Norm Duke is GEICO PBA Summer Swing Event Winner

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Norm Duke successfully concluded the GEICO PBA Summer Swing with a clutch 10th-frame performance for a bittersweet 222-213 victory over Chris Barnes in the GEICO King of the Swing special event.

 

It was the kind of performance that has made Duke one of the PBA’s most popular players.

 

The final event in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil telecasts aired Tuesday on CBS Sports Network.

 

Duke, a 49-year-old Clermont, FL, resident, defeated four Summer Swing event

champions in impressive style after earning his way into the King of the Swing field as the “wild card,” the highest point-getter without a title.

 

As the No. 5 qualifier for the stepladder finals, Duke began his climb up the stepladder by defeating Badger Open titlist Jake Peters of Decatur, IL, 220-190; Bear Open winner Jason Belmonte of Australia, 258-226, and Wolf Open champ Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, 207-205. Those victories set up a championship re-match against Barnes, who had defeated Duke, 246-237, in the title match of the Milwaukee Open earlier in the Summer Swing.

 

Bowling on the same Badger lane condition Barnes had selected for the Milwaukee Open finals – a right the Double Oak, Texas, resident had earned as Summer Swing points leader - Duke successfully turned the tables on Barnes.

 

In the Milwaukee Open, Barnes won when he threw two strikes in the 10th, surviving to claim his 15th career title when Duke struck on his first shot in the 10th, but left a 10 pin on his second attempt.

 

In the King of the Swing finale, Barnes’ string of four strikes ended when the 9 pin stood on his second shot in the 10th frame. Duke, working on a double heading into his 10th frame, needed two more strikes to win, and he got what he needed.

 

“I realize it’s not a PBA Tour title, but it still feels good,” Duke said. “I’ll go home without a title, and that’s disappointing because I’m here to win titles, but I did win an event."

 

“I needed to spend some time on TV. I haven’t been on TV in a while, and when I got there and didn’t perform the way I wanted in the Wolf and Milwaukee Opens, it was just because we haven’t had any tournaments for a while,” Duke continued. “It takes a little time just to get comfortable. In the Wolf Open, I was scared and nervous, but today was a walk in the park.”

 

Duke was unhappy with a couple of shots he made in the previous events that, in his mind, probably cost him titles. But converting the 1-2-4-10 washout after making a bad shot in the 10th frame against Peters in the opening match of the King of the Swing finals was a key moment.

 

“When you bowl a lot of games on TV, there are going to be some shots you’re not real proud of, but I was about 90 percent happy with the shots I made today,” he said. “I had to make that washout against Jake Peters to win, and I did it.”

 

He also was happy to beat Barnes on the Badger pattern, a lane condition he wouldn’t have picked if he had the choice.

 

“I’d have picked the Wolf pattern,” Duke said. “I’ll bowl all day on the Wolf against those high-rev guys, but my job is to not have a favorite pattern. When you have a favorite, you also have a least-favorite pattern and that’s a problem; it’s conceding you have a weakness and I don’t like to say that out loud."

 

“In my mind, this was Barnes’ place,” he added. “Barnes led (the Summer Swing). He won the Milwaukee Open, which was the most important one, I believe. I’d love to have that shot back (10 pin in 10th frame of title match), but he’d love to have a couple of shots back as well. He earned it."

 

”When I get home and reflect on the Summer Swing, one of the things I’ll probably congratulate myself on was my ability to keep a strong focus on what I needed to do. I feel pretty good about that.”

 

To find CBS Sports Network in your home market, visit: http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. CBSSN will air “encore” presentations of the Summer King of the Swing telecast on Tuesday, July 9, at 10 p.m.; Saturday, July 13, at 5 p.m., and Tuesday, July 16, at 7 p.m. – all times are Eastern.

 

GEICO PBA KING OF THE SWING presented by Lucas Oil

AMF Bowlero, Wauwatosa, Wis. (non-title special event)

 

Final Standings: 1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., $10,000. 2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, $6,000. 3, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, $4,000. 4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, $3,000. 5, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., $2,000.

