ART Barrientos began with a bang but finished with a whimper yesterday, winding up 11th in the men’s masters’ event of the Asian Bowling Championships at the Blu-O Rhythm and Bowl Center in Bangkok, Thailand.
Running fifth after the eight-game first block last Tuesday, the bespectacled Barrientos opened the second block with a sizzling score of 253 but found it difficult to sustain his fiery form, scoring 168, 212, 195, 165, 175, 165 and 193 the rest of the way for a 16-game tally of 3274.
Earning outright spots in the stepladder finals scheduled later yesterday were two Malaysians and one South Korea, with singles champ Rafiq Ismail securing the No. 1 seed with a score of 3754 and a high average of 227.13.
Compatriot Muhammad Hafiz Zainuddin took the No. 2 spot (3717-226.06) while South Korean Park Dong Hyuk was No. 3 (3564-217.44).
Ismail drew a bye, awaiting the winner of the winner between Park and the No. 4 qualifier. The winner faces Zainuddin in a single-game playoff to decide who gets a crack at the No. 1 seed.
The gold-medal match will be a two-game series between the two finalists.
