US Women’s Am elimination: Superal cards 70

Newly crowned US Girls’ Junior champion Princess Superal matched par 70 to tie for eighth with three others, four strokes off Australian Oh Su-Hyun at the start of the US Women’s Amateur Championship eliminations at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, New York, Monday.

Superal hit two birdies against the same number of bogeys to finish with a pair of 35s, dropping four shots off Oh after the first round of the 36-hole stroke play qualifier among 153 hopefuls from all over the world.

Superal, who nipped Mexico’s Marijosse Navarro on the first sudden death to clinch the US Girls’ crown last July 27 in Arizona, is one of the USGA champions in the fold with the 17-year-old Team ICTSI spearhead joining Americans Grace Na and Angel Yin and Celine Boutier of France at No. 8.

“It’s a good start and I don’t feel any pressure as coach Bong (Lopez) keeps telling me to just enjoy the moment,” said Superal.