Mr. 100 Shoots 200 and Wins PBA Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship

After bowling a Professional Bowlers Association record-low 100 game in his only previous television appearance, Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, FL, redeemed himself in the Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship, winning three consecutive matches including a 200-182 victory over top qualifier Osku Palermaa of Finland, to capture his first PBA National Tour title at South Point Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV.

The Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship finals, the fourth of five GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IV events, aired Sunday on ESPN.

Daugherty, who bowled his record-low game in a 299-100 loss to eventual champion Mika Koivuniemi in the semifinal round of the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions, used his “thumbless” delivery to mow down an impressive field of high-rev power players in the Scorpion finals, raising his television average by 88 pins in the process.

After sneaking into the stepladder finals in fourth position by four pins over Rhino Page of Dade City, FL, Daugherty ruined Jason Sterner’s television debut, eliminating the McDonough, GA, resident, 199-177. He then romped past Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte, 256-187, and threw a critical double in the fifth and sixth frames of the title match to defeat Palermaa, getting help from the Finnish two-handed star when he had consecutive opens in the sixth and seventh frames.

Ironically, Daugherty put together the best performance of his professional career while glancing at a very large “100” in a graphic above the lanes promoting “Bowlers Journal 100th Anniversary.”

“I want to thank Bowlers Journal for reminding me all day of my 100 game,” Daugherty said with a grin at the conclusion of the match.

While all four finalists use power techniques that allow them to generate significant hooking power, the key was slower ball speed, a result of Daugherty not using his thumb in his delivery.

“The difference between me and the two-handers is my ball speed,” Daugherty said. “They throw it 100 miles per hour, so I can actually do something they can’t and that’s a slow hook. I knew if I could get by Sterner, I’d have a good chance. I knew (Belmonte and Palermaa) weren’t going to bowl anything. They might say they threw some bad shots, but I didn’t think either one of them could shoot 200 because of their ball reactions.

“They couldn’t get inside as far as I was because of their ball speed. Their ball would never hook from there,” Daugherty added. “As soon as Belmo tried to move in just a little, he missed the headpin. It was easy for me to do, too, but on my good shots, I could get the ball to make the turn. They couldn’t do that.”

Daugherty admitted he was nervous in making his second career television appearance.

“There was a lot of nerves going on the first game. The three-bagger kinda calmed me down, but leaving that 3-6-9-10 in the first frame was unnerving. I didn’t want to start with an open,” he said after successfully converting the difficult spare. “That’s all I thought about after making the show: not starting with an open and that’s not the spare you want to shoot at in the first frame.”

Daugherty said he was thrilled to win his first National PBA Tour title because it made him eligible to bowl in the 2013 PBA Tournament of Champions under revised eligibility rules that will only allow PBA Tour champions to enter. He had bowled in the TOC previously under rules that allowed PBA Regional title winners to participate.

“I was so disappointed when they changed the TOC criteria,” Daugherty said. “I made a lot of money in that tournament the past two years, but now I’m back.”

The GEICO World Series of Bowling concludes on ESPN next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with the finals of the PBA World Championship, the first major championship of the 2012-13 PBA Tour season. Finalists will include PBA Hall of Famer and 31-time PBA Tour titlist Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ; Canada’s Dan MacLelland; Rhino Page of Dade City, FL; reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, and top qualifier Jason Belmonte of Australia, a five-time PBA Tour champion who is trying for his first major title.

England's Barrett Top Qualifiers for PBA Bowlers Journal Scorpion Pattern

England’s Dom Barrett, with a 279 final game, earned top qualifier honors in the Professional Bowlers Association’s Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship at South Point Bowling Center Tuesday by 14 pins over Jason Sterner of McDonough, GA.

Barrett, who won his only PBA Tour title in the 2011 Scorpion Championship during PBA World Series of Bowling III, rolled games of 222, 235, 218, 276, 199, 258, 257 and 279 for an eight-game total of 1,944 pins to lead the field of 16 qualifiers who advanced to Tuesday night’s six-game semifinal round.

