Breakthrough win for Colleen Pee, 19, at bowling’s Singapore International Open

SINGAPORE - Touted as a rising talent in the sport, youth bowler Colleen Pee has been waiting in the wings, readying to succeed Singapore’s senior team members.

On June 8, the 19-year-old lived up to her billing by winning her first international title, the 54th Singapore International Bowling Open, on home soil.

Not only did the two-time Youth Bowler of the Year claim the biggest win of her career, but she also notched her first official perfect game and beat her childhood idol, 32-year-old teammate Bernice Lim, in the women’s stepladder final.

Pee, who banked the winner’s cheque of $15,000, told The Sunday Times: “I’m just feeling very overwhelmed, very happy and honoured to be winning this title. It’s definitely a breakthrough for me.

“During the stepladders, it was just about going in and doing my best. Just keeping it cool. I didn’t want to expect so much.”

Going into the tournament as the underdog, the teenager qualified as the third seed for the stepladder event with 1,703 pinfalls – including a perfect game – after eight games at the Singapore Bowling @ Rifle Range at Temasek Club.

Even after dispatching Malaysian duo Siti Safiyah (204-189) and Nora Lyana Nastasia (252-182) in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively, a victory looked improbable with top seed Lim standing in her way.

Up against the more experienced Lim in the final, Pee cruised to a 222-201 win in the first game.

But she stumbled in the second, as splits in the fourth and eighth frames left her trailing by 25 pinfalls.

But, with two frames left, Lim missed a routine spare and followed that up with a split to give Pee control of her own destiny.

Two strikes were required to win and, after converting the first, Pee unleashed a huge fist pump.

A double fist pump ensued when all 10 pins fell to seal her win, 172-159.

She said: “The first strike, I got very lucky. It was more like a relief like ‘oh my god, I still have a chance to fight back’.

“When the second shot went down the lane, I was a bit nervous but I told myself, okay I got this.”

Lim said she bowled well in the closing two frames but failed to “make the right adjustments” during the crucial moments.

The 2019 champion said: “The lanes played very different from qualifying and this morning’s two rounds. I felt we made good decisions, just that somehow the outcome wasn’t there.

“In bowling, we can only control up to how we release the ball. It’s just one of those days.

“It’s good to see the younger ones coming up and winning tournaments now.

“I’m happy for her... there’s a lot more to come from her.”

In the men’s final, top-seeded Finn Tomas Kayhko, a regular on the PBA Tour, defeated Singapore’s 19-year-old Aiman Lim 248-180 for his second title in Asia. He won the Emir Cup in Qatar in July 2022.

The 27-year-old has yet to win on the American-based professional tour, coming closest with a second in March’s Delaware Classic where he was also the top seed.

Kayhko, who hails from the city of Joensuu and picked up bowling at the age of 10, when he was encouraged by his friends to try it, overcame a strong field including triple crown champion Dominic Barrett and two-time Major champion Sean Rash.

He said: “It was a hard week. The pattern was brutal and I’m just happy to get the win. It’s definitely one of my biggest wins.”

Other Singaporean bowlers who triumphed in the tournament were: Jovyn Gan (men’s graded B), Lovelle Lee (women’s graded), Jerlyn Lam (youth girls), Edric Lim and Shannen Ong (boys’ and girls’ Under-18), Darius See and Carine Foo (boys’ and girls’ Under-16), Lyndon Lin and Bella Chua (boys’ and girls’ Under-12).

A total of 832 participants from 17 countries competed across 14 categories in the 54th edition of the tournament.