 

Stepladder Results: Match One – Duke def. Peters, 220-190. Match Two – Duke def. Belmonte, 258-226. Semifinal Match – Duke def. Loschetter, 207-205. Championship – Duke def. Barnes, 222-213.

Belmonte Tops The Stepladder for Lucas PBA Oil Bear Open

Australia’s Jason Belmonte won six of his final eight matches and tied another to charge out of 10th place and capture the top stepladder finals berth for the Lucas Oil PBA Bear Open Tuesday night at AMF Bowlero.

Belmonte, who is trying for his seventh PBA Tour title, averaged a modest 215.65 for a 26-game total of 5,952 pins, including match play bonus, to complete a move that began when he dropped to 24th place after the first two games of match play Tuesday. Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, finished second with 5,891 pins followed by Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, with a 5,855 total; Canada’s Dan MacLelland with 5,819 pins and Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, with a 5,811 total.

“I bowled really, really well tonight,” the Aussie two-handed star said. “After sitting in 24th place two games into match play, I was just hoping to maybe break into the top 10. Then I got closer, and I drilled a new ball that gave me a lot better look down the lane. It carried so much better, and that was the difference.”

Belmonte finished seventh in the Badger Open last week at AMF Waukesha, the first of the fourth GEICO PBA Summer Swing tournaments, but then finished 69th in the Wolf Open at AMF West – a performance that knocked him out of the Milwaukee Open field.

“My goal when I came over here was to do well on all of the patterns,” Belmonte said. “I just missed on the first one (Badger). The second one (Wolf) was – what’s a good word – disaster? But I never give up, even in the Wolf.

“It was just like today,” he continued. “I needed to dig a little deeper and I’m a whole lot happier now than I was last week. Hopefully I can cap it off with one more good game on TV and add another “W”.

Barnes will be trying for his 15th title in the Bear Open finals. Loschetter, who led the tournament heading into the final eight games, is trying for his first title after nine years on Tour. He also is top qualifier for the Wolf Open finals. MacLelland, also a non-titlist, hopes to become the first Canadian ever to win a PBA Tour title. Hess, who won his only title in the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Masters, made a huge move when he bowled the tournament’s only 300 game in the sixth game of the final round, and then jumped from eighth to fifth with a 268-210 victory over collegiate star Aaron Lorincz of Belleville, MI, in the final position round match.

The Bear Open was conducted on a flat 40-foot oiling pattern – similar to the demanding scoring environment used for the U.S. Open. It is the third of four events that compose the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil. The Bear Open stepladder finals will be conducted at 6 p.m. Saturday at AMF Bowlero and will air on CBS Sports Network on June 25 at 7 p.m. ET.

The PBA Summer Swing continues Wednesday when the top 28 qualifiers from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events compete in the five-game Lucas Oil PBA Milwaukee Open cashers round on the Bear pattern at 11 a.m. at Bowlero. Based on 35-game pinfall totals, the top 24 will advance to three eight-game match play rounds Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. (Bear pattern), Thursday at 11 a.m. (Wolf pattern) and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. (Badger pattern). The top five after 59 games will advance to the Milwaukee Open finals at 11 a.m. Sunday at Bowlero. There will be no competition on Friday.

The Milwaukee Open cashers round and match play rounds Wednesday and Thursday will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame.

The stepladder finals for the Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Opens will be contested Saturday at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. The GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event will follow the Milwaukee Open finals Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Summer Swing finals will air on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

LUCAS OIL PBA BEAR OPEN

AMF Bowlero, Wauwatosa Wis., May 28

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to Bear Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 6 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 11-4-1, 5,952.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 9-7, 5,891.
3, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 10-6, 5,855.
4, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 10-6, 5,819.
5, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 10-6, 5,811.
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 9-7, 5,764, $1,800.
7, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 8-8, 5,741, $1,700.
8, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 9-6-1, 5,724, $1,600.
9, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 10-6, 5,708, $1,550.
10, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 8-8, 5,691, $1,500.
11, Dom Barrett, England, 10-5-1, 5,676, $1,450.
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 7-9, 5,662, $1,400.
13, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 9-7, 5,627, $1,350.
14, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7-9, 5,607, $1,300.
15, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 9-7, 5,606, $1,250.
16, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 8-8, 5,600, $1,200.
17, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8-8, 5,589, $1,150.
18, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 6-10, 5,467, $1,100.
19, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6-9-1, 5,429, $1,050.
20, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 6-10, 5,349, $1,000.
21, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 5-11, 5,306, $950.
22, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 6-10, 5,256, $900.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4-12, 5,217, $850.
24, Patrick Girard, Canada, 5-11, 5,071, $800.

