Big Scores From O'Neill and Kulick in Chicago Sun-Times "Beat The Champs" Contest

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicagoland bowling proprietors celebrated the 50th 
anniversary of their “Beat the Champs” contest in December. Reigning 
U.S. Open champions Bill O’Neill and Kelly Kulick are the center of the program. 
O’Neill rolled a target series score of 747 and Kulick 696 in posting scores which grassroots 
bowlers will try to beat, (with the benefit of handicap).

The Beat the Champs participants also earned bonus money for their favorite 
personal charities for every strike they threw in the fifth and 10th frames. 
O’Neill earned $500 for the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation in honor 
of his father, who underwent a kidney transplant a year ago as a victim of the 
disease. Kulick earned $500 for the Goodwill Mission.

Jensen Helps with a Different Type of Bowl

Tyler Jensen of Fort Worth, TX, who earned an exemption to bowl on the Lumber 
Liquidators PBA Tour for the 2011-12 season based on his fifth-place finish in 
the Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational, offered a helping hand at 
the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
Jensen, in his second year of volunteering for the Dec. 30 Armed Forces Bowl in 
Dallas, served on the player hospitality committee assigned to assist Army in 
their players' suite.

"I am very happy to be a part of such a great bowl event,” Jensen said. “Not 
only is the football game great, but the purpose of the Armed Forces Bowl game 
is so much more. Last year I had a family member in attendance who serves in the 
Marines and it felt great to see him and the military get the recognition they 
deserve for everything they do for our great country."

Jensen said the players’ schedule was full while visiting the Metroplex, but he 
hopes one year to take the teams bowling.

Jensen is one of more than 100 PBA title winners who will compete in the 
“Champions Field” in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions Jan. 15 and 16 
at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. If he finished in the top half of the Champions 
field after 14 games, he’ll advance to the Elite Field where he’ll have a shot 
at the record $250,000 first prize. The Tournament of Champions finals will air 
on ABC on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

Ziesig Receives PBA Commissioner's Exemption

Brian Ziesig of Levittown, NY, who won the 2010 PBA Mark Roth Plastic Ball 
Championship in West Babylon, NY, as an amateur, has been awarded a 
Commissioner’s Exemption for the 2011 event March 1-6 at AMF Thruway Lanes in 
Cheektowaga, NY. PBA Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia and Tom Baker also have 
been awarded Commissioner’s Exemptions for the tournament.

PBA World Series of Bowling Update

Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., dominated the early-season Lumber Liquidators 
PBA Tour statistics at the conclusion of the five “animal pattern” events 
conducted during the PBA World Series of Bowling at South Point Bowling Center 
in Las Vegas.

O’Neill, who earned the top qualifying position for the PBA World Championship 
as the 60-game pinfall leader after five 12-game qualifying rounds on the PBA’s 
Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark lane conditioning patterns, is 
leading the World Series field in earnings with $25,090, average at 225.44 for 
101 games and “cashes” in all five animal pattern events. He also advanced to 
the match play finals in four of the five events and won his third career title 
in the Pepsi Viper Championship. For complete statistical leaders, visit pba.com 
and click on the “statistics” link under the Players tab (top 10 leaders are 
attached in a Word document).

O’Neill now must win one more game in the live PBA World Championship finals at 
South Point on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 16, to claim another $50,000 and the second 
major title of his career. Also qualifying for the unique three-day live finale 
of the PBA World Championship were No. 8 Jason Belmonte, Australia; No. 7 Wes 
Malott, Pflugerville, TX; No. 6 Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, AZ; No. 5 
Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI; No. 4 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX; No. 3 
Osku Palermaa, Finland, and No. 2 Sean Rash, who recently moved to Montgomery, 
IL.

Belmonte, Malott and Haugen will compete on the first live stepladder event 
which will air at 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2 on Friday, Jan. 14. Friday’s winner 
will join Koivuniemi and Barnes for Saturday’s live ESPN2 telecast at 9 p.m. 
Eastern. Saturday’s survivor will join Palmermaa, Rash and O’Neill for the 
championship finals on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m.

Brunswick Winter Ball Release

The black/blue/teal C-System alpha-max combines the new CFT "alpha-max" coverstock finished 500, 800, 4,000 Siaair Micro Pad with the proven asymmetric "I-Block" core from the C-System 3.5 to produce a ball motion that is extremely powerful with more total hook on heavy oil lane conditions.

Brunswick reports "This strong hook motion positions the C-System alpha-max as the most aggressive bowling ball in the Brunswick product line."  Check out the video: C-System alpha-max

The black/white pearl Loaded Revolver expands the range in ball motion in the Revolver series by providing more length and stronger backend reaction on medium to heavy oil lane conditions.  Combining the "Jack" core with the "Propel X" coverstock produces "a ball with outstanding all-purpose performance for a variety of bowling styles" describes a Brunswick representative. Check out the video: Loaded Revolver.

Palermaa Wins PBA GEICO Shark Championship

Finland’s Osku Palermaa, Europe’s premier two-handed bowler, 
survived a 173-149 battle with top qualifier Dan MacLelland of Windsor, Ontario, 
to win his first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title in the PBA GEICO Shark 
Championship at South Point Bowling Center.

The finals of the GEICO Shark Championship aired Sunday on ESPN.

Widely considered the most difficult of the PBA’s five so-called “animal” lane conditioning patterns, the Shark took a bite out of the entire field of power players. In the end, it was Palermaa’s ball speed and ability to loft the ball down the lane, using his two-handed technique, that made the difference as four splits killed MacLelland’s bid for his first PBA Tour title.

With his victory, Palermaa accomplished his primary objective in traveling to the United States to bowl in the multi-event PBA World Series of Bowling: an opportunity to also bowl in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions Jan. 15-22 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The PBA Tournament of Champions is open only to bowlers who have won a PBA title.

