Princess Mary Superal receives the Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur Championship trophy from Hong Kong Golf Association President Mark Chan. Picture by HK Golfer
Hong Kong:
Princess Mary Superal of the Philippines fired a spectacular final-round 66 to win the Hong Kong Ladies Open Amateur Championship in style at Fanling.
The 18-year-old, who held a share of the overnight lead with local favourite
Tiffany Chan, prospered in the benign conditions by carding seven birdies and just one bogey over the New Course at Hong Kong Golf Club, a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
That enabled her to claim the title by four shots from fast-finishing
Mimi Ho in second place.
Chan, number 17 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, could only manage a lacklustre 72 to earn third, a further shot adrift.
“To win this title means a lot to me,” said Superal, who claimed the 2014 US Junior Girls’ title and earns an exemption into the Hong Kong Ladies Open, a professional event scheduled for June at the Hong Kong Golf Club. “I was feeling good and I have my putter to thank – I holed a lot of putts today!”
Chan, by contrast, was left to rue her performance on the greens. Despite starting brightly with birdies at the first and third holes, a four-putt at the fourth dented both her confidence and her chances of securing a maiden Ladies Open triumph.
“It was rough,” admitted the 22-year-old. “I made an eagle at the ninth to come back a bit but my putting affected me and I lost some confidence.”
Chan’s international team-mate Ho was in more buoyant mood following a 67 which gave her victory in the Hong Kong Ladies Close Amateur, which was held concurrently with the Open.
“I was just trying to have fun out there,” said the 19-year-old, who made a late charge with four consecutive birdies down the closing stretch. “It’s a nice feeling to win the Close and finish runner-up in the Open with a bogey-free round.”