Superal’s five-title binge highlights huge ICTSI year

FIVE straight victories to close out the season punctuated Princess Superal’s banner year but it was her record triumph in the US Girls’ Juniors in Flagstaff, Arizona, that highlighted Team ICTSI’s sterling 2014 campaign.

Putting to the shade her own blazing windup in 2013—anchored on a goldmedal triumph in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games, the 17-year-old Superal strung up five stirring victories at the end of the year in California, Manila, Singapore and Jakarta.

“Princess has blossomed into a complete player,” said Team ICTSI coach Bong Lopez, who brought Superal into his fold in 2012. “She has good work ethics, never stops improving and never loses her appetite for winning.”

Pauline del Rosario and young Yuka Saso also enjoyed banner seasons with the former scoring nine victories, including the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in Shenzen, China, where she nipped Superal by one.

The 13-year-old Saso enhanced her promising career by racking up seven wins, including the Jakarta Junior World and the Ping Junior titles.

The other members of Team ICTSI also delivered. Sofia Chabon and Samantha Martinez scored three wins apiece and Mikhaela Fortuna and Abegail Arevalo nailed a victory each.

Bernice Olivarez-Ilas and Samantha Green completed the team’s lineup.

The ICTSI coaches, who include Nestor Mendoza and putting mentors Dave Stockton Jr. and Dr. Craig Farnsworth, cited the all-out support of ICTSI top honcho Ricky Razon, who has kept track of the progress of the players’ training and campaigns, and ICTSI PR head Narlene Soriano.

“What’s so special about this team is its high golf IQ and fantastic work ethic,” said Mendoza, who drew up with Lopez, the team’s program in 2009.

A slew of top international competitions is lined up for Superal, who also proved her worth in pro tournaments for the second straight year by winning the Sherwood leg of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour last November.

In all, Team-ICTSI scored 36 wins here and abroad, eight more than in 2013.

TEAM ICTSI— (front row, from left) Martirez, Superal, Fortuna, Saso, Chabon, and (standing, same order) Green, Del Rosario, OlivarezIlas and Arevalo— with Bong Lopez and Nestor Mendoza and putting mentor Dave Stockton Jr., after a practice round in...