2012 PBA Senior Tour Schedule

April 21-24 - PBA Senior Sun Bowl in The Villages presented by Storm, Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, Fla.
April 28-May 2 - PBA Senior Don Carter Open presented by Ebonite, Carter Family Bowl, Winter Garden, Fla.
May 6-9 - PBA Senior Miller High Life Classic presented by Columbia 300, George Pappas Victory Lanes, Mooresville, N.C.
May 14-17 - PBA Senior Dayton Classic presented by Roto Grip, Capri Lanes, Dayton, Ohio
June 3-8 - Etonic PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas
June 10-15 - USBC Senior Masters, South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas
June 17-20 - PBA Senior Northern California Classic presented by Track, Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif.
August 6-9 - PBA Senior South Shore Open presented by DV8, Olympia Lanes, Hammond, Ind.
August 11-14 Senior Decatur Open presented by Brunswick, Spare Time Lanes, Decatur, Ill.
Among those becoming eligible for the 2012 Senior Tour season will be PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli and Tour veteran Mike Edwards.

USBC Master Enters Matchplay

A field of more than 300 of the world’s top PBA professionals and amateur bowlers will be narrowed to the top four players who will advance to the stepladder finals of the 2012 Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters which will be telecast live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday from Sunset Station Strike Zone in Las Vegas.

After an emotional victory in the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Masters, Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, will be trying to become the first player in four decades to win back-to-back titles in one of professional bowling’s most prestigious match play events. In 2011 he defeated Jack Jurek in the championship match, 225-214, for his first Tour title.

The challenging format featured 15 games of qualifying with the top 64 players advancing to the grueling double-elimination, three-game match play rounds.

The Masters has been a breakthrough event for amateurs and professionals like Hess. But the list of Masters champion also reads like a “who’s who” of bowling, among them are: Earl Anthony (1977, 1984), Mike Aulby (1989, 1995, 1998), Ernie Schlegel (1996), Don Carter (1961), Ray Bluth (1959), Billy Welu (1964, 1965), Dick Hoover (1956, 1957), Harry Smith (1958), Norm Duke (1993), Buzz Fazio (1955), Billy Golembiewski (1960, 1962), Danny Wiseman (2004), Sean Rash (2007), Doug Kent (2002, 2007), Mike Scroggins (2005), Parker Bohn III (2001), and Walter Ray Williams Jr. (2004, 2010).

The Masters began as a Clinic and Double Elimination Tournament at the 1951 ABC Tournament in St. Paul, MN with a field of 32 players. Eight of the nation’s top stars were invited and matched against eight of the best bowlers from St. Paul, eight from Minneapolis and eight others from other cities in Minnesota. Lee Jouglard of Detroit won the 1951 “Eliminations,” defeating Joe Wilman of Chicago. 

Current brackets:  http://scores.bowl.com/2012-masters/2012brackets.pdf

New Format and New Venue for College Championships

The 2012 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Singles Championships will have a new format and be held in conjunction with USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb. The singles event will take place April 17; team competition begins April 19.

The new one-day format will consist of six games of qualifying followed by head-to-head match play. The match-play portion will feature three-game total pinfall matches.

McCune Defends PBA Cheetah Title

Throwing his traditional rocket to the pocket, Eugene McCune of Munster, IN, successfully defended his Professional Bowlers Association Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite title Sunday at Fountain Bowl. 

McCune, who was the top qualifier for the stepladder finals, defeated PBA Hall of Famer and 35-time Tour titlist Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, 245-229, in the championship match for his third career win. 

“Anytime I can play outside on the lane and throw it hard it plays in my favor,” said McCune who estimated he was throwing the ball at a little over 20 miles per hour. 

“It’s old school and that’s where I feel most comfortable.” McCune won his second career title last season when, as tournament leader, he defeated Norm Duke, 238-237, to win the Cheetah Championship. It was during the match play round of that event that McCune broke the PBA nine-game scoring record with a 2,468 pinfall (274.22 average). In this year’s Cheetah Open, conducted on PBA’s Cheetah lane conditioning pattern, he averaged 253 for the tournament. 

“When I bowl on this condition there’s a little pressure because I know I need to take advantage of it,” he added. “I was a little worried after the first two frames of the tournament when I had open frames but I went to a different ball and made a couple of other adjustments and got back on track.” 