After six more games, the top four players will advance to the ESPN stepladder finals on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. in the World Series arena setting in South Point’s Exhibition Hall area. The Scorpion Championship finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 6.

Rounding out the top five Scorpion qualifiers were Mike Devaney of Hemet, CA, in third place with 1,920 pins; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, in fourth at 1,913 and PBA Senior Tour standout Hugh Miller of Mercer Island, WA, at 1,905.

Barrett finally broke through to reach the semifinals after finishing 18th in the Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship, missing the top 16 cut by seven pins, and finishing 17th in the Viper Championship, missing the cut by four pins. He wasn’t nearly as close in Monday’s Chameleon Championship. “I didn’t like that one so much,” he said.

But he made sure he wasn’t going to let the Scorpion get away from him.
“Around game five, you have to start lofting the ball because the condition breaks down,” Barrett said. “I’m not the best lofter, but after what I learned here last year, I’ve gotten a lot better at it, practicing hard at home.

“I won the Scorpion last year, so I’m still alive, and I’m hoping I can defend. I like the length of this pattern. It has a little more oil volume than the other patterns we bowl on,” he continued. “At home I’m used to playing on slicker surfaces, and this pattern kind of comes into that range.”

The Scorpion Championship is also was the fourth and final qualifying leg for the PBA World Championship. Combined eight-game qualifying round scores from the Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships determined the 24 players who will advance to three eight-game World Championship match play rounds Wednesday and Thursday.

After 32 qualifying games, Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, won World Championship top qualifier honors, averaging 239.44 for a 7,662 pinfall total. Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, was second with 7,598 followed by Australia’s Jason Belmonte at 7,544; Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, at 7,522 and Dan MacLelland of Canada at 7,504.

Complete GEICO WSOB IV coverage is available on the “live scoring” feature on pba.com, or by watching the action live on Xtra Frame, PBA’s online bowling channel.

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling competition continues Wednesday with the first two of three eight-game match play rounds in the PBA World Championship at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The final round of match play is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m.

PBA BOWLERS JOURNAL SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Tuesday

QUALIFYING ROUND (after 8 games; top 16 advanced to six-game semifinal round Tuesday night; top four after 14 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals)
1, Dom Barrett, England, 1,944.
2, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,930.
3, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 1,920.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,913.
5, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 1,905.
6, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,904.
7, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,893.
8 (tie), Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,875.
10, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,874.
11, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,871.
12, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,856.
13 (tie), Andres Gomez, Colombia, and Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,852.
15 (tie), Matt Ramshaw, Longview, Wash., and Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,850.

