BANGKOK, Thailand (Oct. 6, 2017) – Yannaphon Larpapharat became the first bowler from Thailand to win a PBA Tour title when he threw two strikes in the 10th frame to defeat Swedish two-handed star Jesper Svensson, 212-202, in the championship match of the PBA International-WBT Thailand at Blu-O Rhythm and Bowl Paragon on Friday in his home city.

Larpapharat, a 34-year-old right-hander and a third-year PBA member, was the top qualifier heading into the eight-player stepladder finals, and won the equivalent of US$32,255 over a world-class field of American and international PBA competitors.  Larpapharat, who previously bowled in the 2008 PBA World Championship in Wichita, Kan., and the 2015 U.S. Open in Arlington, Texas, will return to the United States to bowl in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Reno Properties, Nov. 7-19, in Reno, Nev.

Svensson, the 22-year-old defending WBT Thailand champion, was trying for his seventh PBA Tour title. He advanced to the title match by defeating Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 248-222, in the semifinal match. He also eliminated Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., 258-227, in match three after knocking out Indonesia’s Tannya Roumimper and PBA Tour star Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., in a hotly-contested three-player match two.

Next on the PBA Tour’s 2017 schedule will be Bowling U.S. Open from Flamingo Bowl in Liverpool, N.Y., Oct. 27-Nov. 1. Preliminary rounds will be live streamed on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. The finals will air live on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

PBA INTERNATIONAL-WBT THAILAND

Blu-O Rhythm and Bowl Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 6

Final Standings:

1, Yannaphon Larpapharat, Thailand, $32,255.

2, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, $16,130.

3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, $9,675.

4, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $6,450.

5, w-Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, $3,225.

6, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., $2,900.

7, Ryan Lalisang, Indonesia, $2,740.

8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., $2,580.

Stepladder Results:

Match One – Roumimper (244) def. Lalisang (233) and Ciminelli (228).

Match Two – Svensson (203) def. Roumimper (202) and Jones (199).

Match Three – Svensson def. Rash, 258-227.

Semifinal – Svensson def. Barnes, 248-222.

Championship – Larpapharat def. Svensson, 212-202.

Round 4 Cashers (after 6 games, top 8 advanced to stepladder finals, others earned $2,255 each):

1, Larpapharat, 1,392.

2, Barnes, 1,356.

3, Rash, 1,355.

4, Svensson, 1,335.

5, Jones, 1,333.

6, w-Roumimper, 1,325.

7, Ciminelli, 1,319.

8, Lalisang, 1,300.

Failed to advance:

9, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,299.

10, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,288.

11, Stuart Williams, England, 1,286.

12, w-Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 1,284.

13, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 1,282.

14, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 1,239.

15, Francois Louw, South Africa, 1,237.

16, Michael Mak, Hong Kong, 1,232.

17, Rafiq Ismail, Malaysia, 1,230.

18, w-Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 1,173.

19, w-Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 1,154.

20, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 1,141.

Round 3 Cashers (after six games, $1,610 each):

21, w-Sharon Limansantoso, Indonesia, 1,302.

22, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 1,295.

23, w-Maria J. Rodriguez, Colombia, 1,293.

24, w-Sin Li Jane, Malaysia, 1,281.

25, Timmy Tan, Malaysia, 1,258.

26, Surasak Manuwong, Thailand, 1,252.

27, Hengki Susanto, Indonesia, 1,249.

28, Annop Arromsaranon, Thailand, 1,246.

29, Hiroki Takada, Japan, 1,233.

30 (tie), Hassan Alshaikh, Saudi Arabia, and Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,213.

32, Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 1,174.

33, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,167.

34, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 1,166.

Round 2 Cashers (after six games, $1,290 each):

35, Badin Lerdpiriyasakulkit, Thailand, 1,255.

36, Syaffique Ikhwan, Malaysia, 1,248.

37, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 1,245.

38, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,237.

39, Billy Islam, Indonesia, 1,203.

40, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,202.

41, Mike Chan, Hong Kong, 1,185.

42, Hardy Rachmadian, Indonesia, 1,108.

w–denotes woman (women received 8 handicap pins per game).