“That was the main part of my being here,” Palmeraa said. “Being from Finland, I can’t bowl in the PBA regional tournaments, so (winning a title during the World Series of Bowling) was my only way in. It’s the biggest tournament I’ve ever had a chance to bowl in. I can’t wait.

“Will I be a favorite?” he grinned. “Oh, yah. When I am bowling my A game, I’m going to be on top.”

On his way to his title, Palermaa also won a long-awaited showdown against his Pacific region counterpart, Australia’s Jason Belmonte. The Shark Championship was the first time the world's best two-handed bowlers had ever met each other on television.

“It was our first match on TV so I wanted to be the one to get the first win,”
Palermaa said. “There will be plenty more to go, and we’ll see what happens. But I got the first one.”

Belmonte started the Shark finals with a 248-223 victory over Mike Fagan of
Patchogue, NY, and he then eliminated reigning PBA World Champion Tom
Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, 208-192, to set up his showdown with Palermaa in
the semifinal match.

As the high-revolution power players burned away the oil in the front part of
the lanes, both two-handers struggled. In the end, it was a 4-6 split in the
10th frame that doomed Belmonte. A spare/strike in the 10th frame gave Palermaa a 182-176 victory and a chance to bowl MacLelland for the title.

“I’m happy with the way I bowled,” Palermaa said. “I might have wrapped my hand around the ball a little too much a couple of times, but I made my spares. It was the Shark. It was expected the lanes were going to get ugly. There’s only so much oil and it got burned up.”

Palermaa appeared to accept his milestone victory in a stoic Scandinavian
manner, but he admitted later he was more excited than he appeared to be.

“I’m an emotional guy, but it’s inside,” he said. “Why waste the energy showing the emotions? It’s the Finnish way. That’s the way I learned to do it. Maybe I should be more emotional, but that’s the way I’m used to doing it.”

The sixth and final World Series of Bowling telecast will be a special U.S.A.
vs. The World team competition which will air on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern. United States team members will be Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, AZ; Ronnie Russell of Camby, IN; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, TX; Sean Rash, Wichita, KS; Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX, and Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA. International players will be Finland’s Palermaa, Kimmo Lehtonnen and Mika Koivuniemi; Canada’s MacLelland; Australia’s Belmonte and Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli.

PBA World Series of Bowling Shark Championships Sunday

YES Fund To The Rescue

The new Youth Education Services (YES) Fund will be sending a holiday gift to the high school bowling team in Rock Island, Ill. Every member of the team will receive new equipment from one of the YES Fund’s founding partners.


In the early morning hours of December 21, fire tore through the Town & Country Bowl in Rock Island. The bowling center along with most of the high school team’s equipment was destroyed.

“My bowlers were devastated,” Rock Island High School coach Jim Braet said. “I have been coaching there 31 years and feel like we lost a friend.”

The fire meant Braet’s team in the middle of the season had lost its home center and gear for upcoming competitions. When staff at the International Bowling Campus was contacted about the Rock Island team’s loss, they quickly mobilized the YES Fund to help.

“The YES Fund is here to bring the bowling industry together in support of youth bowling,” Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) Director of Youth Chad Murphy said. “When we heard about this great high school team that lost nearly everything they needed to compete right before Christmas, we decided to step in.”

The YES Fund’s partner brands Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, Roto Grip, Storm and Track donated new equipment for the Rock Island High School team. Nearby Milan Lanes will be the school’s home center the remainder of the season.

“The YES Fund is a great, fantastic thing to keep a program going,” Braet said. “This is going to be a boost to the kids’ morale.”

In November, the YES Fund introduced a new high school grant program. The Yes Fund-High School Grant Program will provide $2,500 to four high school programs annually. The high school teams must show financial need because of budget cuts or other changes, or may request funding to start a new program.

The YES Fund is a joint initiative of the BPAA and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and is made possible by many of the leading brands in bowling including Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm, Track, the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America (BBIA), the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA), Luby Publishing International and Bowlers Journal International.

900 Global Adds Pearl Bank

The Bank Pearl from 900 Global arrives January 13th. The Purple/Gold "S74" reactive resin pearl cover wraps the "SRC" (Self Righting) asymmetric core as found in the Bank. Core numbers for a 15 pound ball: Radius of Gyration (RG) 2.481, RG Differential - .054.

PBA's Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championships To Benefit Industry Charities

The Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)Tour’s third annual Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship March 2-6 at AMF Thruway Lanes in Cheektowaga, NY, will benefit a family of charities supported by the bowling industry through the sale of specially logoed bowling balls to the bowling public.

The Plastic Ball Championship was originated by the Professional Bowlers
Association in 2009 as a unique competition which required all PBA Tour players to use identical “throwback” polyester bowling ball technology. It returns as a special fund-raising event that will support Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), Bowl for the Cure (benefiting Komen for the Cure’s battle against breast cancer), the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, the new YES youth bowling initiative, and other charities supported by The Bowling Foundation.
The official charities of bowling will benefit from the sale of exclusive
“plastic” bowling balls created by On The Ball Bowling. Each ball will use the
same technology, but will feature a unique cover design with the logo of the
participating charity. Bowling fans can pre-order their choice of balls featuring the BVL, Bowl for the Cure, IBM/HF, YES and Bowling Foundation logos, or a sixth ball which will feature the logos of all charities serviced by The Bowling Foundation. The multi-logo ball will be used as the official ball of the Plastic Ball Championship.

PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia, who will bowl in the Plastic Ball
Championship on a PBA Commissioner’s Exemption, will be the spokesman for BVL; PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick will represent Bowl for the Cure; USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III will represent the IBM/HF; Bill O’Neill will be spokesman for YES, and Australia’s Jason Belmonte will be spokesman for the overall group of Bowling Foundation charities.

“We are excited again to be part of this great charitable endeavor. The PBA
rallied the industry last year for Mark Roth and this year we can expand that
reach through The Bowling Foundation,” said Brad Handelman, president of
ontheballbowling.com/Strikeforce Bowling LLC.