Other Qualifying Round Cashers (after 8 games):
17, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,842, $1,000.
18, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,836, $970.
19, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,830, $940.
20, Mikael Kanold, Sweden, 1,828, $920.
21, Paul Koehler, Stuart, Fla., 1,824, $900.
22, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,823, $890.
23, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,816, $880.
24, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,815, $870.
25, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,814, $860.
26, Stuart Williams, England, 1,808, $850.
27 (tie), Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., and Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,803, $835.
29, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,798, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,798, $810.
32, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 1,797, $790.
33, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 1,796, $780.
34, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,795, $770.
35, Chris Hans, Rocky Mount, N.C., 1,791, $760.
36, Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden, 1,787, $750.
Failed to Cash:
37, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,786.
38 (tie), David Haynes, Las Vegas, and Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,784.
40, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,782.
41, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,780.
42 (tie), Frederik Ohrgaard, Denmark, and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,779.
44, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,778.
45, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 1,777.
46, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 1,772.
47, Dustin Ochoa, Cibilo, Texas, 1,763.
48, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,762.
49, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,761.
50, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 1,749.
51, Mattias Olsson, Sweden, 1,748.
52 (tie), Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., and Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,747.
54, Jimmy Mortensen, Denmark, 1,746.
55 (tie), Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., and Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,745.
57, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,740.
58 (tie), Shawn Lee, Centennial, Colo., and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,738.
60, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,736.
61, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,734.
62 (tie), Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif.; Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., and Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,733.
65 (tie), Jason Stadtler, Cherry Hill, N.J., and Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,732.
67 (tie), Daniel Falconi, Mexico, and Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,731.
69, Evan Nash, Kennewick, Wash., 1,727.
70, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 1,726.
71, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,723.
72, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,720.
73 (tie), Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y.; Mike Fagan, Dallas, and Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 1,719.
76, Kim Bolleby, Sweden, 1,716.
77, Carlos Cottone, Venezuela, 1,712.
78, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,710.
79, Mik Stampe, Denmark, 1,709.
80, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,708.
81 (tie), Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., and Nam Yi Jo, Korea, 1,707.
83, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,704.
84 (tie), Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn.; Hafthor Hardarson, Iceland, and Jin Han Kim, Korea, 1,702.
87 (tie), Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, and Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,699.
89 (tie), Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, and Ji Hyun Cha, Korea, 1,697.
91, Peter Hellstrom, Sweden, 1,694.
92 (tie), Bryan Viator, Friendswood, Texas, and Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,688.
94, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,685.
95, Hyun Bum Kim, Korea, 1,684.
96 (tie), Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., and Matt Taylor, Knightdale, N.C., 1,678.
98, Justin Stevens, Aiea, Hawaii, 1,677.
99 (tie), Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., and Jeff Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,674.
99, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,674.
102 (tie), Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan.; Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla.; Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, and Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,670.
106, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,668.
107 (tie), Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala., and Johan Hellden, Sweden, 1,667.
109, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,666.
110 (tie), Perttu Jussila, Finland, and Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mt., N.C., 1,665.
112, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,661.
113, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,659.
114, Kyle Martinez, Broken Arrow, Okla., 1,657.
115, Robert Piroozshad, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,656.
116 (tie), John Cicero, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 1,654.
118, Erik Andersin, Sweden, 1,653.
119, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,649.
120, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,648.
121, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,647.
122 (tie), Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,644.
124 (tie), Allen Blansette, Napa, Calif., and Mike Bailey, Allen, Texas, 1,642.
126, Yousif Falah, Bahrain, 1,639.
127, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,637.
128, Kasey Normandin, Canada, 1,636.
129, Yeo Jin Yoon, Korea, 1,635.
130, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,634.
131 (tie), Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,632.
133, Greg Knolton, Bartlett, Tenn., 1,631.
134, Myles Duty, Modesto, Calif., 1,630.
135 (tie), Ben Davis, Ashland, Ky., and Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,628.
137, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,627.
138, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,626.
139, Robert McBride, Plano, Texas, 1,625.
140, Alejandro Reyna, Costa Rica, 1,623.
141, Adam Monks, Conway, S.C., 1,622.
142, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 1,621.
143, Helen Johnsson, Sweden, 1,620.
144, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,618.
145, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 1,612.
146, Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 1,609.
147, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,608.
148, Chad Pojas, Wahiawa, Hawaii, 1,607.
149, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,605.
150, Tommy Martin, Olive Branch, Miss., 1,604.
151, Giorgio Clinaz Jr., Venezuela, 1,603.
152, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.V., 1,597.
153, Fawaz Abdulla, Bahrain, 1,596.
154, Kim Ojala, Sweden, 1,595.
155, Carsten Hansen, Denmark, 1,593.
156, Mathias Arup, Sweden, 1,591.
157 (tie), Travis Anderson, Washington, Ill.; Paul Nilsen Sr., Murrieta, Calif., and Manuel Mrosek, Germany, 1,589.
160, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,587.
161, Scott Halvarson, Lakewood, Wash., 1,585.
162 (tie), John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., and Philip Medley, Washington, Mich., 1,584.
164, Ted Sidehamer Jr., Newport News, Va., 1,583.
165 (tie), MahdI Assad, Bahrain, and Kevin Brophy, Oakhurst, N.J., 1,581.
167, Masood Saberi, Bahrain, 1,579.
168 (tie), Nathan Urrutia, Banning, Calif., and Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 1,577.
170, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,576.
171, Mohammed AlSaud, Saudi Arabia, 1,569.
172, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 1,564.
173 (tie), Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., and Jason Miller, Portland, Ore., 1,562.
175, Brett Cooper, Newburyport, Mass., 1,560.
176, Lee Rucker, Fort Myers, Fla., 1,559.
177 (tie), Jacob Heger, Houston, and David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,558.
179, Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., 1,553.
180, Mike Armstrong Jr., Battle Ground, Wash., 1,550.
181 (tie), Isaac Amkie, Mexico, and Michael Smith, Centenniel, Colo., 1,548.
183, Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore, 1,545.
184, Gustavo Salinas, Mexico, 1,544.
185, Chris Groom, Lancaster, Calif., 1,541.
186 (tie), Kyle Leiffer, Weed, Calif., and Michael Menard, Canada, 1,537.
188 (tie), Doug Scheidig, Royersford, Pa.; Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,536.
191, Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., 1,534.
192, Wes Newman, Panama City, Fla, 1,525.
193, Ahmed Saad Alhadyan, Saudi Arabia, 1,518.
194, Mohamed Sultan, Bahrain, 1,513.
195, Roberto Silva, Mexico, 1,511.
196, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,509.
197, Hernan Ramirez, Venezuela, 1,507.
198, Patrick Bohm, Sweden, 1,505.
199, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,504.
200, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,502.
201, Kevin Morillo, Venezuela, 1,501.
202, Eduardo Yzcaray Jr., Venezuela, 1,498.
203, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 1,496.
204, Rob Gotterbarn Jr., Garden City South, N.Y., 1,495.
205, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 1,494.
206, Kenneth Bland Jr., Germany, 1,491.
207, Chad Vendeville, Arlington, Texas, 1,490.
208, Mohamed Al Jahrami, Bahrain, 1,489.
209, Adam James, Redmond, Wash., 1,488.
210, Meen Woo Kim, Korea, 1,487.
211, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1,485.
212, Hyun Suk Kim, Korea, 1,479.
213, Thomas Biniek Jr., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1,476.
214, John Perry, Nuevo, Calif., 1,466.
215, Sean Daniels, Aloha, Ore., 1,465.
216, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 1,463.
217, Wayne Stellick, Aurora, Colo., 1,459.
218, Richard Rezendes, Cumberland, R.I., 1,458.
219 (tie), Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and James Hobson, Converse, Texas, 1,456.
221, Hameed Taqi, Bahrain, 1,448.
222, Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, 1,419.
223, Josh Lewis, Asheville, N.C., 1,415.
224, Chris Ashworth, Gallatin, Tenn., 1,409.
225, Steve Ford, Seaside, Ore., 1,405.
226, Troy Behanna, Pasadena, Texas, 1,404.
227, Branden Lee, Chicago, 1,397.
228, Chris DosSantos, Fairhaven, Mass., 1,391.
229, Tim Arnold, Las Vegas, 1,384.
230, Dave Gillson, Phoenix, 1,378.
231, Paolo Joquico, Philippines, 1,373.
232, Kirk Sauro, Dearborn Heights, Mich., 1,367.
233, Shawn St. Andre, Garden Grove, Calif., 1,361.
234, Josh Willis, Orleans, Ind., 1,360.
235, Jamar Lee, Livermore, Calif., 1,247.
236, Gradie Merritt-Foster, Park Forest, Ill., 1,242.
237, Hakim AlSaud, Saudi Arabia, 1,070.
238, Diego Lopez, Colombia, 472.

