Bowling: Cherie Tan's 3rd place wraps up good year for Singapore keglers

Cherie Tan on her way to winning the singles gold at the SEA Games in August. She was third at the mixed-gender KPBA Storm Dominos Pizza Cup in South Korea yesterday.
Cherie Tan on her way to winning the singles gold at the SEA Games in August. She was third at the mixed-gender KPBA Storm Dominos Pizza Cup in South Korea yesterday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Singapore bowler Cherie Tan had gone to the KPBA Storm Dominos Pizza Cup hoping to slice up the competition but had to settle for third place for the second straight year.

In Anyang, South Korea yesterday, the 29-year-old recorded 237 pinfalls in the semi-finals, behind American Anthony Simonsen (244) and Korea's Yun Hee Yeo (255). That ended her 2017 campaign but she is satisfied with her displays.

Simonsen won the mixed-gender tournament, which featured some of the best professional bowlers including defending champion Danielle McEwan of the United States, a three-time winner on the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour.

Tan received 9 million Korean won (S$11,200) for her efforts.

She said: "It was a fun but tough competition. I guess it's bittersweet to come so near and not win.

"I feel I had bowled quite well but in the end, it is all about which are the bowlers who strike well during the stepladder and my two opponents did just that very well."

But the left-handed hook bowler feels she had a good season.

"I did well earlier in the PWBA's USBC Queens Finals (finishing third) and Fountain Valley Open Finals (fourth). I had also won at the SEA Games (women's singles gold)," she said. "It has been a pretty good year."

Her podium finish wrapped up the year for the national women's team, which has a golden crop of keglers like Shayna Ng, New Hui Fen, Jazreel Tan and Tan's younger sister, Daphne.

Two weeks ago, Ng was third at the World Bowling Championships in Las Vegas, where the women's team lost to Malaysia in the final.

At August's SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, the team also won three silvers (doubles, trios and team) and two bronzes (doubles and Ng in Masters).

The national team's senior assistant coach Jason Yeong-Nathan feels that lessons have been learnt and the team are keen to push on next year.

He said: "This year hasn't been too bad. We didn't perform (well) at the SEA Games but we did better at the World Championships.

"Overall, Cherie is the best performer. Shayna was not too bad but had dips here and there. Hui Fen did well in spite of her knee cartilage suffering wear and tear. Daphne and Jazreel both had good moments but also had dips along the way.

"Overall, consistency was not the best but it is still a good year. We now know what to work on for next year's Asian Games and we will not make the same mistakes again."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 22, 2017, with the headline Bowling: Cherie Tan's 3rd place wraps up good year for Singapore keglers. Subscribe