Superal Santi Cup joint leader after a 72

JAKARTA – Princess Superal charged back with a closing 35 and salvaged an even par 72 as she tied Thailand’s Budsabakorn Sukapan in the lead and powered Team ICTSI-Philippines to second in the Santi Cup Golf Championship at the Emeralda Golf Club here late Tuesday.

The diminutive Superal played big coming home, birdying Nos. 15 and 16 to momentarily seize the solo lead before Sukapan birdied the par-5 17th to force a two-way tie in the individual lead in the ladies side of the Southeast Asian Amateur Golf Team Championships also known as the Putra Cup.

With Cyna Rodriguez and Jayvie Agojo adding a 74 and 75, respectively, the ICTSI-backed bets pooled a 221 aggregate and stood three strokes behind the hot-starting Thailand side, which assembled a 218.

Sarah Jane Ababa faltered on her way home after a 38 and hobbled with an 80 and didn’t count in the four-to-play, three-to-count format event which the Phl dominated in the first three days last year in Hong Kong before collapsing and losing by one to Thailand.

Malaysia scored a 224 for third followed by Indonesia (228), Singapore (234) and Hong Kong (242).

Superal birdied No. 3 to go one-under after five holes but bogeyed the next two holes then dropped another stroke on No. 14 before coming up with back-to-back birdies.

Rodriguez, the former Phl Ladies Open champion, rebounded from a 39 start with birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 but bogeyed two of the last six holes against a birdie and settled for a 74.

Agojo, priming up for her defense of the Hong Kong Amateur Open crown next month, had an even par card with a birdie on No. 10 but fumbled with three bogeys in the next four holes and wound up with a 75.

Meanwhile, Rupert Zaragosa III shot a 73 while Andres Saldana and Raymund Gonzales Jr. wavered with a 78 and 81, respectively, as the men’s team put in a 232 for fifth in a field of seven, trailing Singapore (217) by 15 strokes. Jobim Carlos skied with an 83 and didn’t count.

Thailand shot a 226 for second while Malaysia had a 227 and Indonesia made a 230 with Hong Kong and Brunei in the last two spots with 236 and 242, respectively.

Lloyd Go made a 74 but Gio Gandionco and Justin Quiban struggled with 78 and 79, respectively, as the Phl scored a 231 for third in the Lion City Cup paced by Thailand with a 222, eight shots ahead of Malaysia, which had a 230. Basti Lorenzo didn’t count with an 83.