Rafiq ups ante for second foray in US tour

PETALING JAYA: Rafiq Ismail is ready to raise the bar in his second stint on the United States’ Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Tour next month.

The six-member national team are down for two PBA Tour events – Greater Jonesboro Open in Arkansas from June 1-3 and the Lubock Sports Open in Texas from June 8-10 – as part of their Asian Games preparations.

The other five Podium Programme bowlers are Alex Liew, Adrian Ang, Timmy Tan, Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek and Ahmad Muaz Fishol.

They are no strangers to the PBA Tour having competed in the PBA World Series of Bowling in Reno, Nevada last November.

Then, Rafiq finished 24th overall in the 195-bowler field, which was quite good for a first-timer.

For his second shot at the world’s most prestigious Tour, Rafiq has set a higher target.

“I’m aiming for the (top four) stepladder Finals this time,” said a determined Rafiq, the 2016 World Single Championships silver medallist.

“With the experience I gained from last year’s outing, I know I’m capable of achieving better results.

“While winning a PBA title may seem unrealistic at this juncture, a top-four finish is within reach.

“Having said that, it’s still not going to be easy because we will be taking part in just two events. I will have to bring out my A-game in both tournaments.”

But what excites Rafiq more is his impending US Open debut from Oct 24-31.

Rafiq will become the first Malaysian to play in the prestigious event. He’s one of the three Asians invited for the 144-bowler event besides Thailand’s Yannaphon Larpapharat and Japan’s Shota Kawazoe.

“It’s such a big honour for me to play in this major tournament because most of the competitors are taking part on invitation-basis only,” said Rafiq.

“I’m also looking forward to the US Open as I have been told that it is one of the most difficult tournaments to bowl in today due to its long format and demanding oil pattern.

“Besides tackling the tricky condi- tions, the world’s best bowlers, especially the American pros, will be there too.

“I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it.”

Rafiq has been in impressive in the first four months of the year despite not winning any title.

He finished fourth, fifth and 17th respectively in the AIK International Tournament (Sweden), Brunswick Ballmaster Open (Finland) and Brunswick Euro Challenge (Germany). All the three European Tour events feature no fewer than 300 bowlers.

Two weeks ago, Rafiq claimed his third top-10 finish by coming in eighth in the Sarawak Open.