Monday, August 31, 2009

World Series Of Bowling Grand Finale This Weekend

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)'s bold World Series of Bowling experiment will reach an
historic conclusion beginning today (
Monday). Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, begins his bid to win
a third
consecutive PBA World Championship. The top women bowlers in the world begin
competition in their inaugural PBA Women’s World Championship. And, the nation’s top senior
players close their season with a nostalgic PBA Senior World
Championship.

It all will happen at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit, where the grand finale will be a weekend
of PBA championships conducted in Thunderbowl's
historic Arena Bay for tape-delayed airing on
ESPN
.


Headlining the week’s schedule will be Duke’s attempt to join Earl Anthony and Jason Couch as the
only PBA players to win the same major championship three
times in a row. Anthony won the PBA
National Championship three consecutive
times twice, while Couch won three straight PBA
Tournament of Champions titles.


“To win a major title is a big deal. To defend a major title is a bigger deal, but to have a chance to
win the same major three times in a row is really
special,” said Duke. “Every year my goal is to
win Player
of the Year honors. With only 23 events, it’s imperative to play well in the majors and
this is the first one of the 2009-10 season, so for me, everything
begins this week.”

After winning a PBA World Championship, U.S. Open and a second PBA World Championship in
2009, Duke not only understands how difficult winning another
will be, but this event is the seventh
the stars of the Lumber Liquidators PBA
Tour have bowled during the five-week World Series.

“It’s hard to stay mentally sharp after all these weeks,” Duke said, “but everyone is in the same boat.
It will take a great head to win this one. You
have to keep your focus. That’s my biggest concern
and at the same time, that is
my biggest motivation.”

Bowling alongside the sold-out 120-player field in the PBA World Championship will be more than
100 PBA Senior Tour stars bowling in a revival of the PBA
Senior World Championship, and a
group of talented women competing in their
inaugural Women’s World Championship.

“This event is exactly what the Senior Tour players have been asking for,” said Ron Mohr of Eagle
River, Alaska, the PBA Senior Tour’s leading Player of the
Year candidate as its only three-time
winner in 2009. “We’ve been wanting a
larger prize fund and the same format and lane conditions as
the so-called
junior tour. The Senior World Championship will be the perfect culmination for our
year. And, hopefully, it’ll be the perfect ending for me, too.”


The last PBA Senior World Championship was held in Las Vegas in 2002 and, ironically, was won by
PBA Hall of Famer Mark Roth who recently suffered a
severe stroke that left him paralyzed on the
left side of his body. Throughout
the season, the senior players have conducted fund-raisers at all of
their
tournaments to raise money to help Roth defray his medical expenses.

The PBA Women’s World Championship is a new event, and joins the United States Bowling
Congress (USBC) Queens
and U.S. Women’s Open as a third major championship for
women.
Heading the field for that event will be Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga,
NY, who won the USBC Queens
in April and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller,
TX, who have each qualified for the TV finals in two of
the four PBA Women’s
Series presented by BOWL.COM events conducted as part of the World
Series
.


All three tournaments will be conducted concurrently at Thunderbowl Lanes with qualifying rounds
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the fields are trimmed
for best-of-seven-game single-
elimination match play rounds Thursday and Friday.


THIS WEEK’S PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING AT A GLANCE

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
Event: PBA World Championship
When: Monday-Friday, Aug. 31-Sept. 4
Where: Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
First Prize: $50,000
Television: Finals to be conducted live on Dec. 13 at Northrock Lanes, Wichita, KS.
Online: Xtra Frame on PBA.com, Thursday, 2 p.m., Round of 32; Friday, 9 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m.,
Rounds of 16, Super 16 and 8

Last Year: Norm Duke has won the last two PBA World Championships

PBA WOMEN’S SERIES PRESENTED BY BOWL.COM
Event: PBA Women’s World Championship
When: Monday-Friday, Aug. 31-Sept. 4
Where: Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
First Prize: $15,000
Television: Finals to be taped Sept. 5 for airing on ESPN (Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. ET)
Online: Xtra Frame on PBA.com, Thursday, 2 p.m., Round of 16; Friday, 9 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m.,
Rounds of 8, Super 8 and semifinals.

Last Year: New major championship for women

PBA SENIOR TOUR
Event: PBA Senior World Championship
When: Monday-Friday, Aug. 31-Sept. 4
Where: Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
First Prize: $15,000
Television: Finals to be taped Sept. 5 for airing on ESPN (Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. ET)
Online: Xtra Frame on PBA.com, Thursday, 7 p.m., Round of 16; Friday, 9 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m.,
Rounds of 8, Super 8 and semifinals.

Last Year: Mark Roth won the last Senior World Championship, held in 2002 in Las Vegas

WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING GRAND FINALE WEEKEND
Event: Six telecasts to be taped for delayed airing on ESPN
When: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6, at noon, 3:30 and 7 p.m. both days
Where: Arena Bay at Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.

Shark Championships

Reigning Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year Wes Malott of Pflugerville,
TX, avenged his 2008 PBA Shark
Championship title match loss to Rhino Page of Wesley Chapel,
FL, and Kelly
Kulick of Union, NJ, won a stunning rematch battle against USBC Queens champion Liz
Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, in the PBA Women’s Shark Championship
semifinals Saturday night
at Thunderbowl Lanes.


Malott, who hadn’t made a TV final in five previous PBA World Series of Bowling events, rallied to
edge Page, 4-3, in their best-of-seven-game elimination
match.

