Thursday, December 20, 2018

BARRETT BATTLES TO OCTOBER IBMA BOWLER OF THE MONTH

      
Dom Barrett, Colchester, England, has been named the October 2018 Kegel Bowler of the Month by the International Bowling Media Association.
 
Barrett defeated Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Arizona, 207-206, for the 2018 U.S. Open title, his second major and seventh PBA title.  
           
After finishing the qualifying round in third place, Barrett maintained that position before dropping to fourth after the round robin match play.
 
The television stepladder finals began as the fourth-seed Barrett downed the fifth-seed Marshall Kent, Yakima, Washington, 258-203. Barrett outstruck the third-seed E.J. Tackett, Bluffton, Indiana, 264-248 in the semifinal, setting up the title match with the top seed Butturff.
 
The Arizona left-hander led the U.S. Open by over 600 pins going into the television finals for the second straight year. Butturff was defeated by Rhino Page, 256-222, in the 2017 U.S. Open title match
 
Barrett's U. S. Open crown is also his second PBA title this season, following the season-opening DHC Japan Invitational.      
 
Others obtaining votes in close voting this month were Liz Johnson, winner, 20th SamHo Korea Cup 2018, Stuart Williams, winner, PBA Tulsa Open, Anthony Simonsen, winner, FloBowling PBA Wolf Open, E.J. Tackett, winner, PBA Bear Open

 (Photos Courtesy of USBC)

O'KEEFE CAPS CAREER YEAR AS NOVEMBER BOWLER OF THE MONTH


Shannon O'Keefe, Shiloh, Illinois, has been named the November 2018 Kegel Bowler of the Month by the International Bowling Media Association.

 O'Keefe topped Sin Li Jane, Malaysia, 238-236, for the women's title at the 54th QubicaAMF World Cup in Las Vegas.    
           
After finishing the eighteen-game qualifying round in third place averaging 208, O'Keefe spent the twenty-four-game match play in the top ten, defeating Daphne Tan, Singapore, to secure fourth place going into the championship round.
 
The semifinals began as the fourth-seeded O'Keefe stunned top-seeded Nadia Pramanik, Indonesia, 247-202. The third-seeded Sin ousted second-seeded Maria Jose Rodriguez, Columbia, 207-166, in the other semifinal, setting up the final match with O'Keefe.
 
The win comes at the end of an amazing year for the head coach for the highly-ranked McKendree University women's bowling team. O'Keefe won two titles out of seven championship round appearances, including the USBC Queens tiara, en route to 2018 PWBA Player of the Year.
 
Others obtaining votes this month were Sam Cooley, Australia, winner of the men's 54th QuibicaAMF World Cup, Tim Foy, Jr., winner of the PBA East Region Bowlers Discount Pro Shop Open presented by Track, and Dick Allen and Walter Ray Williams, Jr., winners of the PBA/PBA50 Southern Region Decker Appraisal Services Harrisonburg Baker Doubles Honoring Guppy Troup.

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

BUTTURFF EARNS TOP SEED AT U.S. OPEN FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

WICHITA, Kan. – Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Arizona, once again finds himself one win away from his first major title after earning the top seed for the stepladder finals of the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year on Tuesday.

Butturff will be joined in the stepladder at Northrock Lanes by Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois; EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana; Dom Barrett of England; and Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington.

CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of Wednesday’s stepladder finals starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. The champion will take home the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket.

Butturff shined in match play on Monday and Tuesday, averaging more than 243 and posting a 19-5 record to finish with a 13,452 total, including bonus pins, to lead Prather (12,900) by 552 pins. Prather had led for every round heading into Tuesday’s competition.

“I’m speechless,” said Butturff, who is a four-time champion on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. “Kris had bowled so well, and I knew I had a lot of work to do. I worked as hard as I could to repeat shots and keep it going, and now I only have one more game to go.”

Butturff displayed a similar performance leading to the top seed at the 2017 event in Liverpool, New York. He posted a 20-4 match-play record to lead the field by 617 pins but fell in the title match to Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, 256-222.

Page advanced to match play at Northrock Lanes this week and finished his title defense in 13th place with a 12,056 total.

The 24-year-old left-hander now finds himself in elite company, joining PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Earl Anthony as the only bowlers since 1971 to earn the top seed for the stepladder finals in back-to-back years.

Anthony led by 578 pins in 1979 and 551 pins in 1980 but was unable to come away with the title either year.

Last year’s stepladder at Flamingo Bowl featured three left-handers, as Page and Graham Fach of Canada joined Butturff on the left side. This year, he’ll have the left side of the lane to himself and knows he can take advantage of it.

“Last year was a learning experience,” said Butturff, who has won two titles this season. “This week, when I’ve been the only left-hander on the lane, I’ve performed much better. So, now I need to make sure I’m able to go out there and make the best shots I possibly can.”

Tackett earned the No. 3 seed with a 12,644 total, while Barrett (12,402) and Kent (12,363) will face off in the opening match of Wednesday’s stepladder finals.

Prather is in search of his first career PBA Tour title, while Tackett is looking to add a third major, the Triple Crown and another PBA Player of the Year award to his mantle.

Tackett captured the PBA World Championship in 2016 and PBA Tournament of Champions in 2017, and a win Wednesday would make him the seventh player in PBA history to complete the Triple Crown. His victory at the World Championship also helped him claim player of the year.