To order the special bowling balls, visit ontheballbowling.com.
The tournament itself will get underway on March 2 with a seven-game Tour
Qualifying Round where non-exempt players will compete for a minimum of 10 spots in the 64-player field. The 64-player field will bowl 14 qualifying games on March 3 with the top 32 advancing to round-robin match play on March 4.

After a nine-game morning round, the top 16 will bowl another nine games in the evening to determine the top four for the live ESPN stepladder finals at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 6.

The Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship is named in honor of the PBA Hall of
Famer who dominated the so-called plastic ball era, winning a PBA-record eight titles in 1978 followed by another seven-title season in 1979. Roth’s total of 34 PBA Tour titles ranks fourth on the all-time list of PBA champions behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47), Earl Anthony (43) and Pete Weber (35). A special new Mark Roth ball will be designed by ontheballbowling.com for use in the pro-am portion of the tournament.

The inaugural Plastic Ball Championship, held in Wheat Ridge, Colo., in 2009 was won by Jeff Carter of Springfield, Ill. Last year’s event, the first held in
Roth’s honor, was held in West Babylon, N.Y., and was won by non-member Brian Ziesig of Levittown, NY.

Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational on ESPN

Celebrity A-listers competed on the lanes with professional bowlers for charity last week. Hip-hop giants Lil Wayne and 
Nelly, along with New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush joined five

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) champions and host Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets for the third annual 
Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational at Riverboat Lanes on the New Orleans 
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base.

The pro/celebrity doubles event, which supports Paul’s charitable CP3 
Foundation, will air on ESPN on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. ET, for the 
third straight year as part of the PBA’s TV schedule.

Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour stars participating were PBA Hall of Famers Pete 
Weber and Norm Duke, former PBA Rookies of the Year Jason Belmonte and Rhino 
Page, and former PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott, all members of Storm 
Products Pro Staff.

The standing-room-only crowd consisted of personnel from all four branches of 
the military and their families from the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base.

“The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational has grown to be one of our most 
anticipated events every year,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark. “Chris 
and his superstar friends love bowling with our stars and the PBA is proud to 
partner with the Paul family on behalf of the CP3 Foundation, which continues to 
brighten kids’ lives.”

In the doubles competition, Weber paired with fellow St. Louis native Nelly, 
Duke teamed up with Lil Wayne, and Malott and Bush were an imposing pairing. 
Belmonte and Paul partnered in an effort to defend their title. The teams 
competed in a stepladder finals for the unique Chris Paul PBA Celebrity 
Invitational trophy. Page took on the four celebrities in a new “Super Clash” 
shootout to kick off the festivities.

NBA superstar LeBron James and the PBA’s Jason Couch teamed up to win the 
inaugural Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational in 2008. Other celebrities who 
have competed in the event’s history include Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, 
Ludacris, Lamar Woodley, Jack Del Rio and Hines Ward.

Paul founded his CP3 Foundation in 2005 as a tribute to his late grandfather and 
the Winston-Salem, NC, community where he grew up and starred at Wake Forest. 
The foundation has provided funding for activities ranging from a scholarship 
program to food drives to recreational support programs for underprivileged 
children in both Winston-Salem and New Orleans.

Paul, an avid bowler who frequently refers to bowling as his “second-favorite 
sport,” is on his way to another NBA All-Star season. Both Lil Wayne and Nelly 
are Grammy-award winning artists with new recordings currently at the top of the 
Billboard charts. Former USC star Bush helped the Saints win their first Super 
Bowl title earlier in 2010.

“What better way to get ready for the big game on Super Bowl Sunday than watch 
this spectacular PBA event earlier in the day on ESPN?” Clark said. “Not only 
are the bowlers and celebrities great personalities, they share a love of the 
sport of bowling and competition at the highest level.”

International Ameateur Wins PBA Scorpion Championsip

Yong-Jin Gu, a slightly-built 48-year-old left-hander, had never bowled in a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) event before the World Series of Bowling, but he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in PBA history when he defeated an international field of opponents to win the PBA Scorpion Championship at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, NV.

The finals of the PBA Scorpion Championship aired Sunday on ESPN. It was the first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour television final ever to include four international players and only one American.

Gu (pronounced “coo”) upset four straight opponents, including top qualifier Jun-Yung Kim, 236-224, in the all-South Korea championship match, to become the first South Korean ever to win a PBA Tour event.

In a stunning finish, Gu held a 10-pin lead entering the ninth frame, but he missed a 7 pin spare conversion to surrender his lead. Needing a nine-count spare and strike to win, Kim then left a pocket 7-10 split on his first shot in the 10th frame to hand the victory back to Gu.

Gu started the stepladder finals with a 245-204 victory over former Saginaw Valley State collegiate All-American Dan MacLelland of Windsor, Ontario, throwing strikes on seven of his first nine shots. In his second match, Gu routed 2010 Pepsi Viper Champion Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, 256-208, again striking on eight of his first 10 shots. He then romped to a 233-208 victory over Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, throwing seven strikes in eight tries. Gu had his first open frame in the 10th against Belmonte,  but by that time he had already clinched a trip to the final match.

“I can’t even say how happy I am,” Gu said through an interpreter. “This was my first trip to the United States. Winning wasn’t even in my dreams.”

Regarding his first-ever shot on television, Gu said, “I didn’t feel anything. I

just threw the shot.” But he quickly showed high-pitched emotions which followed virtually every strike. “It’s what we call showmanship in Korea,” he said. “It helps me relieve my stress before the next shot.”

Gu, who idolizes PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke “because he’s small like me,” had no idea what kind of reception awaited him upon his return home, but he had already learned he and Kim had become instant national celebrities simply by qualifying for the American television finals. South Korea’s leading newspaper, television network and bowling magazine immediately flew representatives to the U.S. to cover the finals.

