Superal seeks end to Thai reign in Ladies Open

MANILA, Philippines – Red-hot Princess Superal hopes to bring her winning act to the Philippine Ladies Open Golf Championship and end Thailand’s domination of the country’s premier championship presented by Champion Infinity when it is held Jan. 20-22 at the Midlands of the Tagaytay Highlands Golf and Country Club course.

Superal, the former US Girls’ Open champion, will head to the 54-hole championship in top form, having racked up five victories, including the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open last week where she turned what was expected to be a tight finish into a runaway triumph with an impressive closing six-under 66 and won by four over local ace Mimi Ho.

With her The Country Club teammates, Superal plunges into serious training this week as she plans to toughen up for the event, hoping to familiarize herself with the up-and-down layout, which is expected to challenge the field’s mental toughness with its windy condition.

“Midlands is a tough course so we have to prepare hard and hopefully end Thailand’s domination,” said Superal, who struggled to finish seventh in last year’s staging of the event at Wack Wack but has won four tournaments to end her 2015 campaign, including two in Malaysia and one each in Singapore and Jakarta.

Pimnipa Panthong fended off TCC’s Pauline del Rosario’s rally and edged compatriot’s Kanyalak Preedasutthijit by one to keep the crown for the Thais after now pro Supamas Sangchan scored back-to-back victories at Mt. Malarayat and Forest Hills from 2013-14.

The organizing Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines said Thailand has confirmed its participation in the event backed by Filinvest Alabang, Inc., Metro Pacific, Taishan Insurance Brokers, Inc., MEC Networks Corp., Jewelmer, G&W Clubshares, inc., Vermogen and Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Chapter and will field in another crack squad ready to extend their reign.

Top players from Malaysia and Australia are also seeing action in the annual event won by LPGA campaigner Jennifer Rosales five straight times and Jayvie Agojo.

Korean Jeong Lee Hwa actually ruled the 2012 edition of the event at Southwoods, making it a four-year title spell for the local bets with Fil-Japanese and former SEA Games gold medalist winning last in 2011.

Harmie Constantino, runaway winner in last week’s Philippine Amateur (Stroke Play) Championship, is also expected to join the title chase along with TCC bets Sofia Chabon, Abby Arevalo, Sam Martirez, Mikha Fortuna and Del Rosario along with Yuka Saso, Felicia Medalla and former Junior World champion Daniella Uy.

Listup is ongoing. For details, email to [email protected] (WGAP tournament chair), or [email protected] (WGAP president Anna Haurie). Entry forms can be downloaded at www.wgap-golf.com.