McCune was the first player to successfully defend a Tour title since Chris Barnes won back-to-back events in Columbus, Ohio, in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. The landmark Cheetah Open was the first PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.

Three more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season. 

“It was going to be a good match because he’s one of the best on this pattern and I match up real well in this house,” said Weber, who was trying for his 36th Tour title. 

“It was a good match for a while until I had a couple bad shots.” In the semifinal match Weber defeated former Wichita State University star Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, AZ, 248-165. Blanchard was rebounding after his fall on the approach during the PBA World Championship Mike Aubly Division final seen on ESPN two weeks ago. Blanchard went on to finish 16th in the World Championship. In the opening stepladder match, Weber defeated fellow Hall of Famer Duke, 237-226, to advance to the semifinal. 

PBA CHEETAH OPEN PRESENTED BY EBONITE Fountain Bowl, Fountain Valley, Calif., Sunday 

FINAL STANDINGS: 1, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., one game, 245 pins, $10,000. 

2, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., three games, 714 pins, $5,000. 

3, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., one game, 165 pins, $3,000. 

4, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., one game, 226, $2,500. 

PLAYOFF RESULTS: Match One – Weber def. Duke, 237-226. Semifinal match – Weber def. Blanchard, 248-165. Championship match – McCune def. Weber, 245-229. MATCH PLAY RESULTS After 22 games, including match play records and bonus pins. 

Top four advanced to stepladder finals 1, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 8-5, 5,814. 

2, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 10-3, 5,809. 

3, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 7-6, 5,806. 

4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7-6, 5,692. 

5, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 9-4, 5,684, $2,300. 

6, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 6-7, 5,651, $2,100. 

7, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 6-7, 5,641, $2,100. 

8, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 7-6, 5,620, $1,800. 

9, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-7, 5,606, $1,750. 

10, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 8-5, 5,602, $1,800. 

11, Stuart Williams, England, 8-5, 5,596, $1,650. 

12, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 8-5, 5,592, $1,800. 

13, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 5-8, 5,554, $1,550. 

14, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3-10, 5,535, $1,700. 

15, a-Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, 8-5, 5,515, $1,450. 

16, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5-8, 5,475, $1,600. 

17, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 6-7, 5,424, $1,550. 

18, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 8-5, 5,417, $1,300. 

19, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 4-9, 5,364, $1,275. 

20, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 5-8, 5,338, $1,238. 

20, a-Lowell Huber, Westminster, CA, 7-6, 5,338, $1,238. 

22, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 6-7, 5,313, $1,300. 

23, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6-7, 5,259, $1,175. 

24, a-Takashi Kudoh, Japan, 3-10, 5,147, $1,150. 

a = amateur

Texan Castillo Leads the PBA Cheetah Open

Dino Castillo of Carrollton, Texas, bowled two 300 games and averaged 257.33 Saturday to lead qualifying in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite at Fountain Bowl. 

Castillo had games of 300, 258, 256, 279, 238, 235, 192, 300 and 258 for a 2,316 nine-game pinfall total on the high-scoring PBA Cheetah lane conditioning pattern to top 24 players who advanced to Sunday morning’s match play round. In all, 13 300 games were bowled in Saturday’s qualifying. 

“It’s a high-scoring pace, of course, which means you really have to concentrate on staying one step ahead.” said Castillo, who has a previous best PBA Tour finish of second that came in the 2010 Japan Cup. 

“Your concentration really has to focus on not just hitting the pocket but getting the ball through the pins. “For me that requires getting the ball to go right on the lane so I can get the best angle to the pocket,” he added. “I tried so hard to do that a couple of times I threw it in the gutter—I guess I tried too hard.” 

Castillo finished 21 pins ahead of PBA Hall of Famer and 34-time Tour titlist Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, in second with 2,295. Rounding out the top five were Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, AZ, 2,273; defending Cheetah Open champion Eugene McCune, Munster, IN, 2,268, and two-time Tour winner Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, AZ, 2,257. 

The landmark Cheetah Open is the first PBA Tour event to be streamed live exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. Three more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season. 

After Sunday morning’s match play round, the field will be cut to the top four players who will compete in a stepladder final at 9 p.m. ET. 

Xtra Frame subscription information is available by visiting pba.com. 

