Superal captures first ladies crown by a shot

Princess Superal holds up her trophy. Photo from INQUIRER Golf

Under siege the whole day and with her short game suddenly going awry, Princess Superal Friday gutted out a one-over-par 73 to turn back Yuka Saso and Pauline del Rosario and win the Philippine Ladies Open championship for the first time.

Starting the day at Tagaytay Midlands with a comfortable four-shot lead, Superal struggled and went to the 18th hole tied with Saso and Pauline del Rosario, but closed out with a par 5 for a 214 that also gave the title back to a Filipino’s hands for the first time since 2011.

“It’s nice to finally win this tournament,” Superal said after the awarding ceremonies. “It is really an honor to be included in the roll of winners that are some of the very best the country has produced.”

Saso, a Filipino-Japanese, and Del Rosario, both found trouble off the tee with drives that went to a hazard on the right.

After taking a penalty and closing with a bogey for a 70, Saso caught Del Rosario at 215. Del Rosario three-putted the 18th for a similar 70.

Bong Lopez, Superal’s swing coach and the man in charge of the rock-solid ICTSI squad, also heaved a sigh of relief after his foremost ward finally won the title that has long eluded her.

“She wants this so bad,” said Lopez, who bared that Superal will try to win the US Amateurs one final time in August this year before heading directly to the US LPGA Qualifying School.

The win was the fifth straight for Superal, who ended 2015 with wins in Malaysia, Singapore and Jakarta then dominated the field to run away with the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open crown two weeks ago.