Fiery back nine nets Superal joint 2nd in Asia Pacific Cup golf tourney

MANILA, Philippines – Princess Superal used a blistering backside assault to shoot a six-under 66 and gain a share of second with world No. 4 Lydia Ko of New Zealand. She finished just a stroke behind two-time major winner So Yeon Ryu in individual competition while steering the Philippines to joint second in team play at the start of the Asia Pacific Cup at the Pondok Indah Golf Course in Jakarta, Indonesia Thursday.

Straying midway of the 44-player starting pack with a one-birdie frontside card, Superal mounted her charge with three straight birdies from No. 10 in windy conditions, drained another on the 15th then found herself right in the mix with a closing birdie on the par-5 18th set up by a brilliant approach shot that rested within three feet.

“I played consistently, especially with my drives. I also hit solid iron shots and my putting clicked at the back as I made a couple of up-and-down saves to preserve by bogey-free card,” said Superal, who finished with 24 putts, including a tough par-save on No. 5.

But while Superal sizzled with a fiery closing 31, Epson Tour campaigner and ICTSI teammate Pauline del Rosario sputtered with three bogeys in the last nine holes, including on No. 18, ending up with a 75 as the Philippines slipped to joint second with Japan in team competition with a three-under 141 aggregate.

“I didn’t expect anything but I was trying my best to shoot under par,” added Superal. “But we’ll do our best to win.”

Del Rosario put in a decent two-birdie, two-bogey card after nine holes but lost her rhythm at the back, leading to bogeys on Nos. 10, 15 and 18,

“My first nine was consistent but I missed more fairways and greens at the back that made it difficult to score,” rued del Rosario, who tied for 12th in Four Winds Invitational of the Epson Tour last weekend.

Ko actually turned in a more explosive finish, holing out with a birdie-eagle feat to churn out her version of a 35-31 at the par-72 layout, whose tricky surface bedeviled the games of the rest of the 44-player cast with only nine players able to break par.

But Team Korea 2 rose to the challenge as Ryu fashioned out a bogey-free 65 (34-31) round to wrest control in individual play while teaming up with Bomee Lee, who also shot a solid 67, to put the team way out in front by nine at 12-under 132.

The Philippines and Team Japan 2 matched 141s for joint second with New Zealand slipping to fourth as Ko’s teammate Momoka Kobori faltered with a 76 for a 140.

Team Thailand 2, made up for Patcharajutar Kongkraphan and Saraporn Chamchoi, assembled a 143 for joint fifth with Team Korea 1 as world No. 8 Hyo Joo Kim struggled with a three-birdie against one double bogey and a bogey card for a 72 and You Min Hwang shot a 71.

Superal is coming off a break following an exhausting campaign on the Thailand Ladies PGA and Thai Women’s PGA marked by two runner-up finishes, including a playoff setback to Aunchisa Utama in the Thai LPGA Championship last May.

The former US Girls’ Junior champion actually didn’t get that much respite as she had to undergo intensive training with swing coach Bong Lopez at the Manila Southwoods while doubling up in sharpening her short game and putting for the inaugural championship that features team and individual competitions.

After going through the 16-team, 44-player roster, Superal’s excitement grew even more upon seeing the two players in the current Top 10 world rankings.

“I was very excited (to play) when I found out the Ko and Kim would be playing. I really wanted to see them play, learn from them and see how they play the course,” said Superal.

The 54-hole event, the second of a series of tournaments on the Ladies Asian Tour following the season-opening DB Group 36th Korea Women’s Open last March, offers a prize purse of $500,000 in team play and $250,000 in individual competition.

The individual champion will receive $100,000 while the runner-up will get $57,500.

Unlike Superal, Ryu, the 2011 US Women’s Open champion and winner of the 2017 Chevron Championship, banked a blistering start to take command, birdying three of the first four holes then closing out her big frontside with two birdies in the last three. The six-time LPGA Tour winner slowed down a bit at the back with two birdies, the last matching Superal’s last-hole feat to seize the solo lead at 65.

With teammate Bomme Lee also producing a solid 67, including closing back-to-back birdies, South Korea moved to dominate the team play, posting a combined 12-under 132 for a whopping nine-shot lead over Japan and the Philippines.

Kokona Sakurai shot a 70 while Maria Shinohara carded a 71 for a 143.

Other tournaments on the LAT schedule are the KRW 1,500,000,000 Hana Bank Group Championship next month and the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open in December.