Thai Atthaya Thitikul crowned herself the new Asia Pacific Cup champion, concluding her dominant performance with a 69, beating Korean Dayeon Lee by seven even as Daniella Uy and Bianca Pagdanganan wound up joint 23rd at the Pondok Indah course in Jakarta, Indonesia Saturday.
Despite high hopes for a final round surge from Team Philippines, Uy carded a two-over 74 while Pagdanganan hobbled with a 76 for 219s.
That was 17 strokes behind Thitikul, whose fiery second round 65 all but settled the outcome of the second edition of the 54-hole championship ruled by Princess Superal last year.
But Superal never figured in the individual competition, finishing with her worst score of 79 for joint 45th in field of 57 with a 230.
Dottie Ardina, the other Pinay in the fold, matched par 72 but ended up tied 28th at 221.
Five ahead of Lee after 36 holes, Thitikul kept pounding the par-72 course with her superb all-around game, producing five birdies against a bogey after 11 holes. The two-time LPGA Tour winner, however, settled for pars and a bogey in the last seven to finish with a 69 and a 14-under 202 worth $100,000.
Lee finished seven strokes behind at 209 after a 71 while Minbyeol Kim took third place honors with a 211 after a 70 even as two other Koreans, amateur Minsol Kim and Hyosong Lee tied for fourth at 212 after 70 and 71, respectively.
Thitikul completed a twinkill as she and Jaravee Boonchant, who shot a 70, took the team crown with a 15-under 417, seven strokes clear of Korea 4’s Youmin Hwang and Minbyeol Kim, and Korea 5’s Minsol Kim and Hyosong Lee, who matched 424s.
Teeing off at No. 10, Uy failed to get going with a mishap and though she birdied the next, the reigning Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner made two more bogeys in the next seven and hit two birdies against the same number of bogeys at the front for a 36-38 and a three-over 219 that included a 72 and 73.
Pagdanganan likewise fumbled in a frontside start following an inspiring 70 in the second round. She dropped two strokes on No. 2 and faltered with bogeys on Nos. 5 and 7 against a birdie on the sixth.
The power-hitting shotmaker birdied No. 14 for the second straight day but bogeyed two of the last three for a 39-37.
Ardina, who carded a 74 and 75 in the first two rounds, hit one birdie against two bogeys at the back then birdied No. 6 to salvage a 37-35.
Superal, who came into the $750,000 championship hopeful of gaining another crack at the crown, made three straight bogeys from No. 5 and never recovered, dropping four more shots at the back to wind up with a birdie-less 39-40.
She earlier carded a 74 and skied to a 77 in the second round.
Uy and Ardina ended up 13th in team play with eight-over 440 while Pagdanganan and Superal tied for 19th with Thailand 4 and Indonesia 3 449s.