300 Games: PJ Haggerty, Jon VanHees.
PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 32 games; top 24 advance to PBA World Championship round robin match play)
1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 7,662.
2, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 7,598.
3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 7,544.
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 7,522.
5, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 7,504.
6, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 7,471.
7, Dom Barrett, England, 7,465.
8, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 7,449.
9, Stuart Williams, England, 7,404.
10, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 7,392.
11, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 7,378.
12, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 7,361.
13, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 7,331.
14, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 7,327.
15, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7,315.
16, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 7,305.
17, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 7,286.
18, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 7,272.
19, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 7,254.
20, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 7,253.
21, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7,238.
22, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 7,236.
23, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 7,232.
24, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 7,225.
Other Cashers (after 32 games): 25, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 7,222, $2,400.
26, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 7,210, $2,350.
27, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 7,208, $2,300.
28, Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., 7,204, $2,350.
29, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 7,188, $2,200.
30, Mik Stampe, Denmark, 7,184, $2,150.
31, Johan Hellden, Sweden, 7,166, $2,200.
32 (tie), Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., and Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 7,162, $2,025.
34, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 7,149, $1,950.
35 (tie), Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Patrick Girard, Canada, 7,138, $1,875.
37, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 7,130, $1,800.
38, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 7,126, $1,750.
39, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 7,124, $1,800.
40, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 7,122, $1,650.
41, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 7,114, $1,600.
42, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 7,107, $1,550.
43, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 7,104, $1,500.
44 (tie), Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C.; Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7,099, $1,460.
47, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7,098, $1,420.
48, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 7,095, $1,400.
49, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7,092, $1,380.
50, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 7,088, $1,460.
51 (tie), Paul Koehler, Stuart, Fla., and Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 7,078, $1,330.
53, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 7,076, $1,300.
54, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 7,070, $1,280.
55, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 7,068, $1,260.
56, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7,061, $1,240.
57, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 7,047, $1,220.
58, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 7,046, $1,200.
59, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7,043, $1,180.
60, Matt Ramshaw, Longview, Wash., 7,041, $1,160.

