Superal turns from awesome to awful with 75

MANILA, Philippines — Princess Superal turned from awesome to awful as she lost her touch and rhythm under pressure, hobbling with a three-over 75 and ending up joint 16th in the Daikure Ladies Cup of the Japan LPGA Step Up Tour at the Kure Country Club in Hiroshima Thursday.

Superal grappled with her irons all day and hit just five greens in stark contrast to her near-flawless first round showing of 66 that netted her a share of the lead with local ace Miki Uehara for a clear shot at a first championship in the Japan LPGA Tour farm league.

“I never got nervous but simply lost it all, swing, touch, tempo and focus,” rued the former US Girls’ Junior champion, who instead wound up with a three-under 141 and finished joint 16th with five others, five strokes behind winner Kaori Shibuya.

Uehara also struggled and settled for a 72 and dropped to joint third at 138 behind runner-up Miyuki Takeuchi (68-137), enabling Shibuya to snare the crown at 136 after a 67 in the 36-hole tournament, the 13th leg of the circuit.

Superal, meanwhile, vowed to rebound when the next event – the San-in Joint Bank Duo Card – is held Aug. 28-30 at the Oyama Plain Golf Club in Tottori Preecture.