KOREAN Hwang Ye-nah made up for a paltry start with clutch shots down the stretch to finish with a three-over 75 and win the ICTSI Ladies Open at Southlinks Golf Club in Las Pinas yesterday.
Hwang blew a two-stroke lead and fell by two after just two holes but bounced back with a third straight birdie on No. 6 then watched amateur standout Princess Superal squander chances to pull away with errant drives, poor iron game and shaky putting.
The Korean regained a two-shot lead at the turn and thwarted every Superal charge with birdies and pars to the dismay of the gallery, which had braced for a big backside rally by the reigning US Girls Junior champion.
But there was none as Superal, who moved to within one again with a birdie on No. 10, tottered and flubbed at least three makeable birdie putts, including a potential playoff side-hiller from 10 feet on the final hole. She settled for pars the rest of the way for a 74.
Hwang pooled a seven-under 209 and took the top $15,000 purse, which had been hers as early as the second round with the victory ending her string of poor finishes in the first three legs of the Taiwan LPGA.