PBA CHEETAH OPEN PRESENTED BY EBONITE Fountain Bowl, Fountain Valley, Calif., Saturday QUALIFYING RESULTS After 9 games, top 24 advance to match play  

1, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,316 

2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,295. 

3, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 2,273. 

4, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,268. 5, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 2,257. 

6, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,256. 

7, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,249. 8, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 2,247. 

9 (tie), Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,246. 

11, Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, 2,242. 

12 (tie), Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 2,215. 

14, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,209. 

15, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,206. 

16, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,205. 

17, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 2,189. 

18, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 2,188. 

19, Takashi Kudoh, Japan, 2,184. 

20, Lowell Huber, Westminster, Calif., 2,182. 

21, Stuart Williams, England, 2,179. 

22, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,177. 

23, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,176. 24, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 2,175. 

Did not advance 

25, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,167, $900. 

26, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 2,166, $890. 

27, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2,164, $980. 28, Dom Barrett, England, 2,162, $870. 

29 (tie), Dale Eagle, Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Steven Smith, San Diego, 2,159, $955. 

31, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,158, $840. 

32, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,152, $830. 33, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 2,148, $820. 

34, George Gaucin, El Paso, Texas, 2,141, $810. 

35, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 2,134, $800. 

36, Bobby Campagnale, Highland, Calif., 2,127, $790. 

37 (tie), Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., and Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,124, $775. 

39, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2,122, $760. 

40, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 2,118, $850. 

41, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 2,113, $740. 

42, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,108, $730. 

43, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,105, $720. 

44, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 2,103, $710. 

45, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 2,102, $700. 

46, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,098, $700. 

47, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 2,092, $700. 

48, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 2,091. 

49, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 2,083. 

50, Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,082. 

51 (tie), Robert Piroozshad, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Tony Knuth, Oceanside, Calif., 2,077. 

53, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,075. 

54 (tie), Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., Paul Varela, Carson, Ca, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,072. 

57, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 2,069. 

58, Eddie Katz, Costa Mesa, Calif., 2,068. 

59, Craig Kisro, Granada Hills, Calif., 2,067. 

60, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 2,063. 

61, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 2,061. 

62, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,058. 

63, Will Hubner, Huntington Beach, Calif., 2,055. 

64, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 2,053. 

65, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,035. 

66, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 2,032. 

67, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 2,028. 

68, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,026. 

69 (tie), Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,025. 

71, Richard Horsley, Morrisville, N.C., 2,021. 

72, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,018. 

73, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 2,017. 

74, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,015. 75, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 2,014. 

76, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,009. 

77, Keith Laing, Los Angeles, 2,007. 

78, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 2,003. 

79, Chad Newman, Richardson, Texas, 1,997. 

80 (tie), Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio and Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,992. 

82, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore., 1,990. 

83, Robert McBride, Plano, Texas, 1,989. 

84, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,987. 

85, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 1,980. 

86, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 1,976. 

87, Wesley Low Jr., Palmdale, Calif., 1,975. 

88, Brian Jones, Riverside, Calif., 1,970. 

89, Toshiyuki Kaneko, Japan, 1,968. 

90, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,967. 

91, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,959. 

92, Paul Herrera, San Jose, Calif., 1,958. 

93 (tie), Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., and Stephen Pavlinko, Sewell, N.J., 1,957. 

95, Pete Milkovich, Hercules, Calif., 1,955. 

96 (tie), Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, and Paul Nilsen Sr., Murrieta, Calif., 1,948. 

98, Chris Grulke, Irvine, Calif., 1,944. 

99, Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 1,941. 

100, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,940. 

101 (tie), Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, and Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 1,939. 

103, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,936. 

104, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,935. 

105, Vayle Floria, Cerritos, Calif, 1,931. 

106, Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif., 1,924. 

107, Liwei Liu, Pasadena, Calif., 1,913. 

108, Shinichiro Tamai, Japan, 1,905. 

109, Chris Williams, Reseda, Calif, 1,902. 

109, Bill Ireland, Absecon, N.J., 1,902. 

111, Jim Harvey, Los Angeles, 1,901. 

112, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,900. 

113, Raul Rosales, El Monte, Calif., 1,898. 

114, Scott LaRiviere, Murrieta, Calif., 1,890. 

115 (tie), Naoyuki Iguchi, Japan, and Jorge Gutierrez, Las Cruces, N.M., 1,889. 

117, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,882. 