“It was pretty crazy,” Malott said. “I saw Rhino was getting forced to move to the right, and he was
trying to open up the lane condition, which you can’t do
on this pattern. When he started to struggle,
I relaxed more.


“There’s really no history between us,” Malott said of their Shark title rematch, “other than we don’t
like to lose to each other. It’s another week,
another year, a different bowling center.”

Also advancing to the semifinal round were two “comeback” players and one of the Lumber Liquidators
PBA Tour’s talented young power players, Michael Fagan of
Patchogue, NY, who is trying for his first
singles title.


Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, NY, who won his only PBA Tour title in 1995, defeated Tim Mack of
Indianapolis, 4-2, while 15-time PBA titlist Jason Couch of
Clermont, FL, on the comeback trail after
undergoing knee surgery in 2007,
advanced to the TV finals with a 4-2 win over Australia’s two-
handed sensation,
Jason Belmonte.

“I’ve had an unbelievable four weeks in Detroit,” Jurek said, “but it’s been a long time since I’ve won.
It’s not like I have a bad record on TV; I’ve averaged
220-something, but my opponents have
averaged 250. You just have to keep
knocking on the door and one of these days, something good
will happen.”


Jurek, 46, missed the match play cut in the Motor City Open to start the five-week, seven-event
PBA World Series of Bowling
, but since then he has made
match play in five consecutive events
with three top eight finishes.


Couch, on the other hand, has made steady progress in coming back from surgery on his right knee.

“It’s been a tough year and a half,” he said. “I think I came back too early, but my issues have
probably been more mental than anything. You worry about
whether the knee will hold up or not. You
can’t bowl if you don’t have
confidence.”

Fagan, who has won one doubles title in his eight-year career, said he realizes superstars Walter Ray
Williams Jr. and Norm Duke weren’t overnight successes,
either.

“It’s time to win, but I don’t feel like I’m struggling. It’s a tough sport,” Fagan said. “You never know
when it’ll turn around. Even when you’re bowling
bad, the next week it can be completely different.
This is my career. Someday I
want to be one of those people you remember.”

On the women’s side, Kulick won what she called “the best match of my career” when Johnson left
the 6-7-10 split and missed in the 10th frame of the seventh
game, handing Kulick a 246-240 victory
and a 4-3 come-from-behind win. Johnson,
who defeated Kulick in the USBC Queens title match in
April, won the first two
games, 261-238 and 279-258. Kulick won the next two games, but then lost
again,
265-259. She then topped Johnson, 243-226, to force the seventh game.

“That’s the best seven games I’ve put together in my life,” Kulick said. “There was no missing. In the
last game, I had her score circled as winning when she
went high and left that split. She maybe went
high on the headpin one other time
in seven games. It was amazing.”

In the other women’s semifinal, 20-time women’s champion Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, TX,
earned her berth in the Women’s Shark title match with a 4-2
victory over 2009 U.S. Women’s Open
champion Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden,
Utah, after taking a few days off to return home for
her daughter Alyssa’s first
day in school.

“The Scorpion Championship was the first tournament I’ve missed in 18, 19 years as a professional,”
she said, “but some things take a precedent. There’s only
one word to explain that experience as a
parent: priceless.”


The PBA Shark Championship and Women’s Shark Championship finals will be contested on Saturday,
Sept. 6, for tape-delayed broadcast on ESPN on Sunday,
Dec. 6.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Bowling Action from The World Series of Bowling

Defending Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Shark Champion Rhino Page of Wesley Chapel
FL, and No. 1 Women’s Shark
Championship qualifier Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, TX, led their
respective fields into the final round of match play at Thunderbowl Lanes Saturday night.

In another Round of 8 filled with upsets, Shark Championships top qualifier Norm Duke of Clermont,
FL, was eliminated in a tense 4-3 best-of-seven-game match
by injury-plagued Tim Mack of
Indianapolis, IN who earned his first exemption to
bowl on the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA
Tour
in June at age 38. Duke battled
back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the match, but a 4-6-7-10 split in
the ninth
frame of game seven killed his comeback bid.

All four of the Shark Championships top qualifiers who earned first-round match play byes lost in the
Round of 8.


Page defeated No. 4 qualifier Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI, 4-2; Australian two-handed
sensation Jason Belmonte rallied to defeated No. 2
qualifier Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, AZ, 4-3,
and Michael Fagan of
Patchogue, NY, ousted No. 3 qualifier Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, 4-3.

In other matches, reigning PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX, knocked out Chris
Barnes of Double Oak, TX, 4-1; Jack Jurek of
Lackawanna, NY, edged Mike Edwards of Tulsa, OK,
4-3; Jason Couch of
Clermont, FL, eliminated Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, 4-2, and Chris
Loschetter of Avon, OH, defeated Lonnie Waliczek of Wichita, KS, 4-2.

The possibility of the first husband and wife tandem reaching the televised finals in the same event
ended early Saturday when Parker Bohn III of Jackson,
NJ, lost a 4-3 match against Jack Jurek of
Lackawanna, NY, in the Round of
20 while wife Leslie Bohn was eliminated by Dorin-Ballard, 4-1, in
the women’s
Round of 8.

In other women’s Round of 8 matches, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, eliminated No. 2 qualifier
Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, NV, 4-1; U.S.
Women’s Open champion Tammy Boomershine
of North Ogden, Utah, ousted Colombia’s
Clara Guerrero, 4-2, and Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, stopped
Shannon O’Keefe of
Arlington, TX, 4-2.

