Unheralded Jaymee Bautista banked on four big games to emerge as the surprise ladies’ leader at the start of the Bowling World Cup national finals Saturday at Coronado Lanes Starmall.
Bautista rolled 234, 234-231 and 229 en route to a 10-game series of 2052 pinfalls to finish ahead of national bowler and last year’s champion Liza del Rosario (2028) and another RP mainstay, Krizziah Tabora (1986).
Thirty-one other finalists remained in the title hunt and the right to represent the Philippine colors in the 45th international finals slated Nov. 14 to 21 in Melaka, Malaysia.
With their scores carried over, the 34 ladies will play an additional 10 games today at SM Mall of Asia with the top eight finishers advancing to the third and last day of competition in the tourney organized by Puyat Sports and co-sponsored by Amway-Nutrilite set on Friday.
Second-day action in the men’s division featuring also 34 finalists will be played tomorrow.
Bautista started slow, shooting only 171 and 183. But her 234 and 231 in the third and fourth games gave her the momentum to sneak past Del Rosario and Tabora, who competed in the recent World women’s Tenpin bowling Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bautista’s other scores were 160, 191, 213 and 203.
Del Rosario got off to a fiery start, rolling 221, 200 and 257. But she was slowed down by games of 177, 188, 179 and 155 to slip to second spot.
The other remaining contenders follow:
Letty Pineda (1799), Bettina Bayani (1787), Wanda Teer (1782), Rochelle Munsayac (1776), Rachelle Leon (1765), Alice Cabazor (1751), Janet Abril (1683), Minnie Roque (1672), Vilma FAbros (1669), PJ Gervasio (1666), Nherry Naval (1665), Tess Eusebio (1663), Myrna Bautista (1659), Becky Ramirez (1658), Joanne Bonifacio (1656), Marissa Campita (1653), T3ess Agu (1633), Nina Monteverde (1629), Lilian Teano (1624), Perla Pacheco (1616), Pure Anselmo (1613), Anne Estrada (1611), Popee Bagamasbad (1608), Farah Gotea (1606), Nancy Frianeza (1596), Meriam Garcia (1581), Sol Bagalay (1580), Christie Camba (1530), Baby Que (1526), JO Thomas (1512) and Kelly Brodeth (1457).
