EVERYONE knew it was bound to happen. Though many were still surprised when Princess Superal won her first pro golf title right in her first try.
Battling out of a four-way playoff dogfight Superal birdied the first playoff hole from 12 feet to beat Thais Aunchia Utama and Ajira Nualraksa and former teammate Pauline del Rosario to grab her first pro crown in her debut by winning the ICTSI Sherwood Ladies Classic at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club, Trece Martirez, Cavite last Thursday.
“I feel very happy. Though I missed a couple of putts early, I still found a way to win. This win means a lot to me. I really did my best to win,” said Superal who received her first pro trophy and check worth P150,000 after ruling the 54-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI.
The 19-year-old ace finished tied for second in Stage I of the LPGA Qualifying School but proved steadier than everyone else to cap a smashing pro debut.
One person who wasn’t surprised was her coach Bong Lopez who sees a bright future for his ward in the pro ranks.
“Princess has been through a lot of tough challenges as an amateur but this one is different. She was vying not just for a championship. But she handled herself well and rode through the pressure. This win should put her in good stead in her future tournaments,” said Lopez.
An early two-stroke lead slipped from Superal’s grasp as she lost her putting touch. But she rallied from two down on a lost ball on No. 12 with a clutch birdie on No. 16 to scramble for a 72 and force a playoff with the Thai golfers and Del Rosario, who all submitted under-par cards, at four-under 212s.
Utama fought back from four down to tie Del Rosario on top with back-to-back birdies from No. 14 but bogeyed the 17th and finished with a 68.
Nualraksa briefly grabbed the lead with a solid 32 start but dropped three strokes in the first two holes at the back and needed to birdie No. 15th to shoot a 70 and gain a crack at the crown.
Del Rosario clawed her way up with a stirring birdie-birdie-eagle from No. 12, moving from three-down to two-up and appeared headed for a romp with four holes to go. But the spearhead of Team The Country Club hit an errant drive on No. 18, struggled to reach the green and wound up with bogey for a 69, setting the stage for the four-player playoff.
Superal picked herself up in sudden death back on No. 18, coming away with two brilliant shots, then banging in the blistering a putt that shattered Nualraksa’s confidence. The Thai lost her poise and missed her chance to extend the match.
After birdying three of the first five holes to go two-up, Superal briefly lost her rhythm and made back-to-back bogeys from No. 5. She dropped another stroke on No. 11 and bogeyed the par-five 12th after losing her ball on a wild drive to the right.
“I told myself to relax and take in one shot at a time. Luckily, I was able to regain by bearing and confidence after I birdied No. 16,” said Superal. She previously won three tournaments as an amateur in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.