The men’s Shark Championship Round of 8 and the women’s Shark semifinal rounds were held
Saturday night to determine the four men and two women who will
advance to the Shark
Championships finals on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Shark
Championships will air on ESPN on
Sunday, Dec. 6.


PBA SHARK CHAMPIONSHIPS
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 29

Round of 16 (best of seven games, losers eliminated and earned $3,400)
Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4-2
Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, def. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 4-1
Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., def. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 4-3
Tim Mack, Indianapolis, def. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 4-3
Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 4-3
Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-2
Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4-2
Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., def. Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 4-3


Round of 28 (best of seven games, 12 winners plus four players who earned first round byes
advanced to Round of 16; losers eliminated and earned $2,500)
Mack def. Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 4-2
Edwards def. Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 4-0
Jurek def. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4-3
Malott def. Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4-2
Barnes def. Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 4-1
Page def. Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4-2
Belmonte def. Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 4-2
Couch def. Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 4-3
Shafer def. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 4-0
Lonnie Waliczek def. Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 4-2
Loschetter def. Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 4-1
Fagan def. Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 4-3

PBA WOMEN’S SERIES PRESENTED BY BOWL.COM SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 29

Round of 8 (best of seven games, losers eliminated and earned $2,500)
Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, def. Clara Guerrero), Colombia, 4-2
Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 4-1
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, def. Leslie Bohn, Jackson, N.J., 4-2
Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 4-2

Greatest Two Days of Action In PBA history

BE A PART OF THE ESPN AUDIENCE AND WATCH 11 PBA CHAMPIONSHIPS BE DECIDED September 5th and 6th
Some of the greatest players in the history of bowling, plus international players, rising PBA stars and local favorites will compete over the two days. All competition will take place in the Arena Bay at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan.

In addition to all championship finals there will be an amazing trick shot contest showcasing the many talents of today's professional bowlers. All events will be taped for national television to air on ESPN this fall and prove to be fun for the whole family! Be a part of bowling history at the finals of the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling in the greatest bowling city in the world! See the best players in the world for as little as $5 a seat! Click for ticket info.

National Bowling Week


National Bowling Week rolls off today through September 5, when the attempt will be made to establish a new world record for number of games bowled in a single day.

Bowlers can find participating bowling centers and download a Free Game coupon at GoBowling.com. This next week centers will receive a link on BPAA.com where they can record their lineage on Sept. 5, World Record Day.

Friday, August 28, 2009

PBA Shark Championships

Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, TX, led the qualifying fields in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Shark Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes Friday, but most eyes will be on the wife-and-husband tandem of Leslie and Parker Bohn III who will attempt to become the first TV finals couple in PBA history when the tournament begins match play competition Saturday.

The Shark Championships are the last of five so-called “animal pattern” lane
conditioning events in the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling, a festival of
professional bowling which ends on Sept. 6.

Duke, a PBA Hall of Famer and 34-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour champion, averaged 221.79 for the 14 qualifying games, finishing with a 3,105 pinfall total and a 65-pin edge over Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, AZ, in the men’s Shark Championship. First-round leader Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, SC, was third with 3,026 pins followed by Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI, at 3,013,
and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, TX, with 3,007 pins.

Dorin-Ballard, a 20-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA)champion and a two-time PBA Women’s Series presented by USBC winner, out-averaged Duke at 226.71 and finished with a 3,113 total to top Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, NV, by 28 pins for the Women’s Shark Championship qualifying lead. Shannon O’Keefe of Arlington, TX, was third with 3,083 pins followed by 2009 U.S. Women’s Open champion Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden, UT, at 3,070 and Colombia’s Clara Guerrero at 3,067.

Parker Bohn, who has struggled during the World Series of Bowling, made his
first match play cut in six attempts, qualifying for the 28-player best-of-seven-game, single-elimination match play field in a tie for 24th place. Wife Leslie, who made it into the women’s qualifying field through the pre-tournament Tour Qualifying Round, earned the eighth and final spot in the women’s match play field.

Exempt tour players Chris Barnes and his wife Lynda, Double Oak, TX, have
advanced to the match play finals in both the Viper and Chameleon Championships.

Chris is a TV finalist in the Motor City Open, the first World Series event, and
Lynda advanced to the Women’s Viper Championship title match, but no married
couple has ever made it to the same TV show.

“If you could pencil that in, I’d take it,” Parker said. “Me, too,” Leslie
added. “It would be a lot of firsts, including my first TV show as a singles
bowler.”

“Maybe it was the inspiration of my wife being out there,” Parker added. “I will
say I beat her the first game of each block, but that’s about it. After that,
she bowled three-and-a-half times better than me (Parker finished with 2,861
pins, Leslie with 3,016).

“I was delighted to see the women have some TQR opportunities,” Leslie
continued, “but I didn’t have much time. My husband finally told me to pick my
favorite lane condition, bowl that event and have a good time. Shannon O’Keefe
(an exempt women’s player) said she’d watch the kids so I could bowl the TQR.
She did and I made it. Then Osku Palmermaa’s fiancĂ© offered to the watch kids
today.

“I’ve learned so much by watching Parker and how he handles situations. I put
that into play today, and it really helped. I worked really hard, filled a lot of frames, had fun and it was enough.”

