Fifty years ago this week, Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno won the Class O tournament of the Tenpin Bowlers Association of Makati at the Coronado Lanes in Makati City.

He was 15, the youngest in the field. They were 11 other players who entered, including some who were old enough to be his father.

Paeng was nervous as he should be. But his late father Angel Nepomuceno, who also served as his coach, reminded him to just relax and enjoy the game.

Before being introduced to bowling, Paeng played golf for five years starting at the age of 10. His father was an avid golfer and regularly represented the University of Philippines in the Fil-Am Invitational in Baguio City.

It was during the Fil-Am tournament that Paeng discovered bowling.

"We were playing at Camp John Hay when heavy rain forced us to stop," he recalled. "We didn't know that there was a bowling center at Mile Hi. That's where I played first bowled at the age of 12."

Paeng, without prior lessons, scored 63 out of a perfect 300.

"This is where I realized that bowling is for me," he said. "My father advised me to keep playing golf to improve my mental toughness."

Paeng, however, realized he had to focus on one sport so he dropped golf when he was 15.

"Bowling was more organized than golf before. There was a tournament every Saturday for junior bowlers," he recalled.

Five months before his first Class O tournament, Paeng said he was still a Class B player. He worked hard to achieve an average of 190, good enough to qualify for the open event.

"It's a different level. I just wanted to enjoy the game. That has been the instruction from my father-coach. One competition at a time. He taught me how to control my nerves at an early age," Paeng said.

The left-handed teenager went on to top the tournament, launching a legendary career that earned him 133 trophies, including four World Cup titles.