118, Ramon Estrada, San Diego, 1,881. 

119, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,879. 

120, Brian Cooper, Visalia, Calif., 1,868. 

121, Randy Svendsen, Volin, S.D., 1,865. 

122, Scott Hatmaker, Winchester, Calif., 1,864. 

123, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,863. 

124, Tracy Teeters, Beaverton, Ore., 1,853. 

125, Ross Larsen, Riverside, Calif., 1,850. 

126, Stephen Gaucin, Los Angeles, 1,849. 

127, Ray Cobb, Highland, Calif., 1,848. 

128, Lorrie Sims, Oakley, Calif., 1,845. 

129, Harold Hill, Lakeside, Calif., 1,840. 

130, Mitchell Caldwell, Burbank, Calif., 1,828. 

131, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,819. 

132, Russ Simmons, Fontana, Calif., 1,817. 

133, Tim Ursillo, Spring Valley, Calif., 1,792. 

134, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,779. 

135, Demetrius Cash, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,759. 

136, John Sowell, Vista, Calif., 1,738. 

137, Brent Ilagan, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 1,734. 

138, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1,699. 

139, Carl Labayan, Long Beach, Calif., 1,677. 

140 (tie), Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, 1,643. 

140, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Japan, 1,643. 

142, John Murth, Simi Valley, Calif, 1,629. 

143, Jaime Orozco, Santa Ana, Calif, 1,548. 

300 games Jason Couch, Nathan Bohr, Tom Smallwood, Dino Castillo (2), Sean Rash, Mike Edwards, John Szczerbinski (2), Marv Sargent, Will Hubner, Dale Eagle, Eddie VanDaniker Jr.

PBA Bayer Viper Open Sunday on ESPN

Brunswick Adds 3 New Balls

The red/black solid Nexxus ƒ(P+R) features Brunswick’s newest innovation in performance enhancing Adaptive Chemistry. The combination of the Projection additive, new Recovery additive, and the Rotor core results in a ball motion with the highest hook potential and most continuation of any ball to date reports Brunswick. With a factory finish of 500 and 1500 Siaair Micro Pad, the Nexxus ƒ(P+F) provides a ball motion that projects through the front, saves axis rotation in the mid-lane and grabs the backend.

 

The black solid C-System versa-max combines Brunswick’s newest breakthrough in Chemical Friction Technology with the Dual Flip I-Block core. The C-System versa-max is factory finished with 500 Siaair Mircro Pad, Rough Buff, and High Gloss finish.

The purple/pink Karma Pearl combines Brunswick’s proven Danger Zone core shape matched with the Activator Plus reactive coverstock to produce good length and a strong yet controllable backend on medium to light oil lane conditions. Release date is not yet available.

The Japan Cup Resurrected

After a one-year absence due in great part to the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, the Japan Cup has been resurrected for the fall of 2012 and will provide additional incentive for Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)  players to perform at a high level during the 2011-12 season.

Sixteen PBA Tour players, based upon competition points at the close of the current season, will earn automatic berths in a field that will include top Japan and Korean PBA competitors, and international amateurs. An additional four PBA players will receive special invitations from the host organization.

“We could not be more pleased with this renewed partnership with the Japan PBA and look forward to bringing fresh energy to one of bowling's pinnacle events worldwide,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “Our players will be excited for the opportunity to compete, participating sponsors will gain great value from their association and the resulting action on the lanes will undoubtedly thrill fans once again.”

"We are very happy with the return of the Japan Cup, in a new way,” said Japan PBA President Ritsuko Nakayama.

The 2012 Japan Cup will be held Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Tokyo, with preliminary qualifying at Minami-Suna Bowling Center followed by additional qualifying, match play and television finals at Shinagawa Princess Hotel Bowling Center.

The tournament will offer a total of just over $285,000 in prize money, including a $78,000 first prize and a PBA Tour title. Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, is defending champion.

The Japan Cup originated as the Japan Gold Cup in 1968. The late PBA Hall of Famer Don Johnson won the inaugural event. In the 25 years that PBA players have been invited to the event, it has been won 23 times by PBA pros and twice by Japan PBA players. Walter Ray Williams Jr. is the only player who has competed in all 25 Japan Cup tournaments.