Tackett’s the only player on tour this season to win three titles, and a fourth win would put him as the front-runner for the 2018 award.

Barrett has six career titles, including the 2013 World Championship. He advanced to the stepladder finals at the 2015 U.S. Open but lost to top-seed Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, New York, in the title match, 236-223.

Kent was the top seed at the 2016 U.S. Open but fell to Canada’s Francois Lavoie in the championship match, 228-194. Kent has four career PBA Tour titles and is looking for his first major.

All competitors bowled 24 qualifying games over three days to determine the 36 players advancing to a cashers’ round. After eight additional games, the field was cut to the top 24 players for round-robin match play.

The five finalists were determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.

The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the USBC and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.

Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals was broadcast live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Big Start Vaults Bill O’Neill Into FloBowling PBA Wolf Open First Round Lead

by jschneider  |  Monday, October 15, 5:51 PM   from PBA.com

Big Start Vaults Bill O’Neill Into FloBowling PBA Wolf Open First Round Lead
OWASSO, Okla. – Nine-time Go Bowling! PBA Tour winner Bill O’Neill fired a 1,506 six-game pinfall total Monday to take the first round lead in the FloBowling PBA Wolf Open, the first of three events making up the weeklong FloBowling PBA Fall Swing at The Lanes at Coffee Creek.

Bowling on PBA’s 33-foot Wolf lane condition, O’Neill, who makes his home in Langhorne, Pa., bowled games of 298, 278, 236, 207, 252 and 235 to average 251 for the round.

“I wanted to play it safe by starting the round with a ball I was confident would control the lane and get to the pocket consistently,” O’Neill said. “I felt if I can do that, I can make the smaller adjustments necessary to get the pin carry.

“You don’t anticipate starting 290 and 270 but you certainly want to take advantage of a good start like that,” he added. “I was actually more satisfied with the end of the round because in the middle of the fourth game I made a ball change and moved 10 boards left on the approach which gave me the confidence that I was making the right adjustment decisions.

O’Neill, who turns 37 on Oct. 21, teamed with four-time and reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte to win the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship earlier this season for his ninth career title.

“It’s been a pretty good year,” O’Neill said. “I wish I was winning more but I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’m bowling overall. With the way the game has evolved things aren’t as instinctual to me as they used to be. I just keep knocking on the door and hope I can put myself in the best possible position to win.”

O’Neill holds a commanding 76-pin lead over AJ Johnson of Oswego, Ill. who finished the round in second with a 1,430 pinfall total. Markus Jansson of Sweden finished third with 1,421 followed by Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Ill., with 1,391 and 2018 USBC Masters Champion Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., rounding out the top five with 1,387.

The 102-player field returns for the second six-game qualifying round Tuesday that will determine the top five players who will advance to the stepladder finals at 7:30 p.m. CT, which can be seen live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

After Tuesday’s Wolf Open stepladder finals, the Fall Swing continues with Bear Open qualifying Wednesday and Thursday.

Based on the combined 24-game qualifying totals from the Wolf and Bear events, the top 18 players will advance to Tulsa Open match play, consisting of two six-game round robin match play rounds, on Friday and the final six-game round on Saturday morning that will determine the top five players for the Tulsa Open stepladder finals at 12:30 p.m.

The entire Fall Swing is streamed live on Xtra Frame on FloBowling which is providing multi-stream coverage of every lane of competition. For subscription and schedule information visit www.flobowling.com. Lanetalk is providing Fall Swing tournament statistics which can be accessed by visiting the Lanetalk link on the pba.com homepage.

Lanetalk Quick Stats

Kristopher Prather had the best clean frame percentage with 98.33% (only one open); Sean Rash, who qualified ninth after the first round had the highest percentage of pocket hits with 86.57%. Chris Via, who qualified 10th, had the best pocket pin carry percentage with 88% on his pocket hits.

FLOBOWLING PBA WOLF OPEN

The Lanes at Coffee Creek, Owasso, Okla., Monday



FIRST ROUND QUALIFYING RESULTS (after six games)


1, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,506.
2, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,430.
3, Markus Jansson, Sweden, 1,421.
4, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 1,391.
5, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 1,387.
6, Keven Williams, Springfield, Mo., 1,385.
7, (tie) Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, and Rhino Page, Orlando, 1,382.
9, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,381.
10, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 1,366.
11, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,364.
12, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,360.
13, Dom Barrett, England, 1,358.
14, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,357.
15, (tie) AJ Chapman, St Paul, Minn., and EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 1,354.
17, Graham Fach, Canada, 1,347.
18, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 1,345.
19, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,336.
20, (tie) Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., and Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 1,333.
23, Sam Cooley, Australia, 1,319.
24, Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo., 1,313.
25, (tie) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Arturo Quintero, Mexico, 1,312.
27, Stuart Williams, England, 1,311.
28, (tie) Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., and Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 1,310.
30, (tie) Jason Belmonte, Australia, Charlie Brown Jr., Grandville, Mich., Francois Lavoie, Canada, and Matt Sanders, Indianapolis, 1,307.
34, (tie) JR Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., and Michael Tang, San Francisco, 1,306.
36, (tie) Thomas Larsen, Denmark, and Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,305.
38, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 1,302.
39, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,295.
40, Michael Davidson, Versailles, Ohio, 1,292.
41, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,288.
42, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,285.
43, (tie) Pontus Andersson, Sweden, and Ryan Ciminelli, Clarence, N.Y., 1,280.
45, (tie) Richie Teece, England, George Duke, Vidor, Texas, and Francois Louw, South Africa, 1,275.
48, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 1,274.
49, (tie) John Furey, Howell, N.J., and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,265.
51, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,264.
52, (tie) Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., and Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,259.
54, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 1,256.
55, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,250.
56, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,249.
57, (tie)Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., and Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 1,247.
59, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,244.
60, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,238.
61, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,236.
62, (tie) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., and Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,235.
65, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,232.
66, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 1,231.
67, Dakota Vostry, Chicago, Ill., 1,227.
68, (tie) Daniel Fransson, Sweden, and Matt Kuba, Chicago Ridge, IL, 1,225.
70, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 1,224.
71, Jim Pratt, Avondale, Ariz., 1,223.
72, Matt O'Grady, Rahway, N.J., 1,222.
73, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,220.
74, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,219.
75, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 1,217.
76, (tie) Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., and DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,213.
78, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,203.
79, (tie) Kenneth Ryan, Morganville, N.J., and Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,181.
81, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,178.
82, Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 1,174.
83, Zach Doty, Campbellsville, Ky., 1,171.
84, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,169.
85, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,163.
86, Kyle King, Glendale, Ariz., 1,162.
87, (tie) Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., and Nate Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1,143.
89, David Krol, Nixa, Mo., 1,141.
90, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,135.
91, Kenneth Bland Jr., San Antonio, Texas, 1,111.
92, Matt Wozney, Clayton, Del., 1,084.
93, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,077.
94, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 1,058.
95, Russ Oviatt, Chandler, Ariz., 1,055.
96, Stephen Hahn, Sterling, Va., 1,030.
97, Michael Duran, Banning, Calif., 1,024.
98, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,022.
99, James Britton, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1,019.
100, Andrew Silverman, Akron, Ohio, 1,010.
101, James Sitters, Australia, 952.
102, Michael Foster, Tulsa, Okla., 869.

300 games – AJ Johnson, Marshall Ken
t

Friday, September 14, 2018

Storm Offers Pink Phaze Special for Breast Cancer Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and that means a special opportunity for Storm fans to grab a special ball while helping others.

This year Storm is making 300 Pink Phaze Bowling Balls. The balls are only available for purchase on the Storm website. Our co-founders, Bill and Barbara Chrisman, are donating all the manufacturing and shipping costs, so 100% of the money raised will go directly to Cancer Research. Click the banner below to learn more and purchase your own Pink Phaze. 

Storm PhysiX and Hy-Road X

Storm Bowling is adding two new balls to it's product lines in October. Look for the high-performance PhysiX and performance Hy-Road X October 19th, 2018.


PhysiX

COLOR: Red Pearl/Blue & Purple Solid
COVERSTOCK: NRG™ Hybrid Reactive
CORE: Atomic™
FINISH: 3000-grit Abralon®
REACTION: Overall Big Hook w/ Medium Backend
LANE CONDITION: Heavy Oil
WEIGHTS: 12-16 lbs.





Hy-Road X

COLOR: Midnight Black Solid
COVERSTOCK: R2X™ Solid Reactive
CORE: Inverted Fe² Technology™
FINISH: 1500-grit Polished
REACTION: Length w/ Smooth Backend
LANE CONDITION: Medium to Heavy Oil
WEIGHTS: 12-16 lbs.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Australian TV feature on the worlds best bowler.

2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour Tournaments on FOX to be Open to PBA Members Only

From PBA.com by bvint | Tuesday, August 28, 9:58 AM


CHICAGO – The Professional Bowlers Association has announced its 2019 schedule of Go Bowling! PBA Tour events airing on FOX Sports will be open exclusively to PBA members.

The exception to the policy will be the United States Bowling Congress Masters, an event that traditionally has included USBC members who may or may not be PBA members.

Tournaments included in the members only policy include: the PBA Hall of Fame Classic in Arlington, Texas; Oklahoma Open and Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship in Shawnee, Okla.; Lubbock Sports Open in Lubbock, Texas; PBA Tournament of Champions in Fairlawn, Ohio; PBA Players Championship in Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis Open in Indianapolis; Jonesboro Open in Jonesboro, Ark.; PBA World Series of Bowling X in Allen Park, Mich., the PBA League in Portland, Maine, and any Pre-Tournament Qualifier (PTQ) held in conjunction with these events.

The PBA will continue to welcome non-members in its Regional Tour, PBA Xtra Frame Tour on FloBowling and PBA50 Tour events. Non-members are allowed to bowl in these events until they cash twice in any given year, at which time they are required to join in order to continue participation in PBA events.

“The return to members-only status for PBA Tour competition is a return to the rules that applied to PBA competition for most of the organization’s 60-year history,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Kirk von Krueger in announcing the policy. “It’s a privilege to be able to compete with and against the best bowlers in the world, not a right. Restoring the original policy is simply a matter of restoring one of the building blocks of the PBA.”

PBA membership includes a variety of benefits including reduced tournament entry fees, discounts on equipment from PBA Product Registered companies, reduced or no-cost lineage fees to practice at participating bowling centers, and other perks.

To join the PBA, visit pba.com and click on the “join” link (https://www.pba.com/join). Competitive membership in the PBA is open to any bowler who has maintained a 200 or higher average for a minimum of 36 games in any USBC-certified league or tournament club within the previous (190 for Sport leagues) 12 months, or who has cashed in PBA tournament of any kind within the last two years.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

LIZ JOHNSON STRIKES AGAIN AT NATIONWIDE PWBA COLUMBUS OPEN

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Reigning three-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Liz Johnson showed she’s ready for the final events of the PWBA Tour season by making a title-winning run at the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open on Saturday.

