First runner-up for reigning national champion

First runner-up for reigning national champion

19th May, Manila: National bowler, Remy Ong took first runner-up spot at the 9th Euro-Med Storm International Masters Challenge after losing to eventual champion, Alex Liew of Malaysia, 247-280 in the all-lefty title match.

Remy Ong, who had advanced into the stepladder by taking the fourth and final spot after the Stage 3 finals earlier, put in a fabulous display by beating Australia’s George Frilingos, 273-259 in the first match.

The national bowler went on to edged former PBA, Jeong Tae-Hwa of of Korea, 248-237 to set up a grand finale with top seed, Alex Liew of Malaysia.

Ong got off to a cracking start reeling in seven consecutive strikes as Liew had a strike in his opening frame and a spare in his second. But the Malaysian matched Ong strike for strike right up to the seventh frame.

The Singaporean delivered a seemingly perfect shot on the eighth frame only to see pin seven standing stubbornly and opening up a chance for Liew to mount a fightback. The Malaysian struck out to deny Ong the victory by taking the match, 280-247.

The reigning national champion earned 500,000 peso (approx. S$14,700) for finishing as first runner-up while the champion won 1 million peso (approx. S$29,500).

Ong had earlier advanced into the stepladder finals winning five of the eight round-robin matches in the Stage 3 finals for a 1913 pinfalls. Alex Liew topped the finals with six wins and 1947 total.

Jeong Tae-Hwa and George Frilingos both advanced in second and third positions with 1923 and 1922 respectively. Ong and his team-mate, Ng Tiac Pin were the only two who qualified for the Stage 2 finals.

Ng finished 19th position and failed to make it to Stage 3. Six Singaporeans made the Stage 1 finals but only two finsihined in the top 24. Their order of finish was Jazreel Tan (31th-1742), Shayna Ng (34th-1713), Jasmine Yeong-Nathan (37th-1678) and Geraldine Ng (42nd-1661).

Detailed scores: Stepladder Finals 2 | Stepladder Finals 1 | Stage 3 Finals | Stage 2 Finals | Stage 1 Finals.

Photos from library by Terence Yaw.