Sunday, 27 February 2018 – Central Lanes Bowling Center, Tamuning, Guam
It was the student against his mentor Sunday afternoon at Central Lanes as eighth seed Manny Tagle took the first Guam Senior Bowlers Association (GSBA) Senior Bowler of the Month title from his best student, second seed Jim Pinaula over two games 244-128 and 188-184 with handicap.
After the four game qualifying rounds that required establishment of a handicap for all first time bowlers of this tournament, Remy Matanane led the field with an 823 series with handicap.
The top eight bowlers proceeded with the shootout rounds with Tagle got past sixth seed 2017 Senior Bowler of the Year Alex Kloulubak 214-146 with handicap. Seventh seed Rick Torres also charged out of the gate with a 260-212 win over fifth seed GSBA president John Salas.
Tagle and Torres continued their title quests in the quarterfinals with Tagle shutting down third seed Manny Torre 236-162 with handicap while Torres took out fourth seed Pat Roberto with a strikefest between the two in the tenth frame and a 232-215 for Torres.
Jim Pinaula finally ended Torres’ title hopes in the semifinals as the new format requires the lower seed to beat the higher seed twice to advance. Torres took the first game 217-187. But Torres fell short by a strike and was eliminated with a 193-186 win by Pinaula to head into the finals. Meantime Tagle posted his two wins over top seed Matanane with games of 221-162 and 215 to 142 with handicap to fill the other half of the championship final.
Under the new format to win the title, finalists must be the first to win two games to earn the championship. The championship pair was set to be played on an unplayed pair of lanes with fresh oil. Tagle used his experience in a championship setting as a former Guam national team member to take the needed victories over three time 2017 winner Pinaula for the first contest of the senior bowling season.
In a grand gesture only befitting of champions, Tagle and Pinaula donated their cash winnings back to the GSBA to boost the prize fund for the Grand Finals.
The new tournament under the sponsorship of the GSBA (formerly the Guam Senior Bowlers Federation) under the leadership of John Salas is a members only tournament with a cash prize and tournament trophy plaque for the champion. Monthly winners will have a shot at a guaranteed $1,000 first prize at the year end grand finals. GSBA membership also has the benefit of participation in other GSBA activities such as being able to represent Guam in the 2018 Asia Senior Bowlers Championship to beheld in Okinawa in December of this year.
The roll-offs for this prestigious event will be announced in March.
The next monthly tournament will be at Central Lanes on Sunday March 25th at 11AM. Participants need to become members of the GSBA to enter. For more information call GSBA Tournament Chairperson Rick Torres at 687-4291.
Guam Bowling 