Storm's New Premer Line Ball is the Vivid

The intent of the new Storm Vivid™ is to create a motion which expands the current Premier™ line, giving you a clear picture of the lane condition while utilizing Storm’s most technologically-advanced cores and coverstocks. This new Vivid is projected to fit between the original Virtual Gravity™ Nano solid and pearl versions, combining midlane traction and backend hook.

Starting at the center, the heart of the bowling ball, the Storm technical team developed a new asymmetrical shape known at the M.A.D.™ core. Maximum Accelerating Disc technology optimizes the shapes of the RG planes to allow you to perfectly dial in your desired reaction.

Moving to the shell, the NRG™ solid reactive coverstock utilizes nanotechnology to create additional contours and surface texture. Proven in the original Virtual Gravity Nano, this coverstock allows bowlers of all skill levels to hook the ball like a pro.

Prepped with a 2000-grit finish, the Vivid can be smoothed with Xtra Shine™ if you find it has just too much teeth. But know that with the Vivid you’ll be sure to see a true heavy roll with increased break point responsiveness like no other.

Storm Adds the Crossroad

When the time to add to the product line came, Storm had a very effective ball (a winner all over the globe) in the Hy-Road.

The number one factor of ball motion is coverstock. So, when Storm was looking to expand upon the Victory Road with the proven components of the Hy-Road, Storm first started with the R2S hybrid reactive shell that seemed to match up on every lane condition imaginable.

Finished to 1500-grit as well, the new Crossroad is sure to skid through even the most hooking heads around. But if your speed is higher and the heads are slick, you can still adjust the surface texture easily as R2S is one of the most versatile coverstocks on the market.

Encasing the Hy-Road shell around the Victory Road’s Inverted Fe³ Technology™ weight block gave us the best of both worlds. The advancements made in Fe³ allowed us to utilize a larger mass to increase the dynamics, upping the differential approximately 15% in the 15 pounders. More differential equals more flare, and you can control the amount of flare with the proper layout. Put your favorite layout in the new Crossroad and in your next tournament you’ll be the first to cross the finish line!

The Modern Marvel from Storm

The new Storm Modern Marvel will provide more midlane traction as it features a textured R2X™ hybrid reactive cover. Prepped with 4000-grit Abralon® to match the “modern” environment, the Modern Marvel provides an optimum amount of traction throughout the entire lane; just enough glide through the heads without over-skidding and enough backend to verify you are indeed throwing a Storm bowling ball.

The Centripetal™ core’s symmetrical shape provides countless drilling options. So feel free to drop your favorite layout in the Modern Marvel as this shape has quickly become one of the favorites of players around the globe.

PBA World Championships Sunday

Bowling Superstar Don Carter Dies

Bowling’s original superstar, Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Hall of Famer Don Carter, died at his home in Miami Thursday night. Carter, who had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia complicated by emphysema, was 85.

Carter rocketed to fame during bowling’s so-called golden era of team bowling in the 1950s, but at that same time he was a dominant figure in the emerging world of sports television. He is widely remembered as a member of fabled Budweisers of St. Louis, but most of the world got to know him through his appearances on television shows like Jackpot Bowling, Make That Spare, Championship Bowling and numerous others. He also traveled the world making appearances for Brunswick and Budweiser.

In great part due to his high standing among his fellow competitors, Carter became a leading force in the formation of the PBA in 1958. After appearing on an Akron, Ohio, radio program hosted by attorney Eddie Elias where he talked about the importance of building a professional bowling tour similar to what golf had created, Carter and his fellow Budweisers’ teammates (Dick Weber, Ray Bluth, Tom Hennessey and Pat Patterson) convinced a group of other players to pledge $50 each to back Elias’ plan and get the PBA off the ground.

The PBA was launched in 1959 with three tournaments, but only three years later it had a schedule of 32 events and Carter was one of its stars, eventually winning seven PBA titles including five major championships.

Carter won two of the seven PBA Tour events conducted in 1960 including the PBA National Championship. His other major wins were four BPAA All-Star titles (the forerunner of the PBA U.S. Open) and the 1961 American Bowling Congress Masters. He also won a record five World Invitational titles – a grueling 100-game marathon – and he won four ABC Tournament titles.

The St. Louis native first experienced the sport at age 13.

“We were very poor but my mother managed to give me one game of bowling for my 13th birthday,” Carter said in an article written by the late Hall of Fame bowling writer and long-time friend Dick Evans. “That was the biggest birthday present of my life. I enjoyed that one game so much that when one of my teachers started a bowling club after school, I signed up. Then I started setting pins so I could bowl and practice for free.”