300 Game: Tom Hess.

 

Dave Wodka Leads Lucas Oil PBA Bear Open in Milwaukee Going Into Matchplay

Dave Wodka of Henderson, NV, emerged at the top of the qualifying pile after six lead changes in the final six games in the Lucas Oil PBA Bear Open Monday at AMF Bowlero, averaging 223.5 to lead the field of 24 players who advanced to Tuesday’s match play rounds.

Wodka, 42, is trying for his first title since he won the 1999 Greater Detroit Open for his only PBA Tour win. He finished qualifying in front of a packed house at AMF Bowlero with a 10-game total of 2,235 pins on a demanding lane condition, rolling games of 229, 210, 216, 206 and 246 Monday night to take a 27–pin lead over Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas.

Qualifying third was PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, with 2,000 pins followed by 2013 Intercollegiate Singles Champion Aaron Lorincz of Belleville, MI, with a 2,195 total and Mike Fagan of Dallas with 2,184 pins.

“I really had only one bad game,” Wodka said. “I finished the first round with a 176. After that, I came in with a game plan of doing nothing other than making one good shot at a time. I know you’re always supposed to do that, but I really focused on that, and I only had two opens in the second block. Both of those were in the same game, but I still bailed out a 205 and that’s just as important when scores are like they were as anything.”

Wodka would love to end his 14-year winless drought, but isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“It’s been a lot of years (since I won), but there are a lot of games left,” he said. “It’s going to be a long day (Tuesday) and winning matches is going to be of utmost importance. Getting those 30 bonus pins for winning matches when the scores are as low as they are will be huge.”

The Bear Open is being contested on a flat 40-foot oiling pattern which is similar to the U.S. Open lane condition, considered the most challenging scoring environment on the PBA Tour schedule. The Bear Open is the third of four events that compose the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil, and it was the final qualifying event for the Milwaukee Open which begins Wednesday at AMF Bowlero.

The top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events advance to the five-game Milwaukee Open cashers which will be contested on the Bear pattern at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Based on 35 games, the top 24 will then advance to three eight-game match play rounds at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Bear pattern), and 11 a.m. (Wolf pattern) and 5:30 p.m. (Badger pattern) on Thursday. There will be no competition on Friday.

Leading the Milwaukee Open qualifiers was Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., who averaged 229.1 for a 30-game total of 6,873 pins. Surviving the cut in 28th place was reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who qualified 27th. The 28th and final berth in the Milwaukee Open went to Andrew Graff of Las Vegas by seven pins over Brett Cunningham of Clay, N.Y.

Five-player stepladder finals for the Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Opens, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network Saturday and Sunday at AMF Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA BEAR OPEN

AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 27

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 10 games, top 24 advance to round robin match play Tuesday at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT)

LUCAS OIL PBA MILWAUKEE OPEN STANDINGS

1, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 2,235.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,208.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,200.
4, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 2,195.
5, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 2,184.
6, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,169.
7, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,167.
8, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,165.
9, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 2,155.
10, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,149.
11, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,148.
12, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,146.
13, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,129.
14, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,117.
15, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,109.
16, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,100.
17, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,099.
18, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,098.
19, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 2,095.
20, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2,090.
21, Patrick Girard, Canada, 2,086.
22, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,085.
23, Dom Barrett, England, 2,082.
24, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 2,075.

