Timmy Tan
PETALING JAYA: National bowler Timmy Tan is off to a respectable start in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour after finishing 15th in the US Open.
The 30-year-old who is competing in his first tournament out of eight in the United States, finished 15th out of 108 bowlers, downing 10,568 pins in the 48-game matchplay qualifiers on Sunday.
His outing at the Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, Indiana saw him pocket USD3,850 (RM17,235).
Only the top nine from the matchplay qualifiers play in the stepladder finals, which means Timmy missed out on that stage.
But national coach Ben Heng said his first outing in the PBA this year should be commended.
"What a great start for Timmy and I'm proud of him for finishing a respectable 15th position in the US Open this year," he said.
"To compete among the top, throwing the ball well is not enough to survive in PBA. You have to be independent in matching up your equipment to the oil condition and make adjustments accordingly. How fast you can read and react to the pattern is crucial."
American EJ Tackett won the US Open for the second time, beating Andrew Anderson 238-184 in the final. He won his first US Open in 2023.
"Two years ago, I came back after losing (in 2022) and was able to win. This time, I won the US Open as a dad. I know I won the PBA World Championship last year, but this is the US Open," said a delighted Tackett.
The 32-year-old brings home a cool USD100,000 (RM447,650).
Timmy will next compete in the Illinois Classic and Roth-Holman Doubles Championship held concurrently from Feb 3-8.
