Singapore bowler Shayna Ng ends individual title drought with PWBA Go Bowling Topeka Open victory
National bowler Shayna Ng won the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Go Bowling Topeka Open on May 10 for her third victory on the tour. PHOTO: PWBA
SINGAPORE – The past few years have tested national bowler Shayna Ng's patience and determination as she chased her next individual title following her singles gold at the 2021 International Bowling Federation Super World Championships.
At the West Ridge Lanes in Topeka, Kansas, on May 10, Ng's perseverance was finally rewarded as she ended her long title drought by winning the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Go Bowling Topeka Open.
Entering the step-ladder final as the second seed, the 35-year-old defeated American Bryanna Cote 226-192 in the semi-finals, before overcoming Breanna Clemmer 236-202 in the title match to secure her third career PWBA victory.
Following her win, Ng said: 'I haven't been having the best few years of bowling and I've been working very hard to get my form back, so I'm happy the hard work paid off and this win is a strong testament that there will always be ups and downs for athletes, but as long as we keep working hard, it will come.'
Ng had led the 75-strong field with a 2,648-pinfall total after two rounds of qualifying, but slipped to second after the next two rounds, 11 pinfalls behind American Clemmer, who headed into the step-ladder final as the top seed with a 5,080-pinfall total after 24 games.
While Ng was nervous going into her first match of the step-ladder final against Cote, the Singaporean halted the fifth seed's run by beating her 226-192 to set up a meeting with Clemmer in the final.
Ng set the tone early in the title match, opening with six strikes in a row. But Clemmer stayed in contention, with two early spares followed by four straight strikes.
Both picked up spares in the seventh and eighth frames, but Ng held firm to capture her first PWBA title since the 2019 Sonoma County Open and pocket the winner's cheque of US$20,000 (S$25,900).
Reflecting on her win, she said: 'I kept my head down and tried my best to stay present with every shot.
'We bowled 24 games in two days so that required a lot of patience and I'm glad I was able to grind it out.'
Approaching the new season with an 'open mind' was also key, as she adapted to lane conditions by adjusting elements of her game such as ball speed and ball selection.
Ng said: 'This is something I've always actively worked to develop. With bowling, there are so many variables, lane to lane, day to day, it can play differently.
'And the worst thing that can happen to a bowler is to have any pre-conceived notions about how the lanes will play.'
Singapore Bowling Federation president Valerie Teo was pleased to see a winning start from the Republic's bowlers as they embark on the first of several PWBA Tour stops, culminating with the June 10-17 US Women's Open in Nebraska.
She stressed the value of such training and competition opportunities made possible by the support of Sport Singapore through initiatives such as the Sports Excellence (Spex) programme.
The former national bowler said: 'I am very proud of Shayna and our ladies' team for a great start to the PWBA season. Unlike the SEA Games and Asian Games, most Singaporeans are unfamiliar with the professional tour – PWBA for women and PBA for men.
'But it is on the professional tour that our nation's best have honed the skills that have repeatedly brought the SEA, Asian Games and World Championship medals back for Singapore – not just technical skills, but also mental resilience, physical endurance and self-sufficiency.'
Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.
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