Johnson rolled 23 strikes over three matches at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl to snag her 24th professional title. In the title match against top seed Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, Johnson flirted with a perfect game, connecting on her first nine shots before a 10 pin ended the run in a 278-202 victory.
Johnson started Saturday’s final round of qualifying with a 289 game, leaving a 10 pin on her second shot in the final frame.

“You couldn’t ask for a better day,” Johnson said. “I’ve had some troubles on Friday nights and Saturday mornings, (the lanes) seem to get a little tighter as the week goes on. I just made a couple of little changes, tweaked a little bit with my release.”

“I tried to keep it simple, stay with that game plan. For the most part, I stayed out of trouble, had a couple of big games, got to the show and then made some good shots.”

Pluhowsky remains without a PWBA title, having lost as the No. 1 seed for the third time. Her other two losses as the top seed came in 2016. Early in Saturday’s match, she left a 9 pin on a solid shot followed by an open frame despite a good shot on the spare attempt.

“A couple of hits here and there and the game’s different,” Pluhowsky said. “That’s what it takes to win. You have to get those hits, but you have to throw it there first. That’s why she’s the greatest one out here. She gets it done.”
Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo provided a tough test for Johnson in the semifinal. In a tight match throughout, Restrepo struck twice in the final frame to force Johnson to have to match her.

Johnson obliged in a 224-215 victory, though her second shot in the 10th did make for a little drama.

“I got away with it,” Johnson said of the light hit. “The second shot got away from me a little bit, and I caught a break, fortunately.”

Johnson started her run against Colombian native Clara Guerrero, striking on seven of her first eight shots. Guerrero, meanwhile, could not put together consecutive strikes as Johnson won, 234-205.

Guerrero did string together strikes in the opening match. She struck on four of her first five shots to build a 19-pin lead against rookie Jordan Richard of Tecumseh, Michigan, who was making her third consecutive television show.
While Guerrero left the 3-6-7-10 in the ninth frame, she had built a big enough lead and took a 210-198 victory.

The PWBA Tour heads to the Dallas area next week for the QubicaAMF PWBA Players Championship at Plano Super Bowl, and Johnson is ready.
“I feel good,” Johnson said. “This is a great confidence booster going into Dallas.”

The Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open was the third and final elite-field event on the 2018 PWBA Tour. The top 24 bowlers on the PWBA points list after the U.S. Women's Open qualified for the elite events with the remainder of the 32-player field at each event completed through a pre-tournament qualifier.
Competitors bowled 16 qualifying games on Friday before the field was cut to the top 12. Six additional games on Saturday morning determined the five players for the stepladder finals.

Visit PWBA.com for more information on the PWBA Tour.

NATIONWIDE PWBA COLUMBUS OPEN
At Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio
Saturday’s Final Results
1. Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 736 (3 games), $10,000
2. Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 202 (1 game), $5,000
3. Rocio Restrepo, Ibagué, Colombia, 215 (1 game), $3,500
4. Clara Guerrero, Armenia, Colombia, 415 (2 games), $3,000
5. Jordan Richard, Tecumseh, Mich., 198 (1 game), $2,500
Stepladder results
Match 1 – Guerrero def. Richard, 210-198
Match 2 – Johnson def. Guerrero, 234-205
Semifinal – Johnson def. Restrepo, 224-215
Championship – Johnson def. Pluhowsky, 278-202

Sunday, August 5, 2018

ZAVJALOVA CAPTURES PEPSI PWBA ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER OPEN TITLE

SEMINOLE, Fla. – A high-scoring week at Seminole Lanes became a much more difficult test in the stepladder finals of the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open on Saturday.
But No. 5 seed Diana Zavjalova of Latvia was able to fight through to win her opening match, then climbed the stepladder to capture her third PWBA title with a 201-158 victory over top-seed Daria Pajak of Poland.
The finals of the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open, which had five bowlers who are all in their 20s, were televised live on CBS Sports Network.  
Zavjalova, who celebrated her 27th birthday on Wednesday, admitted that after a high-scoring week, she didn’t know what to expect with the finals on a pair of lanes not used during the week.
“I was nervous,” Zavjalova said. “I didn’t throw it well in the first game. Once I got through the first game, I got more comfortable, kept moving left and the other girls were struggling. I just kept moving left and just got more comfortable as the games went on.”
An early double in the title match helped Zavjalova to an 18-pin lead after six frames, and when Pajak, 25, missed a 10-pin spare attempt for the second time in the match, Zavjalova simply continued to make her spares.
“I did not see the right shape, and when I threw it good, I didn’t carry,” Pajak said. “I tried to make adjustments, and that’s when I threw bad shots. And you cannot win when you miss two spares.”
In the semifinal match against Liz Kuhlkin, 24, of Schenectady, New York, Zavjalova was in a groove, striking on six of her first seven shots. Kuhlkin, who ran the stepladder to win the U.S. Women’s Open in June, managed only two strikes and suffered her first loss in a stepladder finals, 225-157.
Zavjalova had missed two spare attempts in the opening five frames of her second match against Jordan Richard, 22, of Tipton, Michigan. After a missed 10-pin spare attempt in the fifth frame, Zavjalova did not miss anything the rest of the match, finishing with seven consecutive strikes in a 226-172 victory.
“I hate missing spares,” Zavjalova said. “Once I missed, I sat down, decided to start fresh and said ‘Let’s do this.’”
In the opening match, Zavjalova slipped past Verity Crawley, 24, of England, 185-168, in a match that took some big momentum swings in the final frames. Zavjalova had a 10-pin lead entering the ninth frame, but left the 2-4-10 on her first shot and could not convert.
Crawley, with a chance to clear the deficit, hit the pocket only to leave the 7-10 split. Zavjalova struck on her first shot in the final frame to clinch.
For Zavjalova, winning the title meant going through Crawley in the opening match and Pajak in the title match. The three were teammates at Webber International and travel together on the PWBA Tour.
“We’ve known each other for a long time and I love the girls more than anything,” Zavjalova said. “But it’s really tough to bowl against them. I’m happy that I won, but Verity and Daria bowled amazing all week. That’s the beauty of the game – it comes down to one game in the finals and it worked in my favor.”
The Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open is the first of three elite-field events that will take place in August. Following the U.S. Women’s Open, the top 24 players on the PWBA points list earned their way into the elite-field events with the remainder of the 32-player field determined through a pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ).
Players had 16 games of qualifying on Friday before the field was cut to the top 12. Six additional games on Saturday morning determined the five players for the stepladder finals.
Visit PWBA.com to learn more about the PWBA, including the schedule, player bios and more.