“The big thing for me was starting both rounds with 240 games,” Parker said.
“Coming out of the gate with big games was the turn around. I felt like I was
bowling the U.S. Open every tournament. I’m not blaming anyone. Whether it’s
good, bad, tight, hooking, inside, outside – it doesn’t matter. You have to
figure it out.

“Hopefully both of us with have a good day tomorrow,” Parker smiled, “and it
would be even better if we both get to do interviews after the Shark
Championships TV show.”

The finals of both the men’s and women’s Shark Championships will be contested on Sept. 6 at Thunderbowl Lanes for delayed telecast on ESPN on Dec. 6.

PBA SHARK CHAMPIONSHIP
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 28
FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 14 games)
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,105
2, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 3,040
3, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,026
4, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,013
5, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,007
6, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,005
7, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 2,987
8, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,968
9, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 2,933
10, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 2,932
11, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,923
12, (tie) Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,919
14, (tie) Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, and Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,917
16, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 2,909
17, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 2,893
18, (tie) Jason Belmonte, Australia, and Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 2,890
20, Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,878
21, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 2,866
22, (tie) Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., and Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,865
24, (tie) Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., and Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,861
26, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,857
27, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 2,851
28, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,849
Did not advance:
29, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,845, $1,600
30, Tony Campagna Jr., Chesapeake, Va., 2,831, $1,600
31, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,825, $1,600
32, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 2,809, $1,600
33, (tie) Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., and Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La, 2,800, $1,600
35, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,799, $1,600
36, George Lambert IV, Canada, 2,798, $1,600
37, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 2,791, $1,500
38, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,783, $1,500
38, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,783, $1,500
40, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 2,781, $1,500
41, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 2,774, $1,500
42, Mason Brantley, Detroit, 2,769, $1,500
43, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 2,763, $1,500
44, Stuart Williams, England, 2,755, $1,500
45, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 2,752, $1,500
46, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,749, $1,500
47, (tie) Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., and Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,730, $1,500
49, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,716, $1,500
50, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 2,711, $1,500
51, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 2,708, $1,500
52, Tom Daugherty, Tampa, Fla., 2,703, $1,500
53, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,701, $1,500
54, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 2,700, $1,500
55, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 2,698, $1,400
56, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 2,696, $1,400
57, Tae-Hwa Jeong, South Korea, 2,683, $1,400
57, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 2,683, $1,400
59, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,677, $1,400
60, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 2,665, $1,400
61, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,664, $1,400
62, Matt White, Youngsville, Pa, 2,645, $1,400
63, Steve Rogers, Bourbonnais, Ill., 2,638, $1,400
64, Christopher Moyer, Saginaw, Mich., 2,604, $1,400
65, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 2,575, $1,400
66, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,558, $1,400
67, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 2,548, $1,400
68, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 2,542, $1,400
69, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 2,509, $1,400
70, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 2,507, $1,400
71, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 2,458, $1,400
72, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,801, $1,400

PBA Women’s Series Presented by BOWL.COM Shark Championship
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 28
FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 14 games)
1, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 3,113
2, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 3,095
3, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 3,083
4, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 3,070
5, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 3,067
6, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,027
7, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,017
8, Leslie Bohn, Jackson, N.J., 3,016
Did not advance:
9, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 2,954, $1,400
10, Joy Esterson, Annapolis, Md., 2,929, $1,400
11, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 2,921, $1,400
12, Amanda Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 2,906, $1,400
13, Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., 2,876, $1,400
14, Stefanie Nation, Arlington, Texas, 2,862, $1,400
15, Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, 2,818, $1,400
16, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 2,716, $1,400
17, Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., 2,714, $1,400
18, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,700, $1,400
19, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 2,682, $1,400
20, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 2,620, $1,400

Thursday, August 27, 2009

PBA Senior Dick Weber Open

Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska defeated Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, NC, to win his third Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour title of the season in the PBA Senior Dick Weber Open at Royal Scot Golf & Bowl Wednesday. 

Mohr, who won the first two Senior Tour events of the season, defeated Baker, 232-175, in the championship match to win the $8,000 first prize.

Qualifying fourth in the stepladder final, Mohr had to win three matches to get to the championship match. He defeated Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, MI, 216-171; Rick Minier, Cypress, TX, 223-196, and Hall of Famer Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX, 196-186. 

“I had my work cut out for me because I had to beat a lot of great talent,” Mohr said. “This was a tough tournament on a challenging lane condition so it’s a pretty rewarding win.”

Mohr now turns his attention to the last event of the season, the PBA Senior World Championship Aug. 30-Sept. 5 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. The Senior World Championship will be conducted as part of the PBA World Series of Bowling

“I’m looking forward to the possibility of being Senior Tour Player of the Year,” Mohr said, “but I’m not taking anything for granted—I’m going to need to have a good tournament.”

Match Play Results -Includes match play record and 48-game pinfall. Top five advanced to stepladder finals. 

1, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 18-6, 10,866 
2, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 18-6, 10,845 
3, Rick Minier, Cypress, Texas, 14-10, 10,749 
4, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 15-9, 10,707 
5, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 15-9, 10,577 
6, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 14-10, 10,373, $1,700 
7, Mike Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 12-11-1, 10,312, $1,600 
8, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., 12-12, 10,248, $1,500 
9, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 13-11, 10,243, $1,450 
10, (TIE) Ted Hannahs, Zanesville, Ohio, 10-13-1, 10,196, $1,387 and Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 13-10-1, 10,196, $1,387 
12, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 13-11, 10,164, $1,350 
13, Randy Rau, Belleville, Ill., 13-11, 10,136, $1,325 
14, Bobby Johnson, Chillicothe, Ohio, 11-13, 10,127, $1,300 
15, Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 11-13, 10,027, $1,280 
16, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 15-9, 10,011, $1,260 
17, Timothy Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 8-16, 9,984, $1,240 
18, Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 11-12-1, 9,934, $1,220 
19, John Chapman, Canada, 8-16, 9,926, $1,200 
20, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 10-14, 9,915, $1,190 
21, Charlie Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 9-15, 9,684, $1,180 
22, Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 9-15, 9,780, $1,170 
23, Paul Kwiecien, Lansing, Mich., 8-16, 9,765, $1,160 
24, Leo Scantamburlo, Riverview, Mich., 6-18, 9,410, $1,150

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

World Series of Bowling

Seventy-five miles to the northwest, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour wrapped up the Senior Dick Weber Open on Wednesday, and began their final migration leg from Lansing into suburban Detroit to join the PBA World Series of Bowling party. 

Already on hand at Thunderbowl Lanes are the greatest male and female bowlers from around the world – amateurs as well as professionals – who are geared up for a one-of-a-kind PBA World Championship tripleheader that will provide a grand finale to the PBA’s five-week, multi-event World Series of Bowling.

The closing act will be a weekend of championship finals conducted in  Thunderbowl Lanes’ historic arena bay for tape-delayed telecast on ESPN in the  fall. Eleven men’s and women’s championships will be contested on Saturday and  Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6, for delayed telecast on ESPN.

The PBA World Championships – three separate events conducted concurrently with $440,000 in prize money at stake – will be a feast for any bowling fan. Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, will try to win his third consecutive PBA World Championship in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s first major championship of the 2009-10 season while, for the women and seniors, their World Championships will be the final majors of the year.

In the PBA Women’s World Championship, a new major championship for women, United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens champ Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, and U.S. Women’s Open winner Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden, Utah, will head a talent-ladened field.

In the PBA Senior World Championship, the final event on the PBA Senior Tour schedule for 2009, two-time Senior U.S. Open champion Wayne Webb of Sacramento, CA; USBC Senior Masters winner Dale Traber and four-time PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year Tom Baker of King, NC, will be in the spotlight as the race for PBA Senior Player of the Year heads into the home stretch.

Competition in the PBA, PBA Women’s and PBA Senior World Championships gets underway Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with six-game qualifying each day for all players. After 18 games, a minimum of 53 women, 53 seniors and 53 men will advance to a six-game cashers round Thursday at 9 a.m.  

Thursday evening, best-of-seven-game, single-elimination match play begins. The top 40 qualifiers in the PBA World Championship advance while the top 20 women and top 20 seniors will move on. The top eight male qualifiers and top four women and seniors will earn byes through the first two rounds of match play. 

Match play will continue Thursday and Friday, culling the fields to 

four survivors in the PBA World Championship, two in the PBA Women’s World  Championship and two in the PBA Senior World Championship

The women’s and  senior title matches will be held as the opening event at noon on Saturday’s  television agenda and taped to air Oct. 25 on ESPN. The PBA World Championship  finals will be conducted on Dec. 13 at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, KS, and  aired live.  Each of the tournaments is open to amateurs as well as professionals. For entry information, visit bowl.com and click on the “Enter Tournament” tab.  

Spectators  looking for tickets can click on the World Series of Bowling link on the pba.com home page. For those unable to  attend, pba.com’s online “bowling TV channel,”  Xtra Frame, will provide non-stop coverage. Click on the Xtra Frame link for information on how to sign up.  

 

World Series of Bowling

Seventy-five miles to the northwest, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour wrapped up the Senior Dick Weber Open on Wednesday, and began their final migration leg from Lansing into suburban Detroit to join the PBA World Series of Bowling party.

