Superal falters after fine start, trails by eight

MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal put to naught a fine start with a shaky windup, settling for an even par 72 and dropping to joint 29th in the Suntory Open paced by pro Mizusu Narita at the Rokko International Golf Club in Hyogo, Japan Thursday.

Superal, who skipped the Philippine Amateur Closed Championship back home to honor a rare invitation to play in one of the legs on the Japan LPGA Tour, birdied three of the first six holes in impressive fashions to join the early frontrunners. But the top ICTSI-backed bet lost her touch and rhythm at the back, hobbling with a 39 and falling eight shots behind Narita, who sizzled with an eight-under 64.

The 17-year-old Filipina ace was the second best amateur in a field of 12 after Mayu Hosaka, who shot a one-under 71.

Superal, coming off a victory in the Singapore Amateur Open and the Philippine Junior Championship in the last three weeks, also hit a birdie on No. 9 to negate a missed-green bogey mishap on seventh.

But she opened her backside stint with back-to-back bogeys, missing a couple of birdie putts inside six feet in the next four holes before dropping another stroke on the par-3 16th.

Narita turned in a flawless round of 64 to post a two-stroke lead over Sun Ju Anh and Esther Lee, who both had 66s, while Saki Okamura and Mamiko Higa carded similar 67s.