Rivera, Clutario book World Cup finals tickets

Former world champion Biboy Rivera struck hard in the clutch while multititled Southeast Asian Games veteran Liza Clutario cruised to rule the 2011 Bowling World Cup national competition and advance to the 47th international finals in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The 37-year-old Rivera actually won the local title back-to-back after topping Sammy Say Sy, 2-0 (207-202, 228-192) in the exciting best-of-three finals at the SM Mall of Asia recently. Rivera topped the concluding eight games of the 32-game elimination with 6777 pins for a 211.78 average.

“I never thought I’d make it to the top until I rolled a 203 in the 32nd game and (leader) Kenneth Chua stumbled to a 159,” said Rivera, who bagged the bronze medal in the international finals last year in Toulouse, France.

It was a different story, though, in the ladies’ finals where Clutario, last year’s PBC Open Masters queen who had given the Philippines multiple SEA Games medals, rolled to the top in the 28-game elimination with 5736 (204.86 average) and then crushed Lara Posadas, 2-0 (203-168, 211-177), in the finals.

Lara gained a shot at Clutario by outplaying sister Apple, last year’s local representative to Toulouse, 2-0 (186-160, 231-193), in the final match.

Rivera and Clutario have more than two months to prepare for the international finals set at the Northcliff Bowling Centre in Johannesberg on November 30 to December 7.

Six-time world champion Paeng Nepomuceno, the only four-time winner of the prestigious World Cup, missed a top three slot by 26 pins after a roller-coaster series that saw him start with a low 159 game.

Paulo Valdez, Ritchie Poblete, Louie Chuaquico and Ian Dychango, ranked from fifth to eighth in the men’s eliminations.