Kim, who realized Gu had given him an opening when he missed the 7 pin, said his immediate reaction after leaving the 7-10 split was, “I lost. My shot in the

10th went farther right than I wanted. It was a good shot, but not the one I

wanted to throw.”

The GEICO Shark Championship, the final World Series of Bowling “animal pattern” event, will air on ESPN next Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Shark stepladder finalists will be the first in PBA Tour history to feature two two-handed competitors: Finland’s Osku Palermaa and Belmonte. Also in the finals will be Mike Fagan of Patchogue, NY; reigning PBA World Champion Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, and MacLelland, the top qualifier.

The sixth and final World Series of Bowling telecast will be a special U.S.A.

vs. The World team competition which will air on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 1p.m. Eastern.

Free post-finals interviews and other World Series of Bowling special features

are available on PBA’s Xtra Frame video streaming service. Visit pba.com or

xtraframe.tv to access Xtra Frame. Full year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available. During the month of December, PBA fans can sign up for a free trial offer to watch all Xtra Frame programming.

SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 19

Final Standings

1, Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea, four games (970 pins), $15,000.

2, Jun-Yung Kim, South Korea, one game (224), $8,000.

3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, one game (208), $6,000.

4, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA, one game (208), $5,000.

5, Dan MacLelland, Canada, one game (204), $4,000.

Stepladder Results:

Match One: Gu def. MacLelland, 245-204.

Match Two: Gu def. O’Neill, 256-208.

Semifinal Match: Gu def. Belmonte, 233-208.

Championship: Gu def. Kim, 236-224.

PBA Scorpion Championships on ESPN Sunday

Click for Video

PBA Star Mike Fagan Joins Sport Stars for March of Dimes Benefit

Two-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour champion Mike Fagan of Patchogue, NY, 
joined a group of stars from a number of sports at the 13th annual March of 
Dimes New York Chapter’s Chairman’s Club Dinner on Dec. 2 at the Marriott East 
Side Hotel in New York.

The “Champions for Babies” dinner brought together 200 people from the fields of 
business, retail, insurance, sports, and more to raise money for the March of 
Dimes’ programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy. The 
evening included silent and live auctions, sport-themed food stations and 
interactive sports areas hosted by star athletes. Fagan manned a Wii Bowling 
station where he challenged other sports stars to games of Wii Bowling “even 
though I’m not very good at it,” he said.

The dinner was hosted by CBS sportscaster Greg Gumbel. Among the athletes 
attending were Carl Banks (NFL), Gerry Cooney (boxing), Darryl Dawkins (NBA), 
Gigi Fernandez (tennis), Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde (boxing), Cullen Jones 
(swimming), Bob Lanier (NBA), Doug Mauch (PGA), Dikembe Mutombo (NBA), Nicole 
Powell (WNBA), JoJo Starbuck (figure skating), and Kerri Strug (gymnastics).

"It was a special night for a great cause,” Fagan said. “I’m proud to support 
the March of Dimes."

Tim Mack Earns Shot at PBA Tournament of Champions

Tim Mack of Indianapolis has won lots of titles around the world, but was 
missing a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) title until his 242-165 victory over Jason Tehee of Fresno, 
CA, in the PBA Sands Regency Tri-Regional Non-Champions Tournament at the 
National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 3.

With his first PBA title, Mack became eligible to compete for the $250,000 first 
prize in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions Jan. 15-22 at Red Rock Lanes 
in Las Vegas, and immediately filed his entry.

The Tri-Regional Non-Champions event was one of three Tri-Regional events held 
at the Stadium in advance of this week’s PBA Regional Players Invitational (RPI). In 
the standard Sands Regency Tri-Regional which ended Monday, Jon Brandon of 
Newhall, CA, defeated Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., 9-8 in a sudden-death 
roll-off after they tied at 233-233 in the title match. Brandon won $2,300.

Howard Partell of Las Vegas won the Sands Regional Senior Tri-Regional title, 
defeating Jim Murtishaw of Menifee, CA, 244-238, in the battle for the $1,500 first prize.

AT&T U-VERSE SPORTS Airs Three-part Feature On Kelly Kulick

AT&T U-verse, AT&T’s cable network serving nearly three million wireless 
subscribers, debuted a three-part feature on 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions 
winner Kelly Kulick on Wednesday. The magazine-style feature profiles Kulick’s 
historic victory at Red Rock Lanes in January 2010 and includes a segment about 
her family life which reveals the values and dedication that have become 
hallmarks of her bowling career. A third part, which was shot during the PBA 
World Series of Bowling, basically asks, what’s next?

The AT&T U-verse Sports feature, which can be viewed at no cost on AT&T 
U-verse’s web site, not only provides unique insight into today’s most 
accomplished woman bowler, but presents professional bowling in a highly 
favorable light as the demanding sport it is.

The AT&T U-verse SPORTS presentation can be found at http://uverseonline.att.net/uverse/exclusive. 
It also airs on AT&T U-verse’s cable network and on AT&T’s mobile phone system.

Kulick will return to Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas Jan. 15-22 to defend her 
title, but this time the stakes are much higher: $250,000 to win. And the 
competition will be even more intense. Every PBA member who has ever won a title 
is eligible to compete for shares of the record $1 million prize fund. The 
finals will return to ABC Sports – after a 14-year absence – on Saturday, Jan. 
22, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

Ebonite's Newest Is The Vital Energy

More info on the Ebonite Vital Energy: Vital Energy has the same strong asymmetric core design used in the Vital Sign, but Ebonite has the all new “Flexol Super Charge Reactive™” wrapped around this dynamic core (Vital Asymmetric). 

 

The company reports: "Flexol Super Charge Reactive™ offers more of a defined breakpoint when exiting the oil pattern." The Vital Energy is finished 800, 1000, 2000, 4000. 

See The Video. World Wide Release date is January 16, 2011.

Columbia 300's Got a World Beater

Introducing the latest high performance ball from Columbia 300 - The WORLD BEATER. 