Two Handers Land Top Spots for PBA Bowlers Journal Scorpions Championships

Two-handed power players Osku Palermaa of Finland and Jason Belmonte of Australia claimed the top two qualifying berths in GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IV Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship at South Point Bowling Center Tuesday night in Las Vegas, NV.

Palermaa, the defending PBA World Champion, fired games of 244, 259, 236, 222, 204 and 226 in the six-game semifinal round to finish with a 14-game total of 3,295 pins, nipping Belmonte by two pins for the top spot. Belmonte, who led the Chameleon Championship field on Monday, was trying for back-to-back No. 1 stepladder berths.

Rounding out the Scorpion stepladder finals field will be Jason Sterner of McDonough, GA, with a 3,262 total, and Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, FL, who generates power by throwing the ball without using his thumb, with 3,261 pins.

Sterner and Daugherty are trying for their first PBA Tour title. Daugherty will be making his first television appearance since rolling a PBA-record low 100 game during the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions finals.

The Scorpion ESPN stepladder finals will take place on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. in a special arena setting in South Point’s Exhibition Hall area. The finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 6.

“When I got here a week ago, I kind of tore my right bicep a little during practice,” Palermaa said. “By Thursday, I didn’t know if I could make a spare at all (he shoots at spares one-handed, using his right arm), but it’s better. It’s stiff and sore, but I can bowl.

“I started the World Series with the wrong ball, and dug myself a hole,” he added. “I got that fixed, and yesterday I wasn’t even mad when I missed the (Chameleon Championship) cut by five pins. If I had to bowl another eight games in the semifinals yesterday, I don’t know if I could have bowled today at all.

“Today I decided to bowl hard and straight to spare my arm. Now I only have one more game to bowl on Sunday for the Scorpion title, but tomorrow (the start of PBA World Championship match play) means more. I have 24 more games, so I will just have to make the best of it.”

The Scorpion Championship qualifying round earlier Tuesday was the final qualifying leg for the PBA World Championship. Combined eight-game qualifying round scores from the Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships determined the 24 players who will advance to three eight-game World Championship match play rounds Wednesday and Thursday.

Based on 32 qualifying games, Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, won World Championship top qualifier honors, averaging 239.44 for a 7,662 pinfall total. Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, was second with 7,598 followed by Belmonte at 7,544; Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, at 7,522 and Dan MacLelland of Canada at 7,504.

Complete GEICO WSOB IV coverage is available on the “live scoring” feature on pba.com, or by watching the action live on Xtra Frame, PBA’s online bowling channel.

