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 last month.
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 to claim the title by four shots from fast-finishing Mimi Ho in second place.
Chan, number 17 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and the overwhelming favourite heading into the event, could only manage a lackluster 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 is expecting to turn pro later this year. "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 own 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 chance of securing a maiden Ladies Open triumph.
"It was rough," admitted the 22-year-old, who has enjoyed a stellar start to her college golfing career since enrolling at the University Southern California. "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 teammate Ho, who attends Fresno State in California, 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."
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