Li Jane vows to bounce back after Triple Crown miss at USBC Queens
Li Jane, who had already won the US Women's Open and PWBA Tour Championship last year, was aiming to complete a rare sweep of all three major titles.
However, she fell short in the one-game final at the Suncoast Bowling Centre in Las Vegas, losing 211-198 to American top seed Josie Barnes.
It was Li Jane's second runner-up finish at the tournament, having also finished second in 2016.
Despite the near miss, it was still a proud moment for Malaysian bowling as debutant Nur Hazirah Ramli made it two Malaysians in the top three. Hazirah, the second seed, was defeated 235-211 by Li Jane in the semi-finals.
Seeded fourth, Li Jane began her televised title playoff campaign with a narrow 238-236 victory over Colombia's Clara Guerrero, the fifth seed.
Li Jane took home a substantial prize purse of US$30,000 (RM128,500) for her efforts, while Hazirah earned US$22,000 (RM94,200).
Li Jane was not disheartened with the result.
She vowed to bring this strong momentum into the next event.
"I'm still proud of what I achieved this week," said Li Jane.
"It wasn't to be this time, but there's always another chance. I'll build on this performance and stay focused on having another strong season like 2024."
Hazirah, too, remained upbeat, knowing that there's still plenty of opportunities coming up.
It's worth noting that Hazirah was playing in the US for the first time, and in her very first start, she nearly accomplished her life-long dream.
"It's always been a dream since I was 11 or 12 to become a world and PWBA champion," said Hazirah.
"Even though I didn't get the win this time, I'm proud of how far I've come.
"It all started with a promise I made to my coach, and every day since, I've worked hard for moments like this. I'm just excited to see where the journey takes me next."
The national bowlers, except Hazirah and Nur Syazwani Sahar, will turn their focus to next stop the PWBA Summer Series - the Cleveland Open, BowlTV Open and Rock 'n' Roll Open.
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