Richie goes perfect but lags behind

Richie Poblete burned the lanes at Green Valley Wednesday evening, rolling a perfect game and moving up as the second-best Filipino so far in the 35th PBC International Open Tenpin Bowling Championship.

The 31-year-old Poblete hit the 300 on the second game of his four-game series of 933. He moved just a pin behind local leader JC Tupaz but remained far behind Masters Open Class leader Seo Jung Hwan of Korea at 1052.

Rolling a perfect game is nothing new for Poblete. In fact it was the 15th for the son of former Philippine Bowling Congress president Ricardo Poblete and Philippine Women’s Bowling Association chief Margie Poblete.

Poblete’s perfect game was actually the third in the ongoing tournament. Former World Cup winner CJ Suarez and SEA Games gold medalist Liza Clutario rolled their respective perfect games just a few days ago.

Unless another bowler goes perfect, Poblete, Suarez and Clutario will have to share the P100,000 prize.

Poblete said rolling a perfect game is something you don’t really plan for.

"You don’t go to the lanes attempting to make a perfect game," said Poblete, a former member of the Philippine team. "The conditions just felt so good."

Chester King of the Philippines won the Masters Open crown last year. As the reigning champion, he’s been seeded into the finals which get going with the opening bloc tonight. The tournament ends tomorrow.

Thirty-seven players players will make it to the Masters final — 14 from the local side, 12 from the foreign side and 11 from the mixed group.

Tyrone Ongpauco rolled a 986 and fell to ninth place overall and third in the local side. Suarez has been trying to find the right lane as he stood in 13th place after a 942.

In the women’s side, Wendy Chai of Malaysia drew most of the attention as she rolled a 949 for the lead. Clutario was in second at 938 followed by three Koreans, a Thai, another Korean and local beauty Ces Yap at 922.