But the up-and-down Midlands layout, with its hazards and unpredictable putting surface, could pose a tougher challenge not only for the country’s leading player but also the rest of the stellar international field, including Wirairungreung and her fellow Thai campaigners Supamas Sangchan, Chonlada Chayanun and former Philippine Ladies Masters titlists Saranporn Langkulgasettrin and Renuka Suksukont.

The crack Taiwanese delegation is also out to assert its might and stamp its class with Chen Min-Jou and Hsin Lee, the Nos. 3 and 2 players, respectively, on the TLPGA Order of Merit ranking out to improve on their joint 12th and 27th finishes at Southwoods, respectively.

Focus will also be on amateur sisters Hou Yu-Chiang and Hou Yu-Sang, who turned in a remarkable joint runner-up and solo fifth effort, respectively, last week, along with Indonesians Dea Manhendra and Tatiana Wijaya, Koh Sock-Hwee and Amelia Yong of Singapore, Japanese Mayumi Chinzei and Emi Komoda and Minami Levonowich of the US.

Meanwhile, Superal and a select number of pros team up with officials and guests of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZGm PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf, in tomorrow pro-am tournament.