Southern Ladies: Princess Superal top pick

Princess Superal sets out as the player-to-beat when the 51st Southern Ladies Open golf championship presented by the MVP Sports Foundation gets going Wednesday at tree-lined Apo Golf in Davao.

Playing in her first tournament since ruling the US Junior Girls championship, Superal will be gunning to win the event for the third straight year against a field that includes her teammates from The Country Club.

The layout will test the mettle of the lean field as the organizing National Golf Association of the Philippines has set the course to more than 6,000 yards.

Not only will Apo demand length off the tees from the participants, but it will also ask every player to be able to shape her shot as errant shots that go into its tree-lined roughs could prove costly.

Abegail Arevalo, a 15-year-old who is also coming off a triumph in the junior circuit in the United States, is also in the field together with Sam Martirez, Yuka Saso and another TCC standout in Sofia Chabon.

But all eyes will be on Superal, who beat Mexican national champion Marijosse Navarro in the 37th hole of their title match three weeks ago in Florida.

The TCC squad, being coached by Bong Lopez, flew into town Sunday afternoon and had two practice rounds over the layout.

The  event is also part of the NGAP’s PLDT Group Amateur Tour and is being backed by Casino Filipino-Davao.