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling competition continues Wednesday with the first two of three eight-game match play rounds in the PBA World Championship at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The final round of match play is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m.

PBA BOWLERS JOURNAL SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Tuesday
SEMIFINAL ROUND (after 14 games; top four advance to stepladder finals Sunday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. PT)
1, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,295.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,293.
3, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,262.
4, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,261.
Other Semifinal Round Cashers (after 14 games): 5, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,257, $4,000.
6, Dom Barrett, England, 3,254, $3,600.
7, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,246, $3,300.
8, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 3,201, $3,000.
9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,189, $2,700.
10, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 3,179, $2,500.
11, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,177, $2,300.
12, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,176, $2,100.
13, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,135, $2,000.
14, Matt Ramshaw, Longview, Wash., 3,106, $1,900.
15, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 3,078, $1,800.
16, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,050, $1,700.
Other Qualifying Round Cashers (after 8 games):
17, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,842, $1,000.
18, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,836, $970.
19, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,830, $940.
20, Mikael Kanold, Sweden, 1,828, $920.
21, Paul Koehler, Stuart, Fla., 1,824, $900.
22, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,823, $890.
23, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,816, $880.
24, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,815, $870.
25, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,814, $860.
26, Stuart Williams, England, 1,808, $850.
27 (tie), Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., and Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,803, $835.
29, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill.; Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., and Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,798, $810.
32, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 1,797, $790.
33, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 1,796, $780.
34, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,795, $770.
35, Chris Hans, Rocky Mount, N.C., 1,791, $760.
36, Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden, 1,787, $750.
Failed to Cash:
37, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,786.
38 (tie), David Haynes, Las Vegas, and Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,784.
40, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,782.
41, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,780.
42 (tie), Frederik Ohrgaard, Denmark, and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,779.
44, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,778.
45, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 1,777.
46, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 1,772.
47, Dustin Ochoa, Cibilo, Texas, 1,763.
48, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,762.
49, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,761.
50, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 1,749.
51, Mattias Olsson, Sweden, 1,748.
52 (tie), Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., and Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,747.
54, Jimmy Mortensen, Denmark, 1,746.
55 (tie), Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., and Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,745.
57, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,740.
58 (tie), Shawn Lee, Centennial, Colo., and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,738.
60, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,736.
61, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,734.
62 (tie), Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif.; Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., and Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,733.
65 (tie), Jason Stadtler, Cherry Hill, N.J., and Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,732.
67 (tie), Daniel Falconi, Mexico, and Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,731.
69, Evan Nash, Kennewick, Wash., 1,727.
70, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 1,726.
71, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,723.
72, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,720.
73 (tie), Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y.; Mike Fagan, Dallas, and Jim Pratt, Glendale, AZ, 1,719.
76, Kim Bolleby, Sweden, 1,716.
77, Carlos Cottone, Venezuela, 1,712.
78, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,710.
79, Mik Stampe, Denmark, 1,709.
80, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,708.
81 (tie), Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., and Nam Yi Jo, Korea, 1,707.
83, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,704.
84 (tie), Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn.; Hafthor Hardarson, Iceland, and Jin Han Kim, Korea, 1,702.
87 (tie), Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, and Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,699.
89 (tie), Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, and Ji Hyun Cha, Korea, 1,697.
91, Peter Hellstrom, Sweden, 1,694.
92 (tie), Bryan Viator, Friendswood, Texas, and Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,688.
94, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,685.
95, Hyun Bum Kim, Korea, 1,684.
96 (tie), Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., and Matt Taylor, Knightdale, N.C., 1,678.
98, Justin Stevens, Aiea, Hawaii, 1,677.
99 (tie), Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., and Jeff Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,674.
99, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,674.
