Team PHL II sets up thrilling Montecillo golf finale vs Thai girls

DASMARIÑAS, Cavite—Team Philippines II, starring the tandem of Princess Superal and Bianca Pagdanganan, scored 149 for the consecutive day and charged to the lead by three versus Thailand in the penultimate round to set up a thrilling finale in the second Montecillo Junior Golf Championship at the Orchard Golf and Country Club. Superal's casual two-birdie, one-bogey stint at the Orchard's Palmer course for a one-under-par 71 and the six-over-par 78 of partner Pagdanganan were enough to bring Team PHL II atop the leader board with a haul of 445 in 54 holes. And with one round to go, the Filipina juniors would just need to come up with a decent final round on Friday. The 15-year-old Superal highlighted her third round by nailing a blistering 45-foot par putt on the 16th, a par-three, which negated her bogey on the 15th, where she missed a par-save from four feet. The only birdie she made was on the 10th from about five and a half feet. "Coach Bong Lopez (Princess' mentor in the ICTSI golf squad) told me to relax and play my usual game (Friday). I reminded Bianca to do the same. We are in the driver's seat, there's no need to put pressure on ourselves. I believe that teamwork will bring us to victory,” said Superal, the 15-year-old St. Francis of Assisi high school student. The Thai girls, Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras and Benyapa Niphatsophon, handled by pro coach Gerry Norquist, have been on a roller-coaster campaign as they were obviously distracted with the scorching heat in the afternoon with their outputs ballooning to a 77 and 78, respectively, for 156 for a three-day total 448. Sarah Ababa (75) and Samantha Martirez (77) of Team PHL III collected a 152 for 461 followed by Taiwan's 168—Chang Yu-shin and Chang Ya-chi—for 480. Thailand, meanwhile, assembled a 148 for 438 and kept a three-stroke advantage off Team PHL II of Clyde Mondilla (72) and Kristoffer Arevalo (75) for 147 and 441 In the boys division. Team PHL I—Gio Gandionco (71) and Raymart Tolentino (77)—collected 148 for 443. In the Class C boys and girls, Christopher Popp shot a 77 to be on 151, five ahead from Aidric Chan's 156 after an 80 while Kristine Torralba was atop the leaderboardwith a 153 after 74, just two up on Mikha Fortuna's 81 and 155. — Adrian Flores/JVP, GMA News