It was at that early age that he also developed his unique, unorthodox bowling style, using a bent elbow and a deep knee bend to almost push the ball down the lane. Carter later said his technique evolved because he started bowling with balls that had very large finger holes, and that’s the only way he could hold onto the ball.

Carter also was a good athlete in other sports, including baseball. After serving a tour of duty in the United States Navy during World War II in the South Pacific, Carter signed a minor league baseball contract with the Philadelphia Athletics organization as pitcher-infielder. But after a year he returned to St. Louis and took a job at Golden Eagle Lanes where he began taking up the sport seriously.

His bowling career gained momentum in 1951 when he was invited to bowl on the Pfeifer Beer team in Detroit. Then his long-time St. Louis bowling friends, including Bluth, Hennessey and Whitey Harris, convinced Anheuser-Busch to sponsor their team. With the brewery’s financial backing secured, the group lured Carter back to town and their Budweiser team became arguably the most famous bowling team in history. A great deal of the team’s fame came after it recorded a 3,858 five-player team series in 1958, a record that stood until 1994.

At the height of his fame, Carter was as recognizable among American sports heroes as Mickey Mantle, Johnny Unitas and Arnold Palmer. And he accomplished something none of those sports legends had ever done when he became the first athlete in American sports history to sign a $1 million sports marketing endorsement contract with bowling ball manufacturer Ebonite in 1964.

Carter received virtually every honor available within the sport. He was voted Bowler of the Year six times (1953, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1962). He served as the PBA’s first president. He was inducted into the ABC Hall of Fame in 1970, alongside his close friend and teammate Dick Weber, and he was a charter member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975, also joined by Weber, Bluth, Carmen Salvino, Harry Smith and Billy Welu. 

Carter was selected as the Greatest Bowler of All-time in a 1970 Bowling Magazine poll, ranked second in Bowling Magazine’s “20 Greatest Bowlers of the 20th Century” poll in 2000, and he was voted the 11th greatest PBA player of all-time as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2009.

Because of deteriorating knee injuries, Carter retired from PBA competition in 1972 and settled in Miami, FL, with wife and fellow hall of fame bowler Paula Sperber where he owned a chain of bowling centers bearing his name.

Because he hated to fly, and didn’t like public speaking, Carter rarely ventured far from home in retirement, although he did regain widespread public exposure in the 1980s when he appeared in a series of Miller Lite commercials featuring retired sports stars.

“I really don’t think anybody under the age of 65 remembers me,” Carter said about his Miller Lite appearances. “I’m really big with senior citizens. I’m famous because I’m the only guy to have two wives (Paula and first wife Laverne) in the (Women’s International Bowling Congress) Hall of Fame.”

Details regarding memorial services for Carter are pending.

“It is impossible to put into words what Don Carter meant to the PBA and sport of bowling,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “There is no way to fill the void left by his passing. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Paula and his family. He was a pioneer, a champion and will never be forgotten."

“It’s a sad day,” said long-time teammate Ray Bluth. “You’re never really prepared, and when you think of how many guys we had on our team over the years, I’m the only original and Bill (Lillard), who joined later, are the only ones left.

“Don was the greatest bowler of his era,” Bluth continued. “There was no one like him. Don was the star of the (Budweisers). He was our leadoff man. He wasn’t too gung-ho about that role, but he kept getting strikes and so did the rest of us, so he stayed there. It was just a great experience bowling with Don.”

“He’ll be missed. He was a great guy; he was hard to get to know, but once you did, he was your friend forever,” Lillard said. “They always ask who was the best bowler ever. There wasn’t much difference between some of the top guys, but Don beat me relentlessly, so in my eyes, he was the greatest ever.”

“Don was one of the greatest bowlers who ever lived, but he had some other things that made him great,” Salvino said. “He was a great athlete. He won two 100-game tournaments in one year and I don’t know how many other bowlers could take that kind of punishment. And he had the ability to focus better than anyone I’ve ever seen.

“On the lanes, he was in his own world, but off the lanes, he was a true gentleman,” Salvino added. “I had a lot of respect for him, as a bowler and as a man.”

We add our condolences, to the Carter family and to Don's many friends and fans, at the loss of one of the sports greats.

