REIGNING Asian youth champion Merwin Tan bagged his first international title in the men’s open competition after ruling the Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) Philippine International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships at the Coronado Lanes in Starmall, Mandaluyong City.
The 19-year-old Tan beat Indonesia’s Billy Muhammad Islam, 237-193, in the one-game final to come away with the title and the P700,000 champion purse as he atoned for his second-place finish in the youth boys final.
“It was a bad start, but I was able to turn things around with better shotmaking in the succeeding frames,” said Tan, who is now assured of a spot in the 30th Southeast Asian Games. “So far, this is the biggest tournament that I’ve won in my career.”
Tan secured the top seed with 1887 pinfalls with Islam in second with 1815. Islam beat Ryan Lalisang, 267-243, to move into the finals against Tan.
In the ladies open masters, Lara Posadas-Wong lost to Amabel Chua of Singapore, 212-190, in the title match. Chua won the P300,000 champion’s prize.
Abner Loo of Malaysia ruled the men’s graded masters after stringing together a 12-game series of 2578 pinfalls to defeat fellow Malaysians Abdul Khadir Haziq (2446) and Ahmad Azraie (2312).
Kaygien Itaralde of PBAP topped the ladies graded masters with 1864 over Malaysian Linda Grzybowska, who scored a 1809.
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