Pinay golfers trail by eight in World Am

MANILA, Philippines -  Princess Superal carded a one-under 71 but Miya Legaspi blew a fiery start and settled for a 72 as Team Philippines pooled a 143 and tied for 11th, eight strokes off a hot-starting Canada in the Espirito Santo Trophy of the World Amateur Golf Team Championships at the Karui East Golf Club in Karuizawa, Japan late Wednesday.

Superal, the reigning US Girls Juniors champion, missed a couple of birdie putts from six feet at the frontside of the Oshitate Course that features a finishing par-6 (733 yards) hole and stumbled with a bogey on the par-5 13th after gunning down back-to-back birdies from No. 11, finishing with a 37 and a 71.

The Pinay golfers hope to rebound in the second round of the 72-hole event with Superal, Legaspi and Pauline del Rosario tackling the Iriyama layout Thursday.

“They could’ve shot better but missed some birdie chances from close range. I just hope they settle down with their (putting) stroke and go under in the second round,” said national team and ICTSI coach Bong Lopez.

Legaspi, an Asian Youth Games gold medalist, bucked a bogey on No. 2 with four birdies in the next 10 holes but dropped three strokes in the last four, including a double-bogey on the par-5 15th and missed lifting Team Phl to a spot in the Top 10 of the 50-team field.

el Rosario rammed in two birdies at the back but made four bogeys, wound up with a 74 and didn’t count in the three-to-play, two-to-count format event which features the world’s leading amateurs.

Canada sizzled with a nine-under 135 and led reigning back-to-back champion South Korea, assembling a 137, by two while France stood in third with a 141.

Brooke Henderson fired a six-under 66 to lead Canada in team play while wresting a one-stroke lead over Korea’s So Young Lee in individual competiton. The Netherlands’ Ann Van Dam shot a 68 for joint third with Alison Lee of the US.

Superal stood too far behind at joint 20th while Legaspi was at joint 34th.