MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal charged back with late birdies to card a one-under 70 but trailed Indonesian Inez Beatriz Wanamarta by three at the start of the 24th SICC/DBS Junior Invitational Golf Championship at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Bukit course late Tuesday.
Superal, chasing a third straight victory in the last four weeks, birdied the last two par-3s from long range to negate a bogey on the par-5 No. 4 on a wayward drive, giving her a 36-34 card at the tight par-71 layout.
But the top The Country Club bet stood three shots behind a hot-starting Wanamarta, who gunned down three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 4 then survived a roller-coaster backside stint of three birdies against two bogeys for a 32-35 round.
Sam Martirez, also a TCC mainstay, birdied three of the last five holes to salvage a three-over 74 for third while teammate Abegail Arevalo hobbled with a five-over 76 and fell by nine in Class A of the 54-hole tournament which lured some of the region’s leading and rising junior golfers.
Bernice Olivarez-Ilas hit three birdies but fumbled with six bogeys and turned in a three-over 74, settling for a share of the lead with local bet Ou Yan Hua, Indonesian Ribka Vania and TCC teammate Mika Fortuna in Class B.
Ilas birdied No. 3 but bogeyed three of the next four holes before canning in a six-footer for birdie on No. 7 only to drop another shot on the next hole. She birdied No. 13 from seven feet but bogeyed the next two holes for a pair of 37s.
Superal, who snapped a three-month title spell with a victory in the Sabah International Masters and in the Chief Minister’s Cup in Sarawak late last month, struggled with her long game in the early going but recovered with superb iron shots although she muffed a couple of birdie putts that could’ve pulled her within Wanamarta.