Bowler Merwin Tan leads the Philippines' podium hopes in the Masters bowling event of the 30th Southeast Asian Games after placing fifth in the first round of competition Saturday at the Coronado Lanes in Starmall EDSA-Shaw.
Tan finished in fifth place with a total of 1701 pinfalls and will need 51 more pinfalls to catch up to fourth placer Ryan Lalisang (1730) and third placer Muhammed Jaris Goh (1752) as only the top three players after two rounds will qualify for the stepladder finals. Tan saved his best for last in the opening round of the Masters with his score of 258 in the eighth game.
Indonesia's Billy Muhammed Islam ended up in first place in the men's division with 1813 pinfalls followed by Malaysia's Ahmad Muaz Mohd Fishol who had 1796.
Fellow Filipino bet Patrick Nuqui finished in seventh place with his total of 1624. Nuqui's best game was the third where he bowled a 231.
In the women's division, Lara Posadas-Wong settled for 12th place after the first eight games of the event with a total of 1614 pinfalls, highlighted by a 235 in the sixth game. Posadas-Wong is followed by fellow Filipina Bea Hernandez who bowled 1599 for 13th place. Alexis Sy, the third Philippine representative, finished the first day of competition in 16th place with her score of 1558.
Singapore's Shayna Ng Lin Zhi topped the women's division with her total of 1868 pinfalls while her teammate Cherie Tan Shi Hua was second with 1771. Shalin Zulkifli of Malaysia rounded up the top three with her finish of 1711.
Only the top 16 athletes per division who earned top marks after the four previous events - Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Team of Four - qualified for the Masters.
Filipina bets Posadas-Wong, Hernandez, and Sy and teammates Tan and Nuqui can still make it into the stepladder finals as the second round of the Masters event continue on Sunday.