102 (tie), Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan.; Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla.; Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, and Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,670.
106, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,668.
107 (tie), Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala., and Johan Hellden, Sweden, 1,667.
109, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,666.
110 (tie), Perttu Jussila, Finland, and Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mt., N.C., 1,665.
112, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,661.
113, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,659.
114, Kyle Martinez, Broken Arrow, Okla., 1,657.
115, Robert Piroozshad, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,656.
116 (tie), John Cicero, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 1,654.
118, Erik Andersin, Sweden, 1,653.
119, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,649.
120, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,648.
121, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,647.
122 (tie), Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,644.
124 (tie), Allen Blansette, Napa, Calif., and Mike Bailey, Allen, Texas, 1,642.
126, Yousif Falah, Bahrain, 1,639.
127, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,637.
128, Kasey Normandin, Canada, 1,636.
129, Yeo Jin Yoon, Korea, 1,635.
130, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,634.
131 (tie), Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,632.
133, Greg Knolton, Bartlett, Tenn., 1,631.
134, Myles Duty, Modesto, Calif., 1,630.
135 (tie), Ben Davis, Ashland, Ky., and Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,628.
137, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,627.
138, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,626.
139, Robert McBride, Plano, Texas, 1,625.
140, Alejandro Reyna, Costa Rica, 1,623.
141, Adam Monks, Conway, S.C., 1,622.
142, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 1,621.
143, Helen Johnsson, Sweden, 1,620.
144, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,618.
145, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 1,612.
146, Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 1,609.
147, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,608.
148, Chad Pojas, Wahiawa, Hawaii, 1,607.
149, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,605.
150, Tommy Martin, Olive Branch, Miss., 1,604.
151, Giorgio Clinaz Jr., Venezuela, 1,603.
152, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.V., 1,597.
153, Fawaz Abdulla, Bahrain, 1,596.
154, Kim Ojala, Sweden, 1,595.
155, Carsten Hansen, Denmark, 1,593.
156, Mathias Arup, Sweden, 1,591.
157 (tie), Travis Anderson, Washington, Ill.; Paul Nilsen Sr., Murrieta, Calif., and Manuel Mrosek, Germany, 1,589.
160, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,587.
161, Scott Halvarson, Lakewood, Wash., 1,585.
162 (tie), John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., and Philip Medley, Washington, Mich., 1,584.
164, Ted Sidehamer Jr., Newport News, Va., 1,583.
165 (tie), MahdI Assad, Bahrain, and Kevin Brophy, Oakhurst, N.J., 1,581.
167, Masood Saberi, Bahrain, 1,579.
168 (tie), Nathan Urrutia, Banning, Calif., and Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 1,577.
170, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,576.
171, Mohammed AlSaud, Saudi Arabia, 1,569.
172, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 1,564.
173 (tie), Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., and Jason Miller, Portland, Ore., 1,562.
175, Brett Cooper, Newburyport, Mass., 1,560.
176, Lee Rucker, Fort Myers, Fla., 1,559.
177 (tie), Jacob Heger, Houston, and David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,558.
179, Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., 1,553.
180, Mike Armstrong Jr., Battle Ground, Wash., 1,550.
181 (tie), Isaac Amkie, Mexico, and Michael Smith, Centenniel, Colo., 1,548.
183, Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore, 1,545.
184, Gustavo Salinas, Mexico, 1,544.
185, Chris Groom, Lancaster, Calif., 1,541.
186 (tie), Kyle Leiffer, Weed, Calif., and Michael Menard, Canada, 1,537.
188 (tie), Doug Scheidig, Royersford, Pa.; Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,536.
191, Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., 1,534.
192, Wes Newman, Panama City, Fla, 1,525.
193, Ahmed Saad Alhadyan, Saudi Arabia, 1,518.
194, Mohamed Sultan, Bahrain, 1,513.
195, Roberto Silva, Mexico, 1,511.
196, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,509.
197, Hernan Ramirez, Venezuela, 1,507.
198, Patrick Bohm, Sweden, 1,505.
199, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,504.
200, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,502.
201, Kevin Morillo, Venezuela, 1,501.
202, Eduardo Yzcaray Jr., Venezuela, 1,498.
203, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 1,496.
204, Rob Gotterbarn Jr., Garden City South, N.Y., 1,495.
205, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 1,494.
206, Kenneth Bland Jr., Germany, 1,491.
207, Chad Vendeville, Arlington, Texas, 1,490.
208, Mohamed Al Jahrami, Bahrain, 1,489.
209, Adam James, Redmond, Wash., 1,488.
210, Meen Woo Kim, Korea, 1,487.
211, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1,485.
212, Hyun Suk Kim, Korea, 1,479.
213, Thomas Biniek Jr., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1,476.
214, John Perry, Nuevo, Calif., 1,466.
215, Sean Daniels, Aloha, Ore., 1,465.
216, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 1,463.
217, Wayne Stellick, Aurora, Colo., 1,459.
218, Richard Rezendes, Cumberland, R.I., 1,458.
219 (tie), Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and James Hobson, Converse, Texas, 1,456.
221, Hameed Taqi, Bahrain, 1,448.
222, Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, 1,419.
223, Josh Lewis, Asheville, N.C., 1,415.
224, Chris Ashworth, Gallatin, Tenn., 1,409.
225, Steve Ford, Seaside, Ore., 1,405.
226, Troy Behanna, Pasadena, Texas, 1,404.
227, Branden Lee, Chicago, 1,397.
228, Chris DosSantos, Fairhaven, Mass., 1,391.
229, Tim Arnold, Las Vegas, 1,384.
230, Dave Gillson, Phoenix, 1,378.
231, Paolo Joquico, Philippines, 1,373.
232, Kirk Sauro, Dearborn Heights, Mich., 1,367.
233, Shawn St. Andre, Garden Grove, Calif., 1,361.
234, Josh Willis, Orleans, Ind., 1,360.
235, Jamar Lee, Livermore, Calif., 1,247.
236, Gradie Merritt-Foster, Park Forest, Ill., 1,242.
237, Hakim AlSaud, Saudi Arabia, 1,070.
238, Diego Lopez, Colombia, 472.