Already on hand at Thunderbowl Lanes are the greatest male and female bowlers from around the world – amateurs as well as professionals – who are geared up for a one-of-a-kind PBA World Championship tripleheader that will provide a grand finale to the PBA’s five-week, multi-event World Series of Bowling.
The closing act will be a weekend of championship finals conducted in  Thunderbowl Lanes’ historic arena bay for tape-delayed telecast on ESPN in the  fall. Eleven men’s and women’s championships will be contested on Saturday and  Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6, for delayed telecast on ESPN.
The PBA World Championships – three separate events conducted concurrently with $440,000 in prize money at stake – will be a feast for any bowling fan. Norm  Duke of Clermont, FL, will try to win his third consecutive PBA World Championship in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s first major championship of  the 2009-10 season while, for the women and seniors, their World Championships  will be the final majors of the year.
In the PBA Women’s World Championship, a new major championship for women, United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens champ Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, and U.S. Women’s Open winner Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden, Utah, will head a talent-ladened field.
In the PBA Senior World Championship, the final event on the PBA Senior Tour  schedule for 2009, two-time Senior U.S. Open champion Wayne Webb of Sacramento, CA; USBC Senior Masters winner Dale Traber and four-time PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year Tom Baker of King, NC, will be in the spotlight as the race  for PBA Senior Player of the Year heads into the home stretch.
Competition in the PBA, PBA Women’s and PBA Senior World Championships gets  underway Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with six-game qualifying each day for all  players. After 18 games, a minimum of 53 women, 53 seniors and 53 men will  advance to a six-game cashers round Thursday at 9 a.m.  Thursday evening, best-of-seven-game, single-elimination match play begins. The  top 40 qualifiers in the PBA World Championship advance while the top 20 women  and top 20 seniors will move on. The top eight male qualifiers and top four  women and seniors will earn byes through the first two rounds of match play.  Match play will continue Thursday and Friday, culling the fields to four  survivors in the PBA World Championship, two in the PBA Women’s World  Championship and two in the PBA Senior World Championship. The women’s and  senior title matches will be held as the opening event at noon on Saturday’s  television agenda and taped to air Oct. 25 on ESPN. The PBA World Championship  finals will be conducted on Dec. 13 at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, KS, and  aired live.  Each of the tournaments is open to amateurs as well as professionals. For entry  information, visit bowl.com and click on the “Enter Tournament” tab. Spectators  looking for tickets can click on the World Series of Bowling link on the pba.com  home page. For those unable to attend, pba.com’s online “bowling TV channel,”  Xtra Frame, will provide non-stop coverage. Click on the Xtra Frame link for  information on how to sign up.  LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, MI.  Sunday, Aug. 30 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. – Practice sessions Monday, Aug. 31 8 a.m. – A Squad, 6 games qualifying Noon – B Squad, 6 games qualifying 6 p.m. – C Squad, 6 games qualifying Tuesday, Sept. 1 8 a.m. – B Squad, 6 games qualifying Noon – C Squad, 6 games qualifying 6 p.m. – A Squad, 6 games qualifying Wednesday, Sept. 2 8 a.m. – C Squad, 6 games qualifying Noon – A Squad, 6 games qualifying 6 p.m. – B Squad, 6 games qualifying Cashers advance in each division
Thursday, Sept. 3
9 a.m. – Cashers’ Round, 6 games             Top 40 PBA Tour players advance (top 8 to Super 16 Round; 9-40 to                 Round of 32)             Top 20 Seniors advance (top 4 to Super 8 Round; 5-20 to Round of 16)             Top 20 Women advance (top 4 to Super 8 Round; 5-20 to Round of 16) 2 p.m. – PBA Tour Round of 32, best of seven games 6 p.m. - Women’s Round of 16, best of seven games 7 p.m. - Seniors Round of 16, best of seven games
Friday, Sept. 4
9 a.m. – PBA Tour Round of 16, best of seven games             Seniors Round of 8, best of seven games             Women’s Round of 8, best of seven games 2 p.m. – PBA Tour Super 16 Round, best of seven games             Seniors Super 8 Round, best of seven games             Women’s Super 8 Round, best of seven games 7 p.m. – PBA Tour Round of 8, best of seven games (top 4 advance to live ESPN                 final, Dec. 13 at Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan.)             Seniors Semifinal Round, best of seven games (top two advance to                    ESPN final, taped at noon, Saturday, Sept. 5, to air Oct. 25)             Women’s Semifinal Round, best of seven games (top two advance to                    ESPN final, taped at noon, Saturday, Sept. 5, to air Oct. 25)  ESPN FINALS SCHEDULE Saturday, Sept. 5 
Noon – PBA Women’s World Championship, PBA Senior World Championship and PBA Trick Shot Invitational finals, Thunderbowl Lanes (taped to air on ESPN on Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. Eastern)
3:30 p.m. – Motor City Open stepladder finals (taped to air on ESPN on Sunday,  Nov. 1, 1 p.m. Eastern)
7 p.m. – PBA Viper and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper  Championships, Thunderbowl Lanes (taped to air on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 15, 1  p.m. Eastern)
Sunday, Sept. 6 
Noon – PBA Chameleon and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Chameleon  Championships, Thunderbowl Lanes (taped to air on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 22, 1  p.m. Eastern)
3:30 p.m. – PBA Scorpion and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Scorpion  Championships, Thunderbowl Lanes (taped to air on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 29, 1  p.m. Eastern)
7 p.m. – PBA Shark and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Shark  Championships, Thunderbowl Lanes (taped to air on ESPN on Sunday, Dec. 6, 1 p.m.  Eastern)

Monday, August 24, 2009

2009 Billy Welu Scholarship

Elizabeth Seibel, a geosciences major at Penn State University and an accomplished bowler, has been named the recipient of the 2009 Billy Welu Scholarship by the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). 

The $1,000 scholarship recognizes exemplary qualities in college students who compete in the sport of bowling. As a member of the Penn State bowling team in 2008-09, the freshman was named National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Rookie of the Year, First Team Collegiate All-American and won six other all-tournament team honors.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

National Bowling Week

National Bowling Week is Aug. 29-Sept. 5. Highlighting this year’s National Bowling Week will be a FREE GAME OF BOWLING giveaway on BOWL.com. 

Log on to BOWL.com/coupon to print out your free game, and join millions of bowlers on Sept. 5 as United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and bowlers all over the country look to break the world record for most games bowled in a single day.

Check out the all new BOWL.com

Your source for all things bowling, BOWL.com has re-launched with a new look and more features than ever before.

Take a minute to browse the new site, and you’ll find forums, featured bowlers, up-to-the-minute bowling news and an all new BowlTV.

Shark Championships Qualifying

Bo Goergen, Midland, MI, and Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, NM, will lead a field of13 men and three women, respectively, who will advance to the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Shark Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes on Friday. 