PEPSI PWBA ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER OPEN
(At Seminole Lanes, Seminole, Fla.)
SATURDAY’S RESULTS

1, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 837 (4 games), $10,000
2, Daria Pajak, Poland, 158 (1 game), $5,000
3, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 157 (1 game), $3,500
4, Jordan Richard, Tipton, Mich., 172 (1 game), $3,000
5, Verity Crawley, England, 168 (1 game), $2,500

Stepladder results
Match One – Zavjalova def. Crawley, 185-168
Match Two – Zavjalova def. Richard, 226-172
Semifinal – Zavjalova  def. Kuhlkin, 225-157
Championship – Zavjalova def. Pajak, 201-158

Saturday, August 4, 2018

PAJAK ROLLS A PAIR OF 299 GAMES TO TAKE PEPSI PWBA ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER OPEN LEAD

SEMINOLE, Fla. – Getting away from the game during the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour’s recent break has seemingly done wonders for Daria Pajak’s game.
In Friday’s second qualifying round of the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Open, the Pila, Poland native averaged 245, including a pair of 299 games over a three-game span. Now, after first having to go through the pre-tournament qualifier just to make the field, she will lead 12 bowlers into Saturday morning’s final qualifying block.
The top five players in total pinfall after Saturday morning’s six games at Seminole Lanes will advance to the stepladder finals, which will be televised live at 6 p.m. (Eastern) on CBS Sports Network.
“I feel great, I’m speechless,” Pajak said. “I lined up very well, matched up, where I had a couple of boards down the lane where I could miss, and I just never let it go. When I saw the ball was doing something different, I was trying to get a better feel at the bottom, and it worked. I could miss quite a bit.”
Pajak said the PWBA’s break in July was just what she needed, that she “needed to clear my head.” She has performed better each day this week.
She averaged 226 over eight games to lead Thursday’s qualifying event and then had a great start on Friday, with a 1,885 total (235 average) during the eight-game morning block. It was not comparable to the afternoon block, however.
After starting with games of 223 and 236, Pajak had a 299, 274, 299 again and a 266 game – a ridiculous 284.5 average over the four games.
So, the only disappointing part was missing a 300 game twice, right?

“No, not at all,” Pajak said. “I would love to have a 300 game. It’s great, a cute accomplishment, but 299, 274, and then 299 feels just as good.”
Pajak’s collegiate teammate at Webber International, Verity Crawley of England, also made a big move on Friday afternoon, starting in 15th place and moving up to fourth.
Crawley started the second round with an 814 set that included a 290 and 300 game.
“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” Crawley said. “I felt like my shot-making was really good, which was more important than anything.”
Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open champion, led the opening round with a 2,014 pinfall total, ahead of Kelly Kulick (1,850) of Union, New Jersey, and Pajak.
“It’s funny, because I didn’t practice yesterday, so I came into today kind of rusty, I guess you could say,” said Kuhlkin, who had the event’s first perfect game in the opening round. “It was a very pleasant surprise to bowl the way I did today.”
The Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open is the first of three elite-field events that will take place in August. Following the U.S. Women’s Open, the top 24 players on the PWBA points list earned their way into the elite-field events with the remainder of the 32-player field determined through a pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ).
Colombian players delayed
Three players who qualified for the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open, based on being in the top 24 in points after the U.S. Women’s Open, were not available at the start of the event on Friday morning.
Clara Guerrero, Maria Jose Rodriguez, and Rocio Restrepo were delayed because of travel issues after competing for their native Colombia in the Central American and Caribbean Sports Games, a multi-sports event, in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Rule 6 of the PWBA rules addresses late arrivals, stating “any competitor who is late for the official start time for the first round of qualifying may be disqualified. Any competitor who is late for the starting time for any subsequent round of qualifying must enter play in the current frame and game in which her group is then bowling, and she will receive no score for frames and/or games missed.”
The players notified the tournament manager they were en route to the event, so they were not disqualified and arrived just before the start of the second round. The three bowlers will receive points based on their finishes.
Sandra Gongora, who also competed in the games in Colombia, withdrew from the Pepsi PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open earlier in the week.