300 Games: PJ Haggerty, Jon VanHees.

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 32 games; top 24 advance to PBA World Championship round robin match play) 1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 7,662.
2, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 7,598.
3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 7,544.
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 7,522.
5, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 7,504.
6, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 7,471.
7, Dom Barrett, England, 7,465.
8, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 7,449.
9, Stuart Williams, England, 7,404.
10, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 7,392.
11, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 7,378.
12, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 7,361.
13, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 7,331.
14, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 7,327.
15, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7,315.
16, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 7,305.
17, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 7,286.
18, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 7,272.
19, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 7,254.
20, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 7,253.
21, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7,238.
22, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 7,236.
23, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 7,232.
24, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 7,225.
Other Cashers (after 32 games): 25, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 7,222, $2,400.
26, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 7,210, $2,350.
27, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 7,208, $2,300.
28, Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., 7,204, $2,350.
29, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 7,188, $2,200.
30, Mik Stampe, Denmark, 7,184, $2,150.
31, Johan Hellden, Sweden, 7,166, $2,200.
32 (tie), Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., and Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, FL, 7,162, $2,025.
34, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 7,149, $1,950.
35 (tie), Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Patrick Girard, Canada, 7,138, $1,875.
37, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 7,130, $1,800.
38, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 7,126, $1,750.
39, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 7,124, $1,800.
40, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 7,122, $1,650.
41, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 7,114, $1,600.
42, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 7,107, $1,550.
43, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 7,104, $1,500.
44 (tie), Randy Weiss, Columbia, SC; Norm Duke, Clermont, FL, and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, MI, 7,099, $1,460.
47, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7,098, $1,420.
48, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 7,095, $1,400.
49, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7,092, $1,380.
50, Jesse Buss, Belevidere, Ill., 7,088, $1,460.
51 (tie), Paul Koehler, Stuart, Fla., and Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 7,078, $1,330.
53, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 7,076, $1,300.
54, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 7,070, $1,280.
55, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 7,068, $1,260.
56, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7,061, $1,240.
57, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 7,047, $1,220.
58, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 7,046, $1,200.
59, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7,043, $1,180.
60, Matt Ramshaw, Longview, Wash., 7,041, $1,160.