Equipped with the innovative high performance “Arrowhead” core and the brand new “Super Tilt Solid” Black/Orange/Blue reactive coverstock (finished 800 Abranet™, 1000, 2000, 2000 Abralon®).

Brand Manager Bugsey Kelly offered “The World Beater core and coverstock combines high RG with extreme strength and versatility.” See the Video.  

Chicago's Wojnar Tops Third Round of PBA Regional Players Invitational

Two-time Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) regional titlist Jason Wojnar of Chicago, moved into the lead after three rounds of the Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational (RPI) Wednesday at the National Bowling Stadium.

Wojnar, who finished third after the first round and second after the second round, finished with a 4,704 21-game pinfall (224 average) bowling 1,563 in the third round with games of 207, 183, 218, 237, 213, 250 and 255.
He holds a 70-pin lead over former Tour player Tony Reyes of San Bruno, Calif.

“My experience has been pretty much the same each round,” said the 31-year-old pro shop operator. “I’m having to grind out the first couple games before the lanes open up and I can play an inside shot which is where I’m the most successful.

“I’ll probably have to bowl a straighter line in match play because the lanesprobably won’t open up as soon but
I’m confident I’ll be able to adjust to it.”

The 87-player field that features PBA’s top regional and senior players has been cut to the top 16 who will bowl
two eight-game round robin match play rounds on Thursday to determine the final standings. Seven exemptions for
the 2011-12 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season are also at stake for players who have
declared their intent to compete for those spots. Wojnar has elected not to compete for an exemption.

As a PBA regional titlist Wojnar has, however, already entered the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions at Red
Rock Lanes in Las Vegas Jan. 15-22.

“Bowling in the Tournament of Champions is an opportunity I’m really excited about,” Wojnar said. “I’m looking
forward to being able to be part of an event that includes the best bowlers in the world.”

The country’s top regional players representing PBA’s East, South, Central, Southwest, Midwest, West and
Northwest Regions qualified for the RPI by finishing in the top 25 in points of their respective regions. Also
eligible are PBA Senior players who finished in the top five in points in senior events within their regions, or
who qualified in special senior regional qualifying events.

PBA.com’s Xtra Frame video service is providing RPI live coverage. Bowling fans can experience the “new” Xtra Frame at no cost during December, by visiting https://www.xtraframe.tv/pba/secure/registerform and choose the
“Friends and Family” option. In the promotion code area, enter PBAFAF. When the complimentary subscription
period ends on Dec. 31, fans will automatically convert to subscribers at the $7.99 monthly subscription rate
unless they “opt out.”

SANDS REGENCY PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Dec. 15

THIRD ROUND (after 21 games)
Top 16 advance to Thursday’s match play rounds

1, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 4,704
2, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif.,4,634
3, e-Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 4,620
4, e-Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas, 4,597
5, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 4,588
6, Dave Wodka, Fontana, Calif., 4,564
7, e-Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 4,513
8, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 4,467
9, e-Wayne Garber, Wayne, Modesto, Calif., 4,439
10, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 4,437
11, e-Steven Black, Phoenix, 4,433
12, e-Billy Oatman, Chicago, 4,414
13, e-Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 4,402
14, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 4,393
15, e-Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 4,391
16, e-Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 4,388
17, e-Rick Graham, Lancaster, Pa., 4,382, $730
18, e-Jeff Frankos, San Francisco, 4,379, $600
19, e-Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4,356, $550
20, Ivan Yee, San Francisco, 4,349, $525
21, e-Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 4,320, $500
22, e-Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 4,318, $500
23, e-P.J.Sonday, Avoca, Pa., 4,318, $500
24, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 4,317, $500
25, Blaine Weninger, Blaine, Grapevine, Texas, 4,317, $500
26, e-Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 4,305, $475
27, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 4,297, $475
28, e-Walter Schaub II,Schaumburg, Ill., 4,288, $475
29, Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 4,282, $475
30, e-Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan., 4,282 $475
31, Andre Eubanks, Los Angeles, 4,275, $450
32, e-Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., 4,275, $450
33, Darryl Okamoto, Honolulu, Hawaii, 4,270,
34, Kurt Gengelbach, Carrollton, Texas, 4,269, $450
35, Chuck Tillson, Rohnert Park, Calif., 4,266, $450
36, e-Chris Arcaro, Wilmington, N.C., 4,266, $450
37, e-John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 4,265, $450
38, e-David Anthony, Austin, Texas, 4,253, $450
39, Ben Laughlin, Phoenix, 4,243, $450
40, e-Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas, 4,233, $450
41, e-Clint Dacy, Keller, Texas, 4,228, $425
42, Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 4,227, $425
43, e-Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 4,225, $425
44, Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif., 4,215, $425
45, e-PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 4,203, $425
46, Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 4,196, $425
47, e-James  Roberts, Richmond, Va., 4,196, $425
48, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 4,188, $425
49, e-David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 4,187, $425
50, e-Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 4,186, $425
51, Andrew Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 4,182, $400
 52, Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga., 4,179, $400
 53, Corey  Husted, Milwaukie, Ore., 4,164, $400
 54, e-Gregory Thompson Jr.,Dayton, Ohio, 4,158, $400
 55, Jay Boyle, Garnet Valley, Pa., 4,153, $400
 56, Don Allen III, Vancouver, Wash., 4,151, $400
 57, Jason Tehee, Fresno, Calif., 4,150, $400
 58, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 4,120, $400
 59, Mike Hastings, Georgetown, Del., 4,118, $400
 60, e-Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 4,115, $400
 61, e-Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 4,110, $375
 62, Andrew Brown, Windsor, Calif., 4,099, $375
 63, e-Brian Thompson, Brian, Flat Rock, Mich., 4,094, $375
 64, e-Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky., 4,093, $375
 65, Tracy Teeters, Salem, Ore., 4,087, $375
 66, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif.,4,083, $375
 67, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 4,079, $375
 68, e-Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash., 4,064, $375
 69, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 4,049, $375
 70, Chris Hillman, Pleasanton, Calif., 4,047, $375
 71, e-Matt Burden, Anderson, S.C., 4,033, $375
 72, Sean Heath, Spokane, Wash., 4,031, $375
 73, Joe Goldstein Sr., Hayward, Calif., 4,012, $375
 74, J.T. Jackson, Valley Village, Calif., 4,010, $375
 75, e-Adam Ahmad, Shoreline, Wash., 4,008, $350
 76, Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore., 3,985, $350
 77, Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 3,980, $350
 78, Brett Cooper, Euless, Texas, 3,974, $350
 79, Joe Goldstein Jr., San Bruno, Calif., 3,960, $350
 80, Robert McBride, Mesquite, Texas, 3,938, $350
 81, John Deloney, Troy, Ill., 3,934, $350
 82, e-Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas, 3,909, $350
 83, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 3,883, $350
 84, John Brannock, Kettle Falls, Wash., 3,876, $350
 85, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 3,815, $350
 86, Michael Zicha, Streamwood, Ill., 3,766, $350
 87, e-Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 2,803, $350

