Superal humbles Rodriguez in Sherwood

PRINCESS Superal reinforced her status as the hottest amateur in the land today, closing out with a level par 72 on a rainy, challenging final round  yesterday to win the ICTSI Ladies Sherwood Championship by two shots over Cyna Rodriguez.

The 17-year-old daughter of a teaching pro made crucial pars that she needed in a neck-and-neck battle with Rodriguez in the back nine to finish with a six-under-par 210 for 54 holes over the ravine-filled layout to rule the circuit’s closing event for the second straight year.

Although not eligible for the P150,000 champion’s purse, Superal said stamping her class on the pros yet again was more than enough.

“My target was just to win low amateur honors, so winning it altogether is a bonus and a big boost to my game and confidence,” said Superal, the reigning US Girls Junior champion, who also won the tour’s Baguio stop last year.

Rodriguez started the day just one shot behind but fell behind by three after four bogeys in her first seven holes coming home. A birdie on the 18th proved meaningless since the third placer was also an amateur, South Korean expat Seong Jeong-eun, who fired a 73 for 214.

Amateurs Pauline del Rosario and Fil-Japanese Yuka Saso occupied the next two places, after a 73 and 72 gave them 216 and 218, respectively.

Saso was four shots clear of another Fil-Japanese, Chihiro Ikeda, who closed out with a 76 for 222 but still won the second place purse for pros.

Rodriguez lapsed into a series of bad shots that ultimately sealed her doom.

The well-built Rodriguez had a bad drive on No. 12, lipped out birdie putts on 13 and 15 before three-putting the 16th which ultimately spelled her downfall.

“Those missed birdies could’ve changed the outcome,” said Rodriguez, who nevertheless took the top P150,000 purse and the Order of Merit crown for the second straight year with winnings of P699,000.