Superal, Malixi gather steam for Junior Worlds

Two rising Filipino stars primed up for this week’s Junior World as Eagle Ace Superal and Rianne Malixi ruled their respective age-group divisions in varying fashions in the 12th FCG (Future Champions Golf) International Championship at Singing Hills Golf in El Cajon, California last Friday.

Superal showed some spunk and pulled through in a pressure-packed finish, hitting a clutch birdie on the par-5 No. 7 for a huge three-shot swing to salvage an even-par 71 and foil Chinese-Taipei’s Chun-Wei Wu by three in the girls’ 13-14 division with a 141 total.

Wu, who double-bogeyed the seventh, closed out with a 74.

Malixi earlier completed a wire-to-wire triumph in the 11-12 play as the reigning Philippine Amateur Open overall champion fired a 69 and 71 for a 140 and routed US-based Thai Natrada Pongsasin (70-74) and Arianna Lau (71-73) of Hong Kong by four.

Wu matched Superal’s opening 70 and the duo, teeing off at the backside of the par-71 Willow Glen, remained tied with eight holes left in the 36-hole championship before the Taiwanese pounced on The Country Club mainstay’s bogey on No. 2 to take command.

But after both traded bogeys on No. 5, Superal birdied the par-3 No. 6 from six feet and surged ahead as Wu three-putted for bogey.