  e-denotes competing for 2011-12 PBA Tour exemption

Steve Black Leads PBA Regional Players Invitational

Five-time Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)  
regional titlist Steven Black of Phoenix, averaged 239.8 to take the first round 
lead in the Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational (RPI) Tuesday at the 
National Bowling Stadium.

Black bowled a 1,679 seven-game pinfall with games of 256, 246, 238, 244, 205, 
225 and 265 to hold a 37-pin lead over Tyler Jensen of Fort Worth, Texas, in
second with 1,642.

Black, who won four PBA regional titles this season including three in a row, drilled 14 balls in the last two

weeks before stumbling on a drill pattern that he felt comfortable with heading into the RPI.

“After the World Series of Bowling I aggravated a tendon problem in my hand and the equipment I had just

didn’t feel right,” said the 25-year-old Black. “It was all trial and error but I finally found something

comfortable just a couple days before the tournament.”

As a regional titlist, Black qualifies for the $1 Million PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in

Las Vegas Jan. 15-22, but he’s also competing for one of seven exemptions available in the RPI to bowl

full-time on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour during the 2011-12 season.

“As well as I bowled in regionals I feel like now is the time for me to try for the national tour,” Black said.

“My hopes are high right now but it will be important for me not to over-think as the tournament progresses.”

The country’s top regional players representing PBA’s East, South, Central, Southwest, Midwest, West and

Northwest Regions qualified for the RPI by finishing in the top 25 in points of their respective regions. Also

eligible are 
PBA Senior players who finished in the top five in points in senior events within their regions, or who

qualified in special senior regional qualifying events.

The entire 87-player field will bowl two more seven-game qualifying rounds Wednesday. After 21 games,

the top 16 will advance to bowl two eight-game round robin match play rounds on Thursday to determine

the final standings.

PBA.com’s Xtra Frame video service is providing RPI live coverage. Bowling fans can experience the

“new” Xtra Frame at no cost during December, by visiting https://www.xtraframe.tv/pba/secure/registerform 

and choose the “Friends and Family” option. In the promotion code area, enter PBAFAF. When the

complimentary subscription period ends on Dec. 31, fans will automatically convert to subscribers at the

$7.99 monthly subscription rate unless they “opt out.”


2010 PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL
Presented by the Sands Regency Casino Hotel,
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Dec. 14

First Round (after seven games)
1, e-Steven Black, Phoenix, 1,679
2, e-Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas, 1,642
3, e-Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,591
4, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 1,584
5, Blaine Weninger, Grapevine, Texas, 1,580
6, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,571
7, Dave Wodka, Fontana, Calif., 1,539
8, e-Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,535
9, e-Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,531
10, e-David Anthony, Austin, Texas, 1,522
11, e-Billy Oatman, Billy, Chicago, 1,516
12, Ivan Yee, San Francisco, 1,511
13, e-Jon Brandon, San Clarita, Calif., 1,504
14, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,501
15, e-Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky., 1,486
16, e-Rick Graham, Lancaster, Pa., 1,486
17, e-Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 1,482
18, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,478
19, e-Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,478
20, e-PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,471
21, e-Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., 1,468
22, e-Brian LeClair, Brian Athens, N.Y., 1,465
23, e-Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 1,464
24, e-Kurt Gengelbach, Carrollton, Texas, 1,462
25, Darryl Okamoto, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1,460
26, Joe Goldstein, Hayward, Calif., 1,459
27, e-Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 1,457
28, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 1,452
29, e-Scott Newell, Scott, Deland, Fla., 1,448
30, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 1,446
31, Andre Eubanks, Los Angeles, 1,445
32, Tracy Teeters, Salem, Ore., 1,443
33, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 1,439
34, Sean Heath, Spokane, Wash., 1,439
35, e-Jeff Frankos, San Francisco, 1,435
36, J.T. Jackson, Valley Village, Calif., 1,432
37, e-Lee Vanderhoef Greenville, S.C., 1,431
38, e-Chris Hibbitts, Fort Worth, Texas, 1,430
39, Andrew Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 1,429
40, Don Allen, Vancouver, Wash., 1,429
41, e-Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash., 1,428
42, Corey Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.,1,427
43, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga.,1,425
44, e-Greg Thompson Jr., Dayton, Ohio, 1,424
45, e-James Roberts, Richmond, Va. 1,422
46, Ben Laughlin, Phoenix, Ariz., 1,421
47, e-Adam Ahmad, Shoreline, Wash., 1,421
48, e-Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,419
49, e-John Slavich, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,418
50, Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif., 1,412
51, e- Clint Dacy, Keller, Texas, 1,411
52, Brett Cooper, Euless, Texas, 1,410
53, e-Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan., 1,410
54, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 1,409
55, Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga., 1,409
56, Chuck Tillson, Chuck, Rohnert Park, Calif., 1,405
57, e-Walter Schaub, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,405
58, Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, Ind., 1,398
59, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,395
60, Robert McBride, Mesquite, Texas, 1,394
61, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 1,393
62, e-Nick Kokenos, St.Clair Shores, Mich., 1,393
63, Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore., 1,390
64, e-David Traber,Hebron, Ill., 1,390
65, e-Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,387
66, e-Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,380
67, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 1,374
68, e-Matt Burden, Anderson, S.C., 1,374
69, Joe Goldstein, San Bruno, Calif., 1,371
70, e-P.J. Sonday, Avoca, Pa., 1,367
71, Jason Tehee, Fresno, Calif., 1,355
72, Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,349
73, Chris Hillman, Pleasanton, Calif., 1,341
74, e-Chris Arcaro, Wilmington, N.C., 1,337
75, Mike Hastings, Georgetown, Del., 1,336
76, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa.,1,323
77, Jay Boyle, Garnet Valley, Pa., 1,310
78, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 1,310
79, Andrew Brown, Windsor, Calif., 1,297
80, Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 1,293
81, John Deloney, Troy, Ill., 1,280
82, e-Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich., 1,280
83, Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,275
84, John Brannock, Kettle Falls, Wash., 1,262
85, Michael Zicha, Streamwood, Ill., 1,252
86, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 1,244
87, e-Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas, 1,215

