Princess Superal, Gio Gandionco rule the roost

Princess Superal shot a four-over-par 76 in the final round to romp away with the girls’ crown, and Gio Gandionco carded a 73 to capture the Class A boys’ title as the Philippines finished with a flourish in the second Montecillo Junior Golf Championships in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Superal wound up with a 72-hole total of 291 to beat Thailand’s Benyapa Niphatsophon, who closed with a 75 for 297 at the Palmer course of the Orchard Golf and Country Club.

Gandionco, a member of the champion Cebu Country Club in the recent PAL Interclub in Davao, had a 288 total, two clear of Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsiang’s 74-290.

Leading by seven after 54 holes, Superal just coasted along on the final day of the tournament organized by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines.

Superal and partner Bianca Pagdanganan (77) of Team Philippines II lost the team plum by one shot to the Thai duo of Benyapa and Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras, 598-597.

Gandionco and Raymart Tolentino were also pipped by Thais Chanachok Dejpiratanamongkol and Sarit Suwannarat.

The Gandionco-Tolentino tandem pieced together a 151 for 594, seven off the 587 of Chanachok (76) and Sarit (73).

Other winners: Christopher Popp (73-224), Mikhaela Fortuna (76-231) in Class C; Josh Jorge (78-235), Bernice Olivares-Ilas (71-216) in Class D.