Thursday, January 14, 2010

Jones 1st Round Leader of PBA's Earl Anthony Memorial

Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, trying to end a two-year title slump, averaged 240 to take the first round lead in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)’s Earl Anthony Memorial Wednesday at Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl.

Jones, a 12-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour champion, started the opening seven-game qualifying round with a 267 game to claim a share of the lead and never let up. He finished with 1,680 pins for a 33-pin lead over Australia’s Jason Belmonte. Belmonte, a two-handed specialist, had the only 300 game of the opening round en route to a 1,647 total.


Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, was in third place with 1,608 pins followed by Brian Kretzer of Dayton, OH, with a 1,601 total and Steve Jaros of Yorkville, IL, with 1,571 pins.

The PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM bowled its first seven qualifying games Wednesday night.

“I’ve had a bad couple of years, but I’m trying to get back on track,” Jones said. “I bowled okay in the last couple of World Series of Bowling events in Detroit and I did okay in (the Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open in) Wichita, but I’m trying to stay positive, eliminate things I can’t control and just bowl.

“Last year I bowled well on this lane condition in Medford (OR). You can throw it hard and that’s my strong suit,” he continued. “Today I got off to a good start and I kept it going.”

Jones won his last title in the GEICO Classic in West Babylon, N.Y., in March 2008.

The fields of 64 men and 20 women will bowl seven additional qualifying games Thursday. The top 28 men and 16 women then advance to the best-of-seven- game, single-elimination match play rounds Friday. Match play will cull the fields to four men and two women for the live ESPN finals Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Pacific).

The Earl Anthony Memorial is dedicated to the late superstar who was recognized as the greatest player in PBA history last January during the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration. Anthony, the first player in PBA history to earn $1 million, was a 43-time PBA Tour champion.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR EARL ANTHONY MEMORIAL
Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl, Dublin, Calif., Jan. 13

PBA TOUR FIRST ROUND (after 7 games)
1, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,680
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,647
3, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,608
4, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,601
5, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,571
6, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,570
7, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 1,555
8, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,538
9, Andres Gomez, Bogota, Colombia, 1,535
10, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 1,523
11, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,518
12, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,517
13, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 1,516
14, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 1,515
15, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,514
16, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,513
17, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,512
18, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, Fla., 1,507
19, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 1,498
20, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 1,496
21, (tie) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., and Steven Black, Phoenix, 1,493
23, (tie) George Lambert IV, Canada, and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,473
25, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 1,470
26, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,469
27, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,468
28, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,465
29, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,464
30, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 1,463
31, Stuart Williams, England, 1,462
32, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,459
33, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,458
34, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,457
34, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,457
36, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,454
36, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 1,454
38, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., 1,448
39, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,447
40, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,444
41, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 1,443
42, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 1,440
43, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,431
44, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,429
45, Ivan Miyasato, Clovis, Calif., 1,427
46, (tie) Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, and Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,423
48, (tie) Mika Koivuniemi, Howell, Mich., and Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,421
50, (tie) Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,410
52, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,407
53, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,404
54, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 1,392
55, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 1,390
56, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,388
57, (tie) Curtis Woods Jr., Santa Rosa, Calif., and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,380
59, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,375
60, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 1,358
61, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,355
62, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,354
63, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,344
64, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., withdrew (injury)

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