 e-denotes competing for 2011-12 PBA Tour exemption

The New Storm Marvel and Victory Road Balls

The new Storm Marvel features the “Centripetal™” Weight Block (found in the Prodigy) wrapped in Teal/Sky Blue/Black “R2X™ Solid Reactive” Coverstock at a 2000-grit Abralon Finish with a Fragrance of Aromatherapy. In a 15 lb. ball, Radius of Gyration (RG) is 2.48, and RG Differential is .050.

 

The new Storm Victory Road Amethyst Pearl/Gray Pearl Coverstock is “R2S™ Pearl Reactive” enveloping a re-engineered “Inverted Fe³ Technology™” core, finished to 1500 Polish, with the fragrance of warm maple syrup (can't wait to check out this aroma). By the numbers: 15# RG - 2.56, Differential - .052 (for Medium to high flare potential).

PBA Scorpion Championships on ESPN Sunday

This Sunday DEC. 19, 1 P.M. EASTERN on ESPN: Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Scorpion Championship. The fourth tournament of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season

The PBA Scorpion Championship is the fourth telecast of the 2010-11 Lumber 
Liquidators PBA Tour season and will air Sunday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. Eastern on 
ESPN from South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

The historic stepladder final will be the first ever with four countries represented; Canada, South Korea, Australia and U.S.

The Scorpion Championship is one of the five animal pattern events conducted as 
part of the PBA World Series of Bowling and will be followed by the final animal 
pattern tournament – the GEICO Shark Championship (Dec. 26). The “USA vs. The 
World” team event on Jan. 9 will conclude the WSOB telecasts at 1 p.m. Eastern 
on ESPN.

Eugene McCune won the season-opening Brunswick Pro Bowling Cheetah Championship, 
followed by Bill O’Neill winning the Pepsi Viper Championship and Scott Norton 
winning the Chameleon Championship.

PBA Scorpion Championship stepladder finals qualifiers:

Match 1: No. 5 Dan MacLelland, Canada vs. No. 4 Yung-Jin Gu, South Korea
Match 2: Winner Match 1 vs. No. 3 Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA.
Match 3: Winner Match 2 vs. No. 2 Jason Belmonte, Australia
Championship Match: Winner of Match 3 vs. No. 1 Jun-Yung Kim, South Korea

● PBA Tour rookie MacLelland, a three-time collegiate All-American at Saginaw 
State University, will be trying for his first Tour title.
● Gu will be trying for his first career Tour title.
• Fresh off a recent win in the recent PBA Viper Championship, O’Neill will be 
trying for his fourth career Tour title.
● Two-handed specialist and 2008-09 Rookie of the Year Belmonte will be trying 
for his second Tour title with his first coming in the 2009 Bowling Foundation 
Long Island Classic.
● Kim, also of South Korea is the first from that country to be top-qualifier 
for a PBA Tour event.

Tournament Recap: Two 6-game qualifying rounds with top 16 advancing to 9-game 
match play round.

First round leader (after 6 games qualifying): Mike DeVaney, Murietta, CA 1,487.
Second round leader (after 12 games qualifying): Belmonte, 2,851.
Third round leader (after 21 games qualifying and match play): Kim, 4,901.

Additional PBA Tour coverage may be accessed by visiting pba.com and its Xtra 
Frame subscription video service.

Rookie Norton Wins PBA Chameleon Championships

California attorney Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, Calif., held 
court for the first time as a full-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitor 
in the title match of the Chameleon Championship at South Point Bowling Center, 
and he won his case.

The Chameleon Championship finals – the third of five legs in the PBA World 
Series of Bowling - aired Sunday on ESPN.

Norton, a 28-year-old left-hander who passed his California bar exam just a year 
earlier, delivered a powerful opening statement in his first PBA Tour television 
appearance, starting the title match with eight strikes before converting a 4-7 
spare in the eighth frame in easily defeating Sean Rash of Wichita, KS, 
256-181. Rash had won three consecutive matches to reach the championship 
contest.

“It’s pretty amazing. I’ve worked a long time for this,” Norton beamed. “It’s an 
unbelievable, crazy feeling. I was unconscious for a lot of that match.”

The son of Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) and United States Bowling 
Congress Hall of Famer Virginia Norton earned his opportunity to bowl as a 
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt player for the 2010-11 season by winning the 
2009 PBA Regional Players Invitational. This season might be his rookie year as 
a full-time PBA Tour competitor, but he came into it fully prepared.

“I got to grow up watching my mother bowl, and I got to see her on TV and 
wondered what that would be like,” he said. “I got to see her inducted into both 
halls of fame, and I always kinda dreamed and hoped that I could do that 
someday, too.”

