KUALA LUMPUR: National bowler Rafiq Ismail is down to one last shot to win silverware from his six-week stint in the US Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour.
After failing in his first few attempts, the 21-year-old finally made the cut on Friday for the match play round of the PBA Chameleon Championship, which is part of the six-day PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB) qualification at the Thunderbowl Lanes in Michigan.
Rafiq, amassed a 10-game series of 2,237 pinfalls to finish in eighth place, enabling him to reach the top-16 elimination stage.
Previously, the World Men’s Championships gold medallist, failed to clear the PBA Cheetah Championship, scoring 1,994 pinfallls to finish 105th, and 1,915 to finish 111th in the PBA Scorpion Championship.
Rafiq’s 30-game total of 6,146 also sees him failing to make the top 45 cut for the PBA World Championship, the finale of the WSOB, finishing 71st out of 135 bowlers.
The Asian Games Men’s Masters champion will go up against American Kyle Sherman next on Tuesday in a best of five elimination format in the round of 16.
“Qualifying for one match play round is better than not qualifying at all. At least I have one more shot of making something out of this trip.
“It’s been a tough week, I just want to get enough rest and be ready for the knockout stage,” said Rafiq, who is the only national bowler to be granted permission by the National Sports Council (NSC) to compete in the US, despite its recent budget cuts.
Prior to the WSOB, Rafiq also failed to turn things up in the PBA Players Championship, PBA Indianapolis Open as well as the PBA Jonesboro Open, where he finished third last year.