PEPSI PWBA ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER OPEN
(At Seminole Lanes, Seminole,  Fla.)
FRIDAY’S QUALIFYING (After 16 games)
 
    1, Daria Pajak, Poland, 3,920. 2, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3,833. 3, Jordan Richard, Tipton, Mich., 3,761. 4, Verity Crawley, England, 3,687. 5, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3,653. 6, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,618.
      7, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,594. 8, Shannon O'Keefe, Shiloh, Ill., 3,577. 9, Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb., 3,549. 10, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3,525. 11, Birgit Poppler, Germany, 3,523. 12, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,512.
Did not advance
      13, (TIE) Bryanna Cote, Red Rock, Ariz., and Daria Kovalova, Ukraine, and Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 3,479, $1,200. 16, Sydney Brummett, Wichita, Kan., 3,475, $1,200. 17, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,449, $1,200. 18, Giselle Poss, Nashville, Tenn., 3,382, $1,200.
      19, Taylor Bulthuis (n), Coral Springs, Fla., 3,373, $1,200. 20, Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, 3,352, $1,200. 21, Josie Barnes, Nashville, Tenn., 3,347, $1,200. 22, Jen Higgins, Westerville, Ohio, 3,344, $1,200. 23, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 3,273, $1,200. 24, Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla., 3,250, $1,200.
      25, Katie Thornton (n), Savannah, Ga., 3,225, $1,200. 26, Pamela Alvarez, Mexico, 3,217, $1,200. 27, Summer Jasmin, Beckley, W. Va., 3,172, $1,200. 28, Samantha Infantino (n), Wellington, Fla., 3,083, $1,200. 29, Janelle Irwin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3,045, $1,200. 30, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 1,778, $1,200.
      31, Maria Jose Rodriguez, Colombia, 1,739, $1,200. 32, Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 1,718, $1,200.
     n-non-member

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

STEFANIE JOHNSON RETAINS LEAD AFTER TWO ROUNDS AT U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN

ORLANDO, Fla. – Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, started a little slow during Tuesday’s second round of qualifying at the U.S. Women’s Open, but a strong finish allowed her to keep the lead for another day.
Bowling on the second squad of the day, Johnson finished her eight-game block at Boardwalk Bowl with a 279 game for a 1,736 total. While her 217 average on Tuesday was a little off the pace she set in the opening round, her 3,579 pinfall total was enough to hold off Shannon Sellens of Copiague, New York, for the lead.
“Today didn’t start out of the gate very well,” Johnson said. “The key for me today was staying patient. It got me to that big game at the end.”
Sellens posted the second-highest block of the day (1,857, a 232 average) to jump from 28th place to second.
“I watched a lot yesterday, so I kind of had an idea how people were playing the lanes,” Sellens said. “My definite goal is to make match play because I did not make the cut last year. I really wanted to come back and have a good showing and make all my spares. Literally, through 16 games, I’ve missed one, so that’s a win in my book.”
Also making big moves were Brandi Branka of Fairview Heights, Illinois, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York.
Branka posted two 278 games and averaged 233 during the final squad of the day to move from 62nd into eighth. Her 1,867 set not only was the highest for all squads, it was 251 pins more than her opening-round block.
“I used the same ball the whole block and just kept creeping left,” Branka said. “Luckily, I was able to carry a lot, and I was mostly clean. That was a big thing. I had quite a few clean games today, unlike yesterday. I knew I had to have somewhat of a big block.”
On the opening squad, McEwan, a four-time titlist on the PWBA Tour, used a 1,848 block (231 average) that included games of 279 and 299.
“Other than that, I just kind of grinded,” said McEwan, who moved from 65th to 11th. “I had a couple of low games in there where I got lost in transition. I took good notes and, hopefully, I’ll see fresh (conditions) again later in the event and not make the same mistakes.”
Four-time defending champion Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, followed her opening set of 1,740 with a 1,759 set and sits in sixth place with a 3,499 total.
Competitors in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will bowl their third eight-game qualifying block Wednesday after which the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals will determine the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. Players earn 30 bonus pins for each win in match play and the 56-game totals will decide the five players for the stepladder finals.
Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association, is live streaming all preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open, with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of the stepladder finals on Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m. (Eastern).
U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
At Boardwalk Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
Tuesday’s Second Round
(After 16 games)

