Princess Superal lost her momentum on shaky putting and settled for a second straight 71 to improve to joint ninth but still too far behind joint leaders Kusuma Meechai and a hot-charging Patcharajutar Kongkraphan halfway through SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking in Prachin Buri, Thailand on Thursday.
As Harmie Constantino fumbled with a 74 after an impressive 70 and slipped to joint 18th at 144, Superal mounted her fightback from a missed green bogey on No. 4 with three birdies in the next seven holes.
But the newly crowned Asia Pacific Cup champion struggled on the par-5 No. 12 and yielded a stroke, which she failed to recover with a couple of flubbed chances in the last six holes.
With a 142 total, the ICTSI-backed ace tied Nemittra Juntanaket, Ornnicha Konsunthea and Wanchana Poruangrong at ninth, nine strokes off two-time champion Kongkraphan, who moved from joint fifth to the top of the heap at 11-under 133 on a seven-under 65 at the Kabin Buri Golf Club course.
Meechai birdied No. 17 to card a 70 and match Kongkraphan’s two-day output, just a shot ahead of former LPGA Tour campaigner Budsabakorn Sukapan, who fired a 69 for a 134, while Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong stayed within striking distance at 135 on a 68 she spiked with three birdies in the last four holes.
Kongkraphan birdied the first three holes then racked three more in the last four to spike a fiery frontside run before rebounding from her lone miscue on No. 10 with two birdies in the last six.
Meechai, on the other hand, nearly blew a three-under card with bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15 but hit a late birdie to salvage a 34-36 and keep her spot at the helm.
After surviving a weather-delayed first round, Constantino groped for form at resumption, bogeying two of the first seven holes. She dropped another shot on No. 15 but birdied the 17th for a 38-36.
