Aussies snatch World Am crown; Pinays finishes10th

MANILA, Philippines -  Princess Superal rallied with a two-under 70 as the Philippines finished 10th in the Espirito Santo Trophy of the World Amateur Golf Team Championships ruled by Australia in come-from-behind fashion at the Karui East Golf Club in Karuizawa, Japan late Saturday.

Superal bucked a one-over card at the front with three birdies in the last nine holes, including back-to-back from No. 15 at the tougher Iriyama course, as the top ICTSI-backed bet slowed down a bit after scoring a fiery 68 at the Oshitate layout in the third round.

Miya Legaspi, impressive with a 67 Friday, bogeyed No. 17 and settled for another 72 as Team Phl closed out with 142 for a 72-hole aggregate of 563 for 10th in a 50-team field that gathered the leading women’s amateurs in the world.

Pauline del Rosario, who led the country’s charge in the second round here with a 71, birdied the opening hole but fumbled with four bogeys the rest of the way and failed to count again with a second straight 75.

Superal, the reigning US Girls Juniors champion, also wound up with a seven-under 281 and ended up tied for 17th in individual competition with Legaspi finishing joint 22nd at 283.

The troika thus failed to at least match the country’s best finish at joint eighth in Argentina in 2010 on a team bannered by Dottie Ardina, Chihiro Ikeda and Mia Piccio.

Australia, with Minjee Lee and Su Oh firing 65 and 66, respectively at Iriyama, finished with sizzling 13-under for a 547 and edged three-day leader Canada, who had a 140 for a 549, for the crown, their first since topping the 2002 edition of the biennial event in Malaysia.

Korea, winner of the last two staging in Argentina and Turkey, placed third with a 550 after a 139, while Denmark took fourth with a 556 after a 138 followed by Sweden and UST, which finished tied for fifth at 557 after a 138 and 139, respectively.

Mexico wound up seventh with a 140 for a 560 while England and Japan tied for eighth at 562 after a 142 and 147, respectively.