      1, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 3,579; 2, Shannon Sellens, Copiague, N.Y., 3,561; 3, Sandra Gongora, Mexico, 3,547; 4, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3,520; 5, Thashaina Seraus, Aruba, 3,512; T6, Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 3,499; T6, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,499;
      8, Brandi Branka, Fairview Heights, Ill., 3,483; T9, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, 3,482; T9, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3,482; 11, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,457; 12, Li Jane Sin, Malaysia, 3,455; 13, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 3,452;
      14, Kayla Bandy, Salisbury, Md., 3,448; 15, Victoria Johansson, Sweden, 3,432; T16, Juliana Franco, Colombia, 3,429; T16, Daria Kovalova, Ukraine, 3,429; 18, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 3,420; 19, Kristin Nieter, Homewood, Ill., 3,414; 20, Kamilah Dammers-Naddall, Aruba, 3,413;
      21, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 3,406; 22, Marcia Kloempken, Pleasant View, Utah, 3,402; 22, Stephanie Schwartz, Racine, Wis., 3,402; 24, Sydney Brummett, Wichita, Kan., 3,401; 25, Karen Marcano, Venezuela, 3,398; 26, Nina Flack, Sweden, 3,377; T27, Giselle Poss, Nashville, Tenn., 3,367;
      T27, Cassandra Leuthold, Lincoln, Neb., 3,367; 29, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 3,366; 30, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 3,365; 31, Haley Richard, Tipton, Mich., 3,364; 32, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,362; 33, Sabrena Divis, Gillette, Wyo., 3,361.
      34, Sierra Kanemoto, Riverside, Ohio, 3,351; 35, Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 3,350; 36, Siti Rahman, Malaysia, 3,349; 37, Jen Higgins, Westerville, Ohio, 3,344; 38, Daria Pajak, Poland, 3,343; 39, Leanne Hulsenberg, Pleasant View, Utah, 3,339; 40, Bryanna Cote, Red Rock, Ariz., 3,338

Visit PWBA.com/Live for complete results.

STEFANIE JOHNSON GRABS LEAD IN OPENING ROUND OF U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN

ORLANDO, Fla. – The first-round leader of the U.S. Women’s Open wasn’t determined until the final frames of the final squad were thrown at Boardwalk Bowl on Monday.
Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, fired a 225 final game for a 1,843 pinfall total (230.38) to overtake Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California, who set the bar with a 1,829 total on the day’s opening squad.
Johnson said staying patient was the key.
“I watched other people’s ball reaction because we don’t get a lot of practice on the pairs,” Johnson said. “That was kind of crucial, looking ahead to see where girls were playing and try to say ahead of any transition.”
Johnson said playing on the third squad of the day, after the 16 games had been rolled on the oil pattern, doesn’t affect what she is trying to accomplish.
“Whatever I can score on,” Johnson said. “I don’t prefer one (squad) or the other. It’s capitalizing when you can, and grinding when you have to.”
Parkin finished with a flourish to post a lead that would hold until Johnson’s final shots.
Tied with four-time defending champion Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, heading into the final game, Parkin fired the lone 300 of the day to lead the block.
Parkin said it did take a little time to get going on Monday. At this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, players warm up on practice lanes before starting on their competition pair. That change, plus the fact it is a major, did contribute to make her a little nervous.
“I’ll be honest, to start I was not very relaxed,” Parkin said. “I did not start out bad, but it took me two full games to chill out and relax. I was really nervous, which is crazy. I was almost as nervous as being on a TV show, when I started today. After I relaxed, I was able to get in a groove.”
Parkin started with games of 197 and 186 before peeling off a 245 game. She would average 241 over her final six games.
Aruba’s Thashaina Seraus, who bowled her first PWBA event of 2018 last week, had the high block of the day’s second squad and sits in third with a 1,817 total (227.13 average). The runner-up at the 2017 Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open, she is competing in her first U.S. Open.
“I’m just trying to have a good time and learn everything,” said Seraus. “Every day is a learning experience. At the end of the day, I just want to have fun, make good shots, and if it’s not a good shot, learn from it.”
Competition at the 2018 U.S. Women's Open continues Tuesday with the second of three days of qualifying. After 24 games, and the field then will be cut to the top 36 players for an eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals will determine the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. The 56-game totals, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play, will decide the five players for the stepladder finals.
Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association, is live streaming all preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open, with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of the stepladder finals on Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m. (Eastern).ORLANDO, Fla. – Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, started a little slow during Tuesday’s second round of qualifying at the U.S. Women’s Open, but a strong finish allowed her to keep the lead for another day.
Bowling on the second squad of the day, Johnson finished her eight-game block at Boardwalk Bowl with a 279 game for a 1,736 total. While her 217 average on Tuesday was a little off the pace she set in the opening round, her 3,579 pinfall total was enough to hold off Shannon Sellens of Copiague, New York, for the lead.
“Today didn’t start out of the gate very well,” Johnson said. “The key for me today was staying patient. It got me to that big game at the end.”
Sellens posted the second-highest block of the day (1,857, a 232 average) to jump from 28th place to second.
“I watched a lot yesterday, so I kind of had an idea how people were playing the lanes,” Sellens said. “My definite goal is to make match play because I did not make the cut last year. I really wanted to come back and have a good showing and make all my spares. Literally, through 16 games, I’ve missed one, so that’s a win in my book.”
Also making big moves were Brandi Branka of Fairview Heights, Illinois, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York.
Branka posted two 278 games and averaged 233 during the final squad of the day to move from 62nd into eighth. Her 1,867 set not only was the highest for all squads, it was 251 pins more than her opening-round block.
“I used the same ball the whole block and just kept creeping left,” Branka said. “Luckily, I was able to carry a lot, and I was mostly clean. That was a big thing. I had quite a few clean games today, unlike yesterday. I knew I had to have somewhat of a big block.”
On the opening squad, McEwan, a four-time titlist on the PWBA Tour, used a 1,848 block (231 average) that included games of 279 and 299.
“Other than that, I just kind of grinded,” said McEwan, who moved from 65th to 11th. “I had a couple of low games in there where I got lost in transition. I took good notes and, hopefully, I’ll see fresh (conditions) again later in the event and not make the same mistakes.”
Four-time defending champion Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, followed her opening set of 1,740 with a 1,759 set and sits in sixth place with a 3,499 total.
Competitors in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will bowl their third eight-game qualifying block Wednesday after which the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals will determine the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. Players earn 30 bonus pins for each win in match play and the 56-game totals will decide the five players for the stepladder finals.
Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association, is live streaming all preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open, with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of the stepladder finals on Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m. (Eastern).
U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
At Boardwalk Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
Tuesday’s Second Round
(After 16 games)