900 Global Video on The Train

Hammer Jet Black Taboo

Hammer Brand Manager Jeff Ussery announces the last ball in the Taboo series, called the Jet Black Taboo. 

The “Grand Theft Reactive (GTR) III” coverstock is finished 500/1000/2000 Abralon® Polished w/ Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. The Jet Black Contains the High Mass Bias Gas Mask core w/ Flip Block like it’s predecessor (in #15, RG -2.50, with RG Diff of .060). 

Look for the new Taboo Jet Black on February 2^nd, 2012.

508A New from Track

The new Track 508A is Green/Black/Yellow MP GEN4 Reactive Pearl Coverstock finished 800 Abranet ®,1000, 2000 Abralon ® then Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. Wrapped around the “Legion” Asymmetrical core, the numbers (for a 15lb ball: RG 2.51, and Differential - 0.049) provide a long and angular reaction from the 508A for Medium to Dry Lane Conditions.

The intermediate and overall differential are higher in the new 508A which provide more flare potential and a stronger overall core than the 505A. The combination of the MP GEN 4 Reactive Pearl veneer and the modified Legion Core, should provide you with a quicker responsive and overall more aggressive product than the previous 500 series balls.

Last Leg of the PBA World Championship Field Decided Sunday

Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, leads the field of four players in Sunday’s Mike Aulby Division finals, the fourth and final elimination round leading into the PBA World Championship finals. The Aulby round will air in high-definition on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

 

The Aulby Division winner will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa; Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, and Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, in the World Championship finals on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. At stake will be a $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

All competition will be conducted on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino.

Belmonte, 28, hasn’t won a title since his first PBA Tour victory in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic propelled him to 2009-09 PBA Rookie of the Year honors. During the 40-game qualifying portion of the PBA World Championship, he finished third behind Rash and Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, averaging 226.18 for five rounds on five different lane conditions. He will be joined in the Aulby elimination round by Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio; rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, AZ, and Mike Fagan of Dallas, TX.

Kretzer won his only PBA Tour title in the 2010 Go RVing Match Play Championship. Fagan is a two-time title winner. His most recent victory was in the 2010 One A Day Dick Weber Open. Blanchard, a former Wichita State University star, joined the PBA in October and won a PBA West Region Non-Champions tournament in Reno, NV, in his first appearance as a member. Sunday’s telecast will be his PBA Tour television debut.

In the Aulby eliminator event, all four players will bowl a one-game match with the lowest scoring player eliminated. The three survivors will bowl a second game, again with the low man knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game to determine who will advance to the World Championship finals.

The four World Championship divisional finals have been named for PBA superstars who excelled in the event during their careers. Palermaa won the Don Carter Division berth, Shafer the Billy Hardwick Division title and Rash topped the Johnny Petraglia Division. The championship trophy is named in honor of Anthony, the only player ever to win the event six times.

A preview of the Aulby Division finals will be webcast on pba.com’s Xtra Frame beginning Wednesday, and a post-game show will be presented on Xtra Frame immediately following Sunday’s ESPN finals.

Storm Bowling Acquires Master Industries

Storm Products, Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Master Industries. Located in Irvine, CA, Master Industries manufactures hundreds of performance bowling accessories including wrist supports, shoe accessories, and pro shop products.

“There is a great synergy between Storm Products, Inc. and Master Industries,” commented Bill Chrisman, owner of Storm Products, Inc. “This will be a great fit for our company.”

The acquisition of Master Industries will solidify Storm’s foundation in bowling and make the consumer product line more complete.

“We will continue Bill Norman’s vision of ‘Made in the USA’ by Master craftsmen,” commented Chrisman. The manufacturing plant in Irvine will remain open and operate under the name Master Industries Worldwide; it will continue to produce and grow the current product line.

The Droid from Lane #1

Lane #1 announced the new Droid. The Droid’s “Cyborg Diamond” Core should generate 4 inches of track flare on Radius of Gyration (RG) of 2.521 and medium RG Differential of .045 and the “Bionic (Blended Ion)” neon green and black coverstock is finished at 2000 Abralon. Look for the Lane #1 Droid on January 23^rd, 2012.

