Super finish gives Superal 4-shot win in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines - Princess Superal birdied the last three holes in impressive fashion and closed out with a second straight 66 to beat Inez Beatriz Wanamarta by four and capture the 24th SICC/DBS Junior Invitational Golf Championship crown at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Bukit course late Thursday.

Unable to shake off the tough Indonesian despite a bogey-less five-under card in the second round, Superal strung up six straight pars and watched Wanamarta wilt under pressure with a bogey and double bogey on Nos. 5 and 6 to wrest a one-stroke lead at the turn.

Superal moved up by two with a third straight birdie on the par-5 13th then finished off her rival with that blazing windup to turn a two-stroke deficit into a convincing four-shot romp in Class A with a 54-hole total of 202.

“I just stayed focused and did what coach Bong (Lopez) told me not to force the issue after trailing by two despite my 66 in the second round,” said the top The Country Club shotmaker, after notching her third straight championship in the last four weeks. “I went for the fairways and the greens and took the most of my birdie chances.”

Wanamarta tried to fight back at the back, matching Superal’s birdie on No. 10 but could only hit a birdie the rest of the way against the Filipina ace’s four in the last six holes. She wound up with a 72 for a 206.

Rivani Sihotang, also of Indonesia, also made a 72 to place third at 222 followed by Sydney Naro of the US (75-224), Sarah Tan of Singapore (75-225), Annika Cedo of Phl (77-225), Vanessa Bouvet of France (78-228) and TCC’s Abby Arevalo (74-229).

Sofia Chabon completed Team TCC’s sweep of one of Singapore’s premier junior tournaments, pocketing the Class B crown with a 219 after a 73, one ahead of teammate Mikha Fortuna, who had a 220 after a 74.

Bernice Olivarez-Ilas, joint leader in the first round, carded a 73 for a 222 for joint third with Indonesian Ribka Vania, who hobbled with a 76.

It was Superal’s third straight win after snapping a three-month long spell with a victory in Sabah and Malaysia late last month. The former US Girls’ Junior champion is seeking a fourth straight in Jakarta next week.

Wanamarta stayed on top by matching Superal’s pars in the first four holes but failed to salvage a par on the next and dropped two shots on the par-4 No. 6, enabling the Filipina shotmaker to surge ahead. Superal actually went 2-up with a birdie on No. 7 but bogeyed the next before matching the Indonesian’s birdie on No. 10 and taking another two-stroke lead on No. 13.

After back-to-back pars, Superal came through with a superb approach shot on No. 16 and drilled in a six-footer for birdie then birdied the next two holes against Wanamarta’s birdie on the 18th to fashion out the four-stroke win.