Goergen posted a seven-game total of 1,509 pins to top a field of 66 in Saturday’s men’s Tour Qualifying Round (TQR) while Miller, who qualified for the Women’s Scorpion Championships earlier in the day, had 1,563 pins to lead the field of 19 women bidding for berths into the PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM event. 

Advancing along with Goergen were Steve Rogers, Bourbonnais, IL, 1,504; Matt White, Youngsville, PA, 1,498; Christopher Moyer, Saginaw, MI, 1,492; Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, OH, 1,448; Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, OH, 1,442; Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, MI, 1,433; Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, MI, 1,423; Tony Campagna Jr., Chesapeake, VA, and Mason Brantley, Detroit, MI, 1,414; Paul Gibson, Brunswick, OH, 1,412; Scott Newell, Deland, FL, 1,400, and Tom Daugherty, Tampa, FL, 1,397. 

Three extra spots in the PBA Shark Championship field were awarded after exempt tour players Tommy Delutz Jr., Danny Wiseman and Dave Arnold withdrew and one additional women’s spots was awarded. 

In addition to Miller, women advancing to Friday’s qualifying rounds are Joy Esterson, Annapolis, MD, and Leslie Bohn, Jackson, NJ, who tied for second with 1,472 totals. Esterson is a former PBA Women’s Series exempt player. Bohn, a Michigan native, is the wife of Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour star Parker Bohn III. 

The 72-player men’s Shark Championship, the sixth event in the PBA World Series of Bowling, will include 59 exempt players who will bowl two seven-game qualifying rounds on Aug. 28 beginning at 8 a.m. The top 28 men and the top eight women will advance to single-elimination best-of-seven game matches on Aug. 29, with the Round of 8 starting at 7:30 p.m. The Shark Championship finals will be taped on Sept. 6 at Thunderbowl Lanes and aired on ESPN Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. Eastern. 

PBA World Series of Bowling Shark Championship Tour Qualifying Round 
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, MI  - Aug. 22, 2009 
(Top 13 advance to the Round of 72 for Shark Championship qualifying Aug. 28) 
Pos., name, hometown, seven-game total, money 
1, Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., 1,509 
2, Steve Rogers, Bourbonnais, Ill., 1,504 
3, Matt White, Youngsville, Pa., 1,498 
4, Christopher Moyer, Saginaw, Mich., 1,492 
5, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,448 
6, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 1,442 
7, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,433 
8, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 1,423 
9, (tie) Tony Campagna Jr., Chesapeake, Va., and Mason Brantley, Detroit, 1,414 
11, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,412 
12, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,400 
13, Tom Daugherty, Tampa, Fla., 1,397 
14, (tie) Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., and Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 1,394, $850 16, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,392, $400 
17, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,390 
18, Timothy Behrendt, St. Louis, 1,384 
19, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,373 
20, (tie) Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., and Andres Gomez, Bogota, Colombia, 1,367 22, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,361 
23, Jay Futrell, Derby, Kan., 1,358 
24, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 1,356 
25, Paul Moor, England, 1,353 
26, Todd Sim, Canada, 1,347 
27, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,338 
28, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 1,337 
29, Mike Keily, Lakewood, Colo., 1,333 
30, Michael Cimba, Monroeville, Pa., 1,331 
31, Abed Daher, Brownstown, Mich., 1,330 
32, Richard Horodecki Jr., Jackson, Mich., 1,323 
33, (tie) D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, and Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 1,316 
35, Steven Black, Phoenix, 1,309 
36, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,304 
37, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,303 
38, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 1,292 
39, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 1,291 
40, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 1,290 
41, (tie) Jesse Smith, Garfield Heights, Ohio, and Alex Medveditskov, Russia, 1,287 
43, Sean Morgan, Hollidaysburg, Pa., 1,276 
44, Mike Nadolski, Westland, Mich., 1,273 
45, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1,272 
46, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,271 
47, Nick Weber, St. Charles, Mo., 1,270 
48, Leon Walsh Jr., Plymouth, Mich, 1,247 
49, Keith Nichols, Englewood, Fla, 1,246 
50, Andrew Horodecki, Jackson, Mich., 1,238 
51, Jason Zook, Tampa, Fla, 1,232 
52, Toshifumi Kojima, Japan, 1,219 
53, Darren Comardelle, Gretna, La., 1,199 
54, Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,185 
55, (tie) Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Steve Tobolt, Chicago, 1,184 
57, Tim Keeler, Omaha, Neb., 1,183 
58, Johnny Petraglia Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, 1,177 59, (tie) Brian DiCicco, Agawam, Mass., and Brandon Robertson, Clinton, Conn., 1,173 
61, Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 1,171 
62, Corey Miller, Grand Blanc, Mich., 1,170 
63, Ed Campbell, Rochester Hills, Mich., 1,155 
64, Dale Cheer, Commerce, Mich., 1,143 
65, Kevin Bostrom, Muskegon, Mich., 1,128 
66, Jack Nealon, Bowie, Md., 1,096 

