Youth bowler Paul Benjamin "Benz" Palacio outclassed his rivals en route to clinching the championship title in the Davao Tenpin Bowlers Association (Datba) December 2023 monthly finals tournament at the SM Lanang bowling center on Sunday, January 7, 2024.
Despite a setback in the first game, twice-to-beat Palacio, a 19-year-old Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU)-Davao student, secured the victory by defeating Joshua Disuacido, 189-183, in their second game clash.
Disuacido took Game 1 with a rousing 221-138 victory.
Palacio, son of media personality and fellow tenpin bowler Paul, earlier claimed the top spot of the six-game, 12-player qualifying round by hitting a total of 1,184 pinfalls. Thus, earning him the twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.
Disuacido toppled 1,180 pins to place second while John Tamondong (1,174) and Marc Fernandez (1,133) claimed the third and fourth spots, respectively.
In the shootout game, Disuacido rolled 200 pins, defeating Tamondong (170) and Fernandez (160) for the slot to challenge Palacio for the crown.
Palacio received P6,000 while the next three placers Disuacido, Tamondong, and Fernandez went home with P4,000, P3,000, and P2,000.
Disuacido also won the highest game finals (236), while Absalon Serrano copped the top qualifier award (672), and Rod Tongo secured the highest game qualifying (277).
The December 2023 Desperados tournament on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, offers one more slot for the Bowler of the Year 2023 grand championship.
Qualifiers for the upcoming Datba Bowler of the Year event are monthly champions Bam Tongo (January), Jesrael Rule (February, October), Benz Palacio (March, December), Paul Palacio (April), Edmund Cambaliza (May), Fernandez (June), Caturan (July), Mav Manuel (August), Serrano (September), and Billy Magdale (November), along with Desperados October champion Richard Arigo.MLSA