PAENG BOWLS 300 GAME AND WINS HIS 124th Career Masters Title

PAENG BAGS 124TH CAREER MASTERS TITLE


Six-time world champion Rafael ‘Paeng’ Nepomuceno reached another milestone in his bowling career last Sunday by winning his 124th Masters title in a 40-year span.


Maintaining the form he displayed in 1972 when he recorded his first Masters victory, the 55-year-old Nepomuceno toppled former world titlist and Asian Games gold medalist Biboy Rivera, 2-0 (255-211 and 226-208), to capture the 1st ABC-Boysen Open crown at the E-Lanes Bowling Center in Greenhills, San Juan.


“It feels good to be able to keep with the bowlers much younger than me,” said the lefty Nepomuceno.


Nepomuceno shot a perfect game 300 in the 12-game Masters eliminations to emerge No. 2 seed in the stepladder finals with a 241 average, behind Rivera, who had 243.


Third seed Frederick Ong, singles gold medalist in the 2011 Indonesia Southeast Asian Games, scored 232 by beating fourth-rated Paulo Valdez (223) and fifth seed Cesar Muere (185) in the first stepladder match.


Then, Nepomuceno earned a shot at Rivera by subduing Ong, 226-223, in the one-game stepladder tiff.


Rivera hit five big games – a couple of 279s, 258, 247 and 246 – in the eliminations, while Nepomuceno fought back with sizzling games of 300, 279, 278, 261, 257, 236 and 234.


So far, Nepomuceno is the only four-time winner of the prestigious World Cup. He is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for his dominating performance during his younger days.