Failed to advance:
25, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,068, $600.
26, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 2,059.
27, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 2,056.
28, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2,052.
29, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2,040.
30, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,037.
31, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 2,032.
32, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,031.
33, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,024.
34, Andrew DeCaluwe, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 2,022.
35, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,017.
36, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,016.
37, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 2,014.
38 (tie), Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,013.
40, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,010.
41, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,005.
42, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,000.
43, Bill Monce, Waukesha, Wis., 1,997.
44, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,991.
45, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill., 1,989.
46, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,985.
47, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,983.
48, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,980.
49, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,979.
50 (tie), Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga.; Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., and Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,978.
53, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,972.
54, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,970.
55, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,968.
56, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,959.
57, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,954.
58, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 1,953.
59, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 1,951.
60, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,947.
61, Joseph Tomassoni, Iron Mountain, Mich., 1,939.
62, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,935.
63, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,934.
64, Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., 1,931.
65, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,902.
66, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 1,899.
67, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,891.
68, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,889.
69, Matt Beyer, Manawa, Wis., 1,879.

70, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 1,875.
71, Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 1,874.
72, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,863.
73, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,858.
74, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,857.
75, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 1,854.
76, Paul Moor, England, 1,849.
77, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,836.
78, Gary Exner Jr., Racine, Wis., 1,822.
79, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 1,808.
80, Scott Radtke, Milwaukee, 1,808.
81, Jacob Rubach, West Bend, Wis., 1,788.
82, Michael Zylius, Highland Park, Ill., 1,786.
83, Riley Smith, Kenosha, Wis., 1,784.
84, Van McNeil, West Allis, Wis., 1,766.
85, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 1,759.
86, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 1,740.
87, Andrew Glass, Racine, Wis., 1,738.
88, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,737.
89, Sam Figarino, Sussex, Wis., 1,726.
90, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 1,711.
91, Zack Carter, Chicago, 1,710.
92, Scott Weber, La Salle, Ill., 1,704.
93, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 1,699.
94, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 1,683.
95, Brandon Gronwoldt, LeRoy, Minn., 1,647.
96, Ron Williams, Austin, Texas, 1,635.
97, Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 1,614.
98, Ralleigh Grandberry III, Maryland Hts., Mo., 1,524.

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 30 games in Badger, Wolf and Bear Opens; top 28 advance to cashers round on Wednesday, May 28, at AMF Bowlero)

1, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 6,873.
2, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 6,829.
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 6,812.
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 6,752.
5, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 6,738.
6, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 6,710.
7, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 6,709.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6,705.
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6,693.
10, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 6,626.
11, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 6,612.
12, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 6,608.
13, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 6,604.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6,602.
15 (tie), Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 6,583.
17, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 6,578.
18, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 6,544.
19, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 6,537.
20, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 6,534.
21, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 6,531.
22, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 6,528.
23 (tie), Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Patrick Girard, Canada, 6,513.
25, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 6,509.
26, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 6,472.
27, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 6,452.
28, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 6,428.

Failed to advance:29, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 6,421.
30, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 6,412.
31, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 6,407.
32 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 6,400.
34, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 6,398.
35, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 6,389.
36, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 6,364.
37, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 6,353.
38, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 6,351.
39, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 6,331.
40, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 6,328.
41, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 6,327.
42, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 6,320.
43, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6,316.
44, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 6,302.
45, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6,297.
46, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 6,286.
47, Dom Barrett, England, 6,267.
48, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 6,246.
49, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 6,232.
50, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 6,231.
51, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 6,202.
52, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 6,173.
53, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 6,167.
54, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 6,164.
55, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 6,125.
56, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 6,070.
57 (tie), Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., and Paul Moor, England, 6,057.
59, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 6,030.
60, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 6,019.
61, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 5,989.
62, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 988.
63, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 5,982.
64, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill, 5,947.
65, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 5,936.
66, Andrew DeCaluwe, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 5,901.
67, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 5,876.
68, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 5,837.
69, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 5,798.
70, Gary Exner Jr., Racine, Wis., 5,767.
71, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 5,764.
72, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 5,756.
73, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 5,678.
74, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 5,674.
75, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 5,639.
76, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 5,614.
77, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 5,563.
78, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 5,481.
79, Matt Beyer, Manawa, Wis., 5,467.
80, Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 5,397.
81, Van McNeil, West Allis, Wis., 5,222.
82, Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 5,062.
83, Ralleigh Grandberry III, Maryland, Hts., Mo., 4,995.
84, Brandon Gronwoldt, LeRoy, Minn., 4,898.

Chris Loschetter Top Seed in Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open, NIps Norm Duke by Two