Field/Partners Set for PBA Mark Roth-Marshall Holman Doubles Championships

Ronnie Russell of Marion, IN, who is trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title, secured help Thursday from the hottest player in the PBA World Series of Bowling, selecting Sean Rash of suburban Chicago (Montgomery), IL, as his partner for Sunday’s Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship finals.

Russell, the top qualifier in the PBA Elite Players Championship, earned the right to pick his partner from among the 15 other top qualifiers in the Elite Players field during a special “doubles draft” session Thursday at the special bowling arena that will host the finals at South Point Casino and Hotel. During previous World Series events, Rash had qualified for a record five consecutive ESPN finals.

Selecting second in the draft, conducted by PBA Commissioner Tom Clark and tournament co-namesake Mark Roth, Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, picked PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, for his partner. The other teams are veteran international players Andres Gomez, Colombia, and Martin Larsen, Sweden; long-time friends Mike Fagan, Dallas, TX and Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA; second-year Tour players Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY, and Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, MI; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO, and Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte; Jason Couch, Clermont, FL, and Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, CA; and Dick Allen, Columbia, SC, and Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas.

In addition to splitting a $15,000 first prize, the doubles champions will earn PBA Tour titles and berths in the Round of 36 for the season-ending PBA Tournament of Champions.

The selection of the doubles teams completed the lineup for the World Series of Bowling television finals, all of which will be conducted on a special two-lane installation at South Point. The PBA will publish results after each tape-delayed telecast airs. The PBA Tour’s season on ESPN begins Sunday, Dec. 4, with back-to-back one-hour telecasts of the GEICO World Bowling Tour men’s and women’s finals, starting at 1 p.m. ET.

2011 PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING TV LINEUP

South Point Exhibition Hall A, Las Vegas, Nov. 17-20

(All competition will be taped for delayed telecast on ESPN; results will be published by the PBA after each tape-delayed telecast airs)

  

THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 5:30 p.m. – GEICO World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA: Men’s Stepladder Finals – Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Jason Belmonte, Australia. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 4, 1 p.m. Eastern). 

Women’s Stepladder Finals – Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas; Nina Flack, Sweden; Sandra Andersson, Sweden. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 1 p.m. - Bayer Viper Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Mike Fagan, Dallas; Stuart Williams, England; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 22, 3 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 3 p.m. - Chameleon Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Jason Belmonte, Australia; Osku Palermaa, Finland; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Feb. 12, 3 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 6 p.m. - Scorpion Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Dom Barrett, England; Dave Wodka, Henderson, NV; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Patrick Allen, Baltimore. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Feb. 19, 3 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 8 p.m. – GEICO Shark Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX; Jason Belmonte, Australia; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Finland's Mika Koivuniemi, now living in Hartland, MI. (ESPN telecast Sunday, March 4, 3 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 10:30 a.m. – PBA World Championship Don Carter Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Stuart Williams, England; Osku Palermaa, Finland; Dom Barrett, England; Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, NY. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 11, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 12:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Billy Hardwick Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches):

Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, MI; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela; Andres Gomez, Colombia; Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, NY. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 3:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Johnny Petraglia Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches):

Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY; Nathan Bohr, Wichita, KS. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 5:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Mike Aulby Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches):

Jason Belmonte, Australia; Brian Kretzer, Dayton, OH; Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, AZ; Mike Fagan, Dallas, TX. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 8, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 7:30 p.m. - PBA World Championship Eliminator Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Carter, Hardwick, Petraglia, Aulby winners. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 15, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 10 a.m. – Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship, Baker format stepladder round one (not televised):

Match One – No. 7 Jason Couch, Clermont, FL/Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, CA. vs. Dick Allen, Columbia, SC/Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, TX. 

Match Two – Winners Match One vs. No. 6 Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO /Jason Belmonte, Australia. 

Match Three – Winners Match Two vs. No. 5 Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY/Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, MI. 

Match Four – Winners Match Three vs. No. 4 Mike Fagan, Dallas/Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA.

SUNDAY, NOV. 20, Noon – Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship Baker format stepladder finals: Match Five – Winners Match Four vs. No. 3 Andres Gomez, Colombia/Martin Larsen, Sweden. 

Semifinal Match – Winners Match Five vs. No. 2 Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas/Norm Duke, Clermont, FL. 

Championship – Semifinal Match Winners vs. No. 1 Ronnie Russell, Marion, IN/Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL. (ESPN telecast Sunday, March 25, 2:30 p.m. Eastern).

         SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 3:30 p.m. - Carmen Salvino Classic Eliminator Finals (four players, three elimination matches): Andres Gomez, Colombia; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, TX; Ronnie Russell, Marion, IN; Jason Belmonte, Australia. (ESPN telecast Sunday, April 1, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 5:30 p.m. – Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship Eliminator Finals (four players, three elimination matches): Norm Duke, Clermont, FL; Jason Belmonte, Australia; Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, TX; Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, CA. (ESPN telecast Sunday, April 8, 1 p.m. Eastern).