The physical game he learned under his mother’s wing, and the mental game he 
learned under Team USA sports psychologist Dr. Dean Hinitz after winning the 
2000 U.S. Amateur Championship, helped explain his composure as he threw a 
near-perfect game at Rash.

“I knew I could come out here (on Tour) and compete,” he said. “I knew I could 
make shots, but sometimes that’s not enough. It just happened to be in the cards 
today that I was able to make shots and have it work out.

“Seriously, I don’t remember half of that game. I just remember getting up and 
saying the same things to myself, over and over. I told myself I was going to 
hit my target, execute and that set the tone. I was really able to stay within 
myself. I couldn’t see anything to either side. I really thought I was going to 
have a problem with the lights and people and the camera on the ball return, but 
when we got started, I didn’t see any of that. All I saw was the lane and the 
pins.

“When I got up in the ninth frame, I really wasn’t thinking about 300,” Norton 
said. “I realized I was going to win and that’s the only thing that was going 
through my mind.

“Now I know I can compete against these people,” he added. “That show included 
an amazing group of players who are going to wind up in the hall of fame. To be 
able to go out there and beat them really meant a lot to me. It really gives me 
a boost of confidence to know I can do it.”

Rash, who had experienced a series of disappointments on television over the 
past two seasons, looked almost unbeatable in eliminating Finland’s two-handed 
star, Osku Palermaa, 236-211; Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX, 227-175; and 
Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX, 235-217. But he couldn’t keep up with 
Norton’s strike barrage in the title contest.

The Scorpion Championship, the fourth of five World Series of Bowling “animal 
pattern” events, will air on ESPN next Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Scorpion 
stepladder finalists will be the first in PBA Tour history with four 
international competitors and only one United States representative. Finalists 
are Dan MacLelland, Canada; Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea; Bill O’Neill, Southampton, 
PA; two-handed specialist Jason Belmonte, Australia, and top qualifier Jun-Yung 
Kim, South Korea.

Free post-finals interviews and other World Series of Bowling special features 
are available on PBA’s Xtra Frame video streaming service. Visit pba.com or 
xtraframe.tv to access Xtra Frame. Full year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra 
Frame are available.

Professional Bowlers Association Sands Regency Regional Players Championships

Among the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)’s nearly 3,500 regional competitors, winning the Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational (RPI) ranks high on the wish list. But winning the 2010 edition at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Dec. 14-16 also means an automatic berth in the “Elite” field for the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions and a shot at a
$250,000 prize.

The 42nd annual RPI will feature 84 of the country’s top regional players representing

PBA’s East, South, Central, Southwest, Midwest, West and Northwest
Regions who qualified for the event by finishing in the top 25 in points of their

respective regions. The 2010 RPI also is open – for the first time – to
PBA Senior players who finished in the top five in points in senior events within

their regions, or who qualified in special senior regional qualifying events.

The PBA Regional Players Invitational – one of two major championships the PBA

offers each year to its regional members – will offer a $6,000 first prize plus the

“Elite” field berth for the Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las
Vegas Jan. 15-22.

In addition, all players will have an optional opportunity to compete for seven 
exemptions to bowl full-time on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour during the 
2011-12 season. All results in the RPI will be based on total pinfall for 37 
games of qualifying and match play.

Last year, Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, CA, won the 41st RPI at the National 
Bowling Stadium, and he converted his opportunity to compete on the Lumber 
Liquidators PBA Tour into a berth in the stepladder finals of the Chameleon 
Championship which airs Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

The RPI will get started with a players’ reception hosted by the Sands Regency 
Hotel and Casino on Monday, Dec. 13. Following a practice session Tuesday 
morning, the entire field will bowl three seven-game qualifying rounds Tuesday 
and Wednesday. After 21 games, the top 16 will advance to bowl two eight-game 
round robin match play rounds on Thursday to determine the final standings.

Live coverage of the PBA Regional Players Invitational and the Tri-Regional 
Sands Regency Open leading into the RPI will be available on pba.com’s Xtra 
Frame video service. Bowling fans will be able to watch RPI and Tri-Regional 
coverage at no charge by taking advantage of Xtra Frame’s free trial 
subscription during the month of December.

Xtra Frame coverage of the Tri-Regional will include qualifying and semifinal 
rounds on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Pacific, and the match play 
finals round at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 13. RPI coverage will include qualifying 
rounds Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m., and Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., 
followed by eight-game match play rounds Thursday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

To experience the “new” Xtra Frame at no cost during December, go to 
https://www.xtraframe.tv/pba/secure/registerform and choose the “Friends and 
Family” option. In the promotion code area, enter PBAFAF. When the complimentary 
subscription period ends on Dec. 31, fans will automatically convert to 
subscribers at the $7.99 monthly subscription rate unless they “opt out.”

The inaugural RPI was won by hall of famer Tom Hennessey, a member of the fabled 
Budweiser’s of St. Louis team, in Cincinnati in 1969 and since has become a 
launching pad for a number national touring players. Past champions who are 
currently PBA Tour exempt players include Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, TX 
(1999); Ritchie Allen, Columbia, SC (2004), and John Nolen, Waterford, MI 
(2008).

In addition to Norton, the other 2009 RPI qualifiers who earned 2010-11 Lumber 
Liquidators PBA Tour exemptions are: Bobby Hall II, Landover, MD; Ryan 
Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY; Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, WI; Chris Warren, 
Grants Pass, OR; Dave Beres, Greenfield, WI, and Jeff Zaffino Warren, PA.

Ebonite's Newest Will Be The Vital Energy

Mentioned on the first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) broadcast of the year, the Brunswick Pro Bowling Cheetah Championship,  Ebonite’s Vital Energy, an Orange and Silver pearl, with core much like the Vital Sign (verification pending) RG: 2.48, Diff: 0.055. Other details not available at this time. Look for formal introduction shortly.