PBA Player of the Year Race Still Up For Grabs

Walter Ray Williams Jr. finished third in the GEICO 

Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship Sunday, losing 

a 255-237 decision to eventual champion Brian Ziesig,

but it earned Williams four points in the 2009-10 

PBA Player of the Year race, creating a tie with Bill 

O’Neill heading into the Lumber Liquidators 
Marathon Open, the final regular-season event this 

week in Baltimore.

The Player of the Year race may come down to who makes the stepladder finals 
field Sunday in Baltimore. At stake are 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1 points, respectively, 
for the top five finishers. Heading into the Baltimore finale, Williams and 
O’Neill each had 56 Player of the Year points. Mike Scroggins was still in the 
race in third place with 48 points. Chris Barnes and Tom Smallwood were fourth 
and fifth with 32 and 29 points, respectively, but both were mathematically 
eliminated from contention in West Babylon.

If there is a tie for first place at the conclusion of the Lumber Liquidators 
Marathon Open, the player with the most Harry Smith Point Leader points 

will win the title. A three-way tie is possible if Williams and O’Neill both fail to 

make the finals, and Scroggins finishes second. If the tiebreaker comes into play, 
Williams is currently the overall points leader with 214,981. O’Neill is second 
with 201,519 and Scroggins is fifth with 173,546.

Sunday’s ESPN stepladder finals of the Marathon Open will air at 1 p.m. Eastern.