      1, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 3,579; 2, Shannon Sellens, Copiague, N.Y., 3,561; 3, Sandra Gongora, Mexico, 3,547; 4, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3,520; 5, Thashaina Seraus, Aruba, 3,512; T6, Liz Johnson, Palatine, Ill., 3,499; T6, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,499;
      8, Brandi Branka, Fairview Heights, Ill., 3,483; T9, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, 3,482; T9, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3,482; 11, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,457; 12, Li Jane Sin, Malaysia, 3,455; 13, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 3,452;
      14, Kayla Bandy, Salisbury, Md., 3,448; 15, Victoria Johansson, Sweden, 3,432; T16, Juliana Franco, Colombia, 3,429; T16, Daria Kovalova, Ukraine, 3,429; 18, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 3,420; 19, Kristin Nieter, Homewood, Ill., 3,414; 20, Kamilah Dammers-Naddall, Aruba, 3,413;
      21, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 3,406; 22, Marcia Kloempken, Pleasant View, Utah, 3,402; 22, Stephanie Schwartz, Racine, Wis., 3,402; 24, Sydney Brummett, Wichita, Kan., 3,401; 25, Karen Marcano, Venezuela, 3,398; 26, Nina Flack, Sweden, 3,377; T27, Giselle Poss, Nashville, Tenn., 3,367;
      T27, Cassandra Leuthold, Lincoln, Neb., 3,367; 29, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 3,366; 30, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 3,365; 31, Haley Richard, Tipton, Mich., 3,364; 32, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,362; 33, Sabrena Divis, Gillette, Wyo., 3,361.
      34, Sierra Kanemoto, Riverside, Ohio, 3,351; 35, Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 3,350; 36, Siti Rahman, Malaysia, 3,349; 37, Jen Higgins, Westerville, Ohio, 3,344; 38, Daria Pajak, Poland, 3,343; 39, Leanne Hulsenberg, Pleasant View, Utah, 3,339; 40, Bryanna Cote, Red Rock, Ariz., 3,338

Visit PWBA.com/Live for complete results.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

USBC ADJUSTS TIMELINE FOR NEW BOWLING BALL SPECIFICATIONS

ARLINGTON, Texas – After reviewing feedback from industry partners, the United States Bowling Congress Equipment and Specifications Committee has revised the implementation dates for the new bowling ball specifications announced earlier this year.

The Equipment and Specifications Committee determined the specification allowing increases in static weights for bowling balls without balance holes will begin this fall to allow for a smoother transition for bowlers.

Starting Aug. 1, 2018, bowling balls weighing more than 10 pounds will be allowed to have up to three ounces of static side, thumb or finger weight and up to three ounces of top or bottom weight, provided the ball does not have a balance hole.

Bowlers still can have a bowling ball with a balance hole until Aug. 1, 2020, but any balls with a balance hole must stay within the current static weight specification of one ounce for finger, thumb or side weight, and three ounces for top or bottom weight.

The specification eliminating the use of balance holes still will go into effect Aug. 1, 2020.

“After hearing from all stakeholders, the committee decided it was the right move to make the static weight specification an option starting this fall,” Andrew Cain, chair of the USBC Equipment and Specifications Committee, said. “Bowlers now have a two-year window to work with their pro shops to ensure their equipment will meet specifications on Aug. 1, 2020.”

With the elimination of balance holes as of Aug. 1, 2020, bowlers may have up to five holes for gripping purposes and all gripping holes must be used on every delivery. A bowler who chooses not to use a thumb hole would need to mark by scribe, engraver or tool their intended center of palm with a plus (+) mark to indicate their grip orientation.

Bowlers who do not use their thumb for delivery and decide to use the higher static weight specification cannot have a thumb hole – it would be classified a balance hole – and immediately will be required to follow the specification requiring them to mark their intended center of palm.

The USBC Equipment and Specifications Committee did decide the gripping rules that become effective Aug. 1, 2020, will have an exception for house balls, for bowlers who use house balls and might not have the strength to use all gripping holes.

House balls are defined as balls supplied by the center where the competition is taking place, have a polyester or basic urethane cover, a differential RG of less than 0.025 inches and the ball is not specifically drilled to fit the bowler.

The dates for implementing the new specification for the oil absorption rate of bowling ball coverstocks do not change. The initial step on the oil absorption specification will begin Aug. 1, 2018, when bowling ball manufacturers are required to submit oil absorption data as part of the USBC bowling ball approval process. The specification requiring a bowling ball’s oil absorption rate to be more than 2 minutes, 15 seconds (2:15) for the ball to be approved will take effect Aug. 1, 2020.

However, because all current bowling balls will be grandfathered in regardless of oil absorption rate, the Equipment Specifications Committee determined the production of balls that do not meet the 2:15 oil absorption time limit must be stopped as of Jan. 31, 2022.

The new bowling ball specifications announced in April were designed to sustain the playing field both currently and in the future.

The Equipment and Specifications Committee has delegated authority from the USBC Board to make changes to equipment specifications.

Visit BOWL.com/EquipAndSpecs for more about the specification changes.