Singaporean leads after two rounds
2nd September, Henderson, USA: Singapore’s Shayna Ng quickly made a name for herself on the international bowling scene, and after two consistent days to lead the standings at the 2013 USBC Queens presented by Storm.
The 23-year-old right-hander shot 289 in her final qualifying game Monday to set the pace for the 67 players who advanced to the cashers round, which will begin Tuesday at noon.
Ng started the day in second place with 1206 and added 1149 to finish qualifying with a 10-game total of 2355, a 235.5 average. Lindsay Boomershine of Brigham City, Utah, is second with 2298 and Team USA member Shannon O’Keefe of Arlington, Texas, is third with 2284. It took a score of 2021 to reach the cashers round.
“The Queens is a pretty prestigious event, so doing well means a lot, but it’s still so early in the tournament,” Ng said. “Even though I’m the leader now, there are many more rounds to go, and anything can happen. I’m going to take baby steps from here and focus on one round at a time.”
Ng has been in the Las Vegas area for nearly three weeks, and her stellar performance at the USBC Queens is coming after a disappointing run for her and her teammates at the recent 2013 WTBA World Championships.
The group will be well-represented on the lanes Tuesday, however, as seven of the eight Queens entrants from Singapore advanced to the third round. Geraldine Ng is ninth, followed by Wichita State star Jazreel Tan (13th), Daphne Tan (36th), Cherie Tan (T40th), Bernice Lim (42nd) and 2008 QubicaAMF World Cup champion Jasmine Yeong-Nathan (58th).
“Coming right from a tournament that was as challenging as the World Championships helped us, and we’re really just trying to prove ourselves at the Queens,” said Ng, whose breakout year includes a win at the 2012 World Cup and a victory over two-time Queens winner Kelly Kulick at the 2013 International Bowling Championships supported by DHC, a World Bowling Tour major.
“The Queens pattern seems to be a little more forgiving, and I’ve been able to match up well thanks to the right equipment and a good range of balls in my arsenal.”
All 67 cashers will bowl an additional five games Tuesday morning, and the top 63 competitors after 15 games will join defending champion Diandra Asbaty of Chicago for double-elimination match-play, which will begin Tuesday at 5 p.m. EDT.
Asbaty finished the day tied for 37th place with 2,093. Should she not qualify for match play, she automatically will earn the 64th seed.
Match play will continue Wednesday, and the final five players will advance to the televised stepladder finals, which will be taped Sept. 5 at 10 p.m. EDT and air on ESPN2 on Sept. 8 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. The winner will take home the $20,000 top prize, and a perfect game in the championship match will earn the player an additional $10,000 from Storm Bowling Products.
The Queens is open to any female USBC member, and with this year’s event coming just after the WTBA World Championships, the field included 202 players representing 15 countries.
Competitors at this year’s Queens also have another opportunity to cash in through the USBC Shoot-Out, a special event following Queens qualifying with a $4,000 prize fund.
Four players will advance to the Shoot-Out based on qualifying scores with the high player from each of the following categories earning spots: international players, collegiate/youth players, players who have not competed in the Queens in the past four years and all others. Tournament rules will dictate the category in which each player competes.
Photos and story courtsey of Bowl.com.