Dale Lazo claimed her first international career victory after topping the youth girls masters category of the Philippine International Open-Tenpin Bowling Championships 2019.
The 16-year-old national youth kegler from Imus, Cavite pulled off the surprise win after rolling 180 pinfalls to beat the fancied Bea Hernandez (177) in the gold-medal finale yesterday at the Coronado Lanes, Starmall in Mandaluyong City.
“There were no expectations kaya walang pressure. I just tried to enjoy the game,” said Lazo, who trailed Hernandez in the qualifying rounds and defeated Grace Gella in the step-ladder finals, 212-171, that arranged the thrilling finish with the tournament runnerup.
Filipino-Australian Jordan Dinham exhibited the same consistency as Lazo to subdue Asian youth champion Merwin Tan, 189-155 and rule the youth boys masters in their single-game finals of the tournament backed by Pagcor, Cafe Puro, Boysen Paints, Prima Pasta and Linden Suites.
Dinham, whose claim to fame was a stunning victory over 2018 World Cup champion Sam Cooley in a tournament back in Australia, downing Kishan Ramachandrai of India, 248-185, in the step-ladder to face the top-seeded Tan.
Prior to the finals, the 18-year-old Dinham rolled an eight-game series of 1626, which was good for third place behind Tan (1689) and Ramachandrai (1652), to advance to the step-ladder of the meet supported by the MVP Sports Foundation and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
As for Lazo, she wound up second overall entering the finals with an eight-game series of 1508 while Hernandez, another national youth mainstay, compiled 1580 and Gella 1482.
