Mr. Versatility - Wes Malott Moves Into the Lead

Wes Malott has already proven that he is one of the most versatile players in professional bowling by winning the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour six-tournament Versatility Swing this season.

He backed that title up by moving into the lead in the Etonic Marathon Open after Thursday’s third and fourth rounds at Woodland Bowl.

Designed to showcase the most versatile players, the Versatility Swing was based on players’ performance in six PBA Experience lane condition championships held earlier this season.

Malott had a 2,230 pinfall (247.7 average) in Thursday’s nine-game block on PBA’s Scorpion oil pattern and 2,019 (224.3 average) on the Chameleon pattern. The Etonic Marathon Open features the PBA six lane conditioning patterns over the course of the 54-game tournament.

“I just want to keep the momentum going and get to the show,” said the 32-year-old right-hander from Pflugerville, Texas. “I’ve proven that I have had success on the different (PBA) patterns so I’ve got the confidence.”

With an overall 8,295 36-game pinfall (230.4 average) on four different lane conditions thus far in the tournament, Malott holds a 129-pin lead over reigning PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, in second.

“Having to bowl 54 games in this tournament on six conditions really tests you mentally and physically, Malott added. “I accomplished what I wanted to do today. Hopefully I’m leading the tournament when we get to the finals, but making the show is the main thing.”

Malott earned the Versatility Swing title by winning two tournaments and making the ESPN-televised finals three other times.

His finishes in the Versatility Swing events were: Pepsi Viper Championship, fourth; Chameleon Championship, third; CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship, first; Cheetah Championship, 12th; Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship, second, and first in the Bayer Earl Anthony Medford Classic which was conducted on the Earl Anthony lane condition.

Today, the 52-player field will bowl two more nine-game blocks on the Earl Anthony and Shark conditions, respectively. The top five will then advance to the ESPN finals on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern with the No. 1 qualifier determining the lane conditions to be used during the telecast.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
Etonic Marathon Open Woodland Bowl – Indianapolis, Ind.
Qualifying Round 4 Standings (After 36 Games)

1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 8,295
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 8,166
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 8,143
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 8,137
5, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 8,103
6, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 8,081
7, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 8,067
8, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 8,050
9, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 8,021
10, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 8,012
11, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 7,993
12, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 7,934
13, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 7,932
14, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7,931
15, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 7,930
16, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 7,926
17, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 7,896
18, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 7,877
19, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 7,875
20, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 7,873
21, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 7,870
22, Thomas Smallwood, Flushing, Mich., 7,827
23, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 7,823
24, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 7,804
25, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 7,797
26, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 7,787
27, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 7,778
28, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 7,760
29, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 7,757
30, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 7,752
31, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7,721
32, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 7,717
33, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 7,702
34, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 7,700
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 7,680
36, Jonathan Van Hees, Newport, R.I., 7,676
37, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 7,670
38, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 7,665
39, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 7,653
40, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 7,646
41, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 7,602
42, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 7,556
42, Jason Lundquist, Delaware Water Gap, Pa., 7,556
44, George Branham III, Indianapolis, 7,552
45, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 7,522
46, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 7,517
47, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7,505
48, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 7,499
49, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, NM, 7,480
50, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 7,405
51, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 7,343
52, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 7,258
53, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5,748 (WD)