Princess Superal checks the wind direction on her way to the top

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite – Princess Superal sizzled coming off a one-hour delay due to lightning threat, hitting three birdies in the last seven holes to fire a two-under 70 and grab a two-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda as erstwhile leader Daniella Uy floundered in the second round of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Classic here yesterday.

Superal came out smoking in tough conditions after the break, overcoming a one-over card with birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 17 to wrest control as Ikeda wavered at the finish in the flight ahead. The multi-titled campaigner then came though with a superb pitch shot after overshooting the No. 1 green, banging in a par from three feet to preserve a 37-33 round.

Counting her earlier 72, Superal thus stormed ahead in a topsy-turvy day with a 142 as she moved 18 holes away from scoring a back-to-back title feat after holding off Chanelle Avaricio at Sherwood last week.

“I sort of struggled in the first nine holes but recovered big at the back,” said Superal, who produced a number of solid iron shots to set up a birdie chances, three of which she made coming home.

She added she’ll stick to her routine and stay focused on her game in the final round, hopeful to make more putts in an attempt to frustrate her rivals from stopping her projected run to another crown in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. in new normal.

Ikeda actually surged ahead after birdying two of the first eight holes and held sway despite a bogey on the par-5 11th as she rolled in a six-footer for birdie on 13th. But she cracked on errant shots and fatigue, bogeying No. 17 and then dropping a stroke on the finishing No. 1 for the second straight day.

Chihiro Ikeda hits a rescue shot on No. 5

She also overshot the first green like Superal and pitched to within six feet. Unlike the latter, however, the Fil-Japanese, who played alongside Avaricio and amateur Arnie Taguines, flubbed the putt and ended up with a second 72 for a 144.

“I’m okay with my finish, just like in the first round,” said Ikeda, seeking to nail her first victory since edging Pauline del Rosario in sudden death at Tagaytay Midlands in 2019.

Avaricio birdied the 17th then parred the first hole to save a 73 for third. But with a 147, she fell five strokes off Superal, who lined herself up for a third Ladies PGT crown in pandemic-hit 2020-21 seasons after winning at Riviera late last year.

“I struggled today (yesterday) but the good thing was my putting helped a lot,” said Avaricio, who hopes to settle down with her irons in the last 18 holes of the P750,000 championship after going out of regulation a number of times on poor approach shots.

Daniella Uy, who showed up the field with a 71 Thursday, failed to get going in challenging conditions, bogeying three of the first eight holes against a bogey to drop off the leaderboard. She never recovered and ended up with a 77 marred by three straight bogeys from No. 15 and fell to fourth at 148.

Daniella Uy takes a breather to connect

“I had a hard time giving myself birdie chances as I struggled with my iron shots and missed a number of makeable putts,” said Uy, who remained confident of putting up a strong finish for a crack at a breakthrough in the ICTSI-backed tour held under strict health and safety protocols.

Harmie Constantino, who marked her pro debut with a victory at the adjacent Aoki course last March, bounced back with birdies from a pair of two-bogey miscues to draw level par but ran out of holes for another rebound after bogeying Nos. 16 and 18. She hobbled with a 74 for joint fifth with Taguines at 149, seven strokes off Ikeda.

Taguines, meanwhile, zeroed in on the low amateur honors despite a 76 as Sherwood winner Burberry Zhang skied to an 82 for a 158.

Sunshine Baraquiel, who put herself in early contention with an opening 72, likewise lost her momentum and made two bogeys to submit a birdie-less 80, ruined by a quadruple 8 on No. 16. She fell to seventh at 152.

“Today (yesterday) was a little bit harder for me because I couldn’t really feel my swing and I hooked some of my shots,” rued Taguines. “I just plan to play more confident and be able to read the greens better.”