Syaidatul Hamidi rolls 300 in PWBA Wichita Open finale
Syaidatul Hamidi’s perfect game at Northrock Lanes on Saturday afternoon was just a game for 11 shots.
But when a PWBA videographer positioned behind her before shot 12, and as all eyes from the bleacher seats settled on Hamidi with one strike to go, the importance of her upcoming achievement resonated.
“I felt a bit of pressure on my last shot,” Hamidi said.
The final pin teetered dramatically before falling, giving her a perfect 300 and cementing her qualification into the final four of the PWBA Wichita Open. Hamidi, from Malaysia beat Diana Zavjalova 300-209 in the Group A final, and Shannon Pluhowksy defeated Li Jane Sin 276-228 in Group B.
Hamidi and Pluhowsky join Saturday’s top two from qualifying and match play, Danielle McEwan and Maria Jose Rodriguez, for the finals in three weeks in Green Bay, Wis. The PWBA is consolidating finals of multiple events for television purposes.
Hamidi’s previous high in 24 games in the tournament was a 258, but she seemed destined to top that as she methodically rolled strike after strike in her Group A final.
Hamidi’s guard had to be up because Zavjalova remained within striking distance until the final frames, and one spare or open frame would have put Hamidi’s victory in doubt at least temporarily.
“I think I did the best shot on every shot,” Hamidi said. “I just kept making the same shots and I just kept believing that (I could roll a 300) if I just kept shooting the same way.”
Pluhowsky, a former three-time collegiate player of the year at Nebraska, just missed her own 300 against Sin, striking on every frame except the sixth.
It was a day of high scores and history as McEwan became the first player to roll an 800 series since the PWBA was reformed last year after a 12-year dark period. McEwan totaled 823 pins in her first three match play victories as part of her improbable rise to the top of Group B.
McEwan had the lowest score among the top 12 qualifiers but she surged ahead with four straight games of 268 or better and held on to her total pinfall lead despite losing to Pluhowsky in the final two matches.
“It was so important,” McEwan said. “I was so far out of it. Going into match play I was kind of trying to climb the ladder as much as I can. I really didn’t think I was going to be able to make a run at the No. 1 seed. Once I saw how good a look I had at it, I just tried to keep it going as strong as possible.”
Match Play
Group A
1. Maria Jose Rodriguez, Austin, 5,480.
2. Syaidatul Hamidi, Malaysia, 5,447
3. Amanda Greene, Romney, W.Va., 5,417.
4. Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 5,407.
5. Cassandra Leuthold, Lincoln, Neb., 5,351.
6. Ingellimar Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 5,162.
Group B
1. Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 5,590.
2. Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 5,530.
3. Li Jane Sin, Malaysia, 5,427.
4. Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 5,370.
5. Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 5,369.
6. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 5,358.
This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Syaidatul Hamidi rolls 300 in PWBA Wichita Open finale."