Arthur Tapaya. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Arthur Tapaya was named the “Bowler of the Month” for September by the Sugbuanon Bowlers United (SUGBU) after an impressive performance in the monthly finals held on Sunday, October 6, at the SM Seaside City Cebu Bowling Center.
In the championship showdown, Tapaya, a seasoned bowler and multiple champion in SUGBU’s doubles tournaments won over top qualifier GJ Buyco.
Tapaya clinched the title with a score of 221 pinfalls, beating Buyco’s 188 pinfalls.
READ: Bolongan clinches SUGBU ‘Bowler of the Month’ title
Before reaching the finals, Tapaya caused a stir by edging out another elite bowler, Luke Bolongan, in a nail-biting semifinal match, finishing with a narrow 232-222 victory.
READ: Bowler of the Month: Velarde is SUGBU’s top kegler for June
In the qualifying round, Tapaya showcased his skills by finishing second with a total of 1,111 pinfalls, just behind Buyco, who led the field with 1,160 pinfalls over five games.
READ: Cajes is SUGBU’s Bowler of the Month for May
The top bowlers also included Rey Velarde (1,109), Uwe Schulze (1,087), and Bolongan (1,082), who all advanced to the ladder match.
The rest of the top 10 bowlers in the qualifying round were Nestor Ranido (1,048), Vivian Padawan (1,016), Chris Ramil (986), and David Pena (977).
A total of 19 bowlers competed in this month’s tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for the highly anticipated “Bowler of the Year” tournament scheduled in December.
With his recent victory, Tapaya joins a prestigious list of monthly champions, including Joma Avila, Velarde, Rene Ceniza, Bolongan, Luis Cajes, Ted Convocar, and Robert Sarvida.