MOTIV Adds The Thrash

New from MOTIV, the high performance THRASH. The Deep Ocean Blue Z-Max™ Solid Reactive veneer finished to 1000-grit wet sand features the NEOMARK white label with the “Quadfire™” core inside generating a Radius of Gyrations (RG) of: 2.55 in a #15 ball, with Differential of .043.  World Wide Release Date: January 13th, 2012.

Rash Advances to PBA World Championship Finals

Sean Rash, now living in Suburban Chicago (Montgomery) IL, the runaway qualifying leader in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Championship preliminary rounds, advanced to the Jan. 15 final round with a victory in the Johnny Petraglia Division finals that aired Sunday on ESPN.

Rash, who won his only major title in the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters, defeated PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, 246-222, to capture the third of four berths in the World Championship finals at South Point Hotel Exhibition Hall.

The divisional finals consist of three one-game rounds, starting with four players. The lowest-scoring player after each game is eliminated.

Rash will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa, winner of the Don Carter Division; Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, winner of the Billy Hardwick Division, and the winner of next Sunday’s Mike Aulby Division finals in the World Championship finals on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA World Championship offers a $50,000 first prize and the first major title of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season.

Rash, a four-time PBA Tour winner who is trying to end a four-year title slump, survived a high-scoring opening game led by Weber’s 279. Left-hander Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, NY, was second with a 267 and Rash posted a 257. Nathan Bohr of Wichita, KS, rolled a respectable 236 in his PBA television debut, but was eliminated.

Rash took command in game two, starting with nine strikes before leaving the 6-10 on his first shot in the 10th frame and finishing with a 278 game. Weber was right behind, starting with eight strikes on his way to a 268. Ciminelli was ousted after rolling a 219 game.

In the final game, Weber lost the strike pocket for four frames, allowing Rash to jump into a 34-pin lead after five frames, and he never let the 35-time PBA Tour titlist back into the match.

“I think we broke down the lanes extremely well,” Rash said. “Ciminelli was all by himself on the left side. Nathan played a little right of where Pete and I were playing. We were in the track area and just chased the transition to the left. Pete’s got a phenomenal ball roll. He can do things the rest of us can’t. But I got into a little groove and my confidence got higher and higher.”

Rash said beating Weber was a “special thing” because of a bond the two have developed ever since Rash arrived on the scene.

“Pete and I have been friends since I came out on tour,” he said. “A lot of people figure I’m the new bad-(boy), the role Pete played for 25-or-so years. He has given me a lot of great advice, to be who I am, not worry about what people think and not try to change. When I’m on the lanes I’m by myself. The only people I care about are my wife and family. But to beat Pete is a special thing.”

Rash also will head into the PBA World Championship finals with a dark cloud hanging over his head. He has not won a title in his last eight television appearances.

“I’ve had some mental issues over the years. Everyone knows that,” he said. “I’ve had some things come up bowling-wise, family-wise that get in the way of the sport sometimes. And some personal things. Physically, I bowled well for several years, but I remember Chris Barnes made 12 shows in a row and never won. Look at Amleto (Monacelli) and Walter (Ray Williams Jr.) and they had years between titles. Chris Barnes told me a long time ago – and Parker Bohn the same thing – that you have to put yourself in position to win. No one remembers who bowled Friday night in the Round of 32. You remember the guys who got to TV on Sunday and had a chance to win. And now I’m in position to win again.”

Rash also noted he was inspired during the Petraglia round by the presence of new-found friend Dan McCarty, an 8-year-old who was born with a medical condition commonly called “brittle bone disease.” Rash met the youngster during a “Best Buddies” gathering in Las Vegas prior to the PBA World Series of Bowling, struck up a friendship and invited McCarty to attend the television show.

“It was a thrill to have Danny at the show,” Rash said. “When you realize what that kid’s been through, what he lives with his entire life, he’s such an inspiration.”

The Petraglia finals were conducted on the PBA’s Scorpion lane condition, selected by Rash as the high qualifier.

The Mike Aulby Division finalists will be the final group to bowl, on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. Australia’s Jason Belmonte is top qualifier for that group which also includes Brian Kretzer of Dayton, OH; PBA Tour rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, AZ, and Mike Fagan of Dallas, TX.

Special pre-game shows for each World Series of Bowling telecast will be webcast beginning on the Wednesday preceding the ESPN finals on pba.com’s Xtra Frame and a post-game Xtra Frame interview with the winners will immediately follow the Sunday telecasts.