Superal breathes down neck of Thai titlist

ANTIPOLO—Defending champion Supamas Sangchan of Thailand grabbed the lead with a 2-under-par 70 yesterday but Princess Superal came out of nowhere to take second, just two shots behind, after two rounds of the 2014 Champion Infinity Philippine Ladies Open Golf Championship here.

Sangchan rallied from three strokes down with a steady game, hitting four birdies against two bogeys as she took a step closer to retaining the crown she won in dramatic fashion at Mt. Malarayat last year with a 141 aggregate.

“I need to play steady again since it’s not easy to play the course,” said Sangchan, who outlasted Dottie Ardina on the sixth playoff hole to rule the event presented by Champion Infinity.

But the Thai ace faces a tough challenge as Superal made her move after a woeful opening 75 with a 68 behind a four-birdie binge on the back nine.

At 143, the SEA Games individual gold medalist and the current toast of Philippine golf stayed on track to adding the country’s premier women’s amateur title to her growing list of victories.

Pauline del Rosario, impressive with a 68 Wednesday, hobbled home with a 76 but the 14-year-old Junior World champion last year remained in the hunt at 144 going into the final round of the 54-hole championship organized by Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines and sponsored by Peerless Products Manufacturing, maker of Champion Infinity.

“I have to play a whole lot better in the final round,” said Del Rosario.

Superal had two birdies against a double-bogey on the front nine before waxing hot with three straight birdies from No. 11 and another on the 16th.

“It was quite windy but it actually did not matter,” said Superal, winner of nine tournaments last year, including the final leg of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour. “The greens, though, were a lot faster today.”

Tied for fourth at 149 were Thais Pannarat Thanapoonbolyaras (72) and Sherman Santiwiwattanaphong (73) and Malaysian Michelle Koh (72).