PBA Women’s Series Presented By Bowl.Com Shark Championship TQR  
(Top three advance to the Round of 20 for qualifying Aug. 28) 
Pos., name, hometown, seven-game total, money 
1, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 1,563 
2, (tie) Joy Esterson, Annapolis, Md., and Leslie Bohn, Jackson, N.J., 1,472 
4, Kathy Tribbey, Dundee, Ore., 1,467, $1,000 
5, Lindsay Baker, Waterford, Mich., 1,464 
6, Sun Hee Lee, South Korea, 1,447 
7, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi, Sandusky, Ohio, 1,443 
8, Veronica Lantto, Sweden, 1,429 
9, Christine Bator, Warren, Mich., 1,374 
10, Megan Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, 1,369 
11, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 1,367 
12, Darlene Dysart, Farmington Hills, Mich., 1,365 
13, Sara Vargas, Orlando, Fla., 1,337 
14, Jessica Helwi, St. Charles, Mo., 1,294 
15, Mi Jung Cha, South Korea, 1,292 
16, Kristy King, Clinton Twp., Mich., 1,283 
17, Andrea Lucente, Youngstown, Ohio, 1,271 
18, Sandra Schultz, Macomb, Mich., 1,189 
19, Crystal Bunton, Portage, Ind., 1,123

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Senior Player of the Year Race

The chase for Professional Bowlers Association Senior Player of the Year honors continues to mount as the 50-and-older generation invades Royal Scot Golf and Bowl in Lansing, Mich., Aug. 22-26 for the PBA Senior Dick Weber Open, the next-to-last event of the 2009 campaign. 

In addition to competing for a stunning crystal trophy honoring the memory of one of the greatest bowlers in history, the Senior Dick Weber Open will be the final contest leading into the new PBA Senior World Championship Aug. 30-Sept. 4 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI. 

The field in Lansing will feature Senior Player of the Year candidates Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, and Dale Traber of Cedarburg, WI, both two-time winners in 2009, as well as PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb of Sacramento, CA, who took over the Senior Tour earnings and points leads for 2009 with his third-place finish in the Senior Miller Lite Knockout Classic in Joliet, IL, Tuesday. 

Webb won his second consecutive Senior U.S. Open title earlier in the season. Fellow Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, NJ and Mark Williams of Beaumont, TX, also have notched 2009 victories and rank among the Senior Tour’s top 10 this season. 

Also entered are some other players and Hall of Famers who were named to the PBA’s all-time 50 greatest players list last season: reigning four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker, King, NC, who is looking for this first title of the year, and Dave Soutar, Bradenton, FL. 

Competition gets underway with eight-game qualifying blocks today (Sunday) and Monday at 10 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. The field will then be cut to a minimum of 53 players (depending upon number of entries) who will advance to another eight-game qualifying round Tuesday at 10 a.m. The top 24 then advance to round-robin match play Tuesday at 6 p.m., and Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. All times are Eastern. The championship will be decided in a five-player stepladder final Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
2009 PBA SENIOR TOUR EARNINGS LEADERS (As of Aug. 18) 
1, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, CA, $37,900 
2, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, WI, $32,450 
3, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, AK, $30,750 
4, Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX, $29,100 
5, Brian Voss, Kennesaw, GA, $22,200 
6, Hugh Miller, Seattle, WA $17,600 
7, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, FL, $15,700 
8, Dale Eagle, Frisco, TX, $14,900 
9, Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, NJ, $14,600 
10, Tom Baker, King, NC, $13,920  

Thursday, August 13, 2009

PBA Cheetah Championship

In a battle between two Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) legends, Norm Duke defeated all-time Tour win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. Wednesday to advance to the Round of 8 in the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.

Duke eliminated 45-time Tour titlist Williams 4-3 in the Round of 16 best-of-seven game match that he admitted was one he needed to be especially prepared for.

“It’s like playing Tiger Woods,” said the 45-year-old Duke who owns 29 career Tour titles. “You have to fight to beat him every frame. It seems that even on his worse day you have to fight to beat him. The last time we met he swept me all four games.”

Qualifying leader Ryan Ciminelli continued his march by defeating one of his mentors, four-time Tour champion Ryan Shafer 4-1. The 23-year-old Ciminelli led both rounds of qualifying as well as the Tour Qualifying Round (TQR).

“The difference in match play is that you have to pick and choose your adjustments more carefully and you don’t want to be in a situation where you need to make any risky moves,” Ciminelli said. “My heart was pounding out there. I had to keep telling myself to calm down.”

Hall of Famer Brian Voss also advanced to the Round of 8 by defeating Michael Fagan 4-2. “This week is very special to me,” said Voss. “I won my first title in Detroit and I have a lot of great memories from here.”

Others advancing to the Round of 8 were 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes, Mike Wolfe, Derek Sapp, England’s Stuart Williams and Stevie Weber who eliminated reigning Player of the Year Wes Malott.

The eight players will compete in the Round of 8 today at 9 a.m. The semifinal round will take place at 2 p.m. and the championship match at 7 p.m. ET.

The Cheetah Championship, conducted on PBA’s Cheetah lane conditioning pattern, is the second tournament of the PBA World Series of Bowling which runs through Sept. 6. The entire Cheetah Championship is being taped with the highlight-style telecast airing on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. ET.

PBA CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 12
ROUND OF 16 MATCH PLAY
Best-of-seven games. 8 winners advance to Thursday’s Round of 8.
Players eliminated earned $3,400.
Brian Voss, Kennesaw, Ga., def. Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 4-2
Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., def. Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4-0
Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 4-3
Ryan Ciminelli, Buffalo, N.Y., def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4-1
Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., def. Wes Malott , Pflugerville, Texas, 4-0
Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 4-3
Stuart Williams, England, def. Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 4-0
Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 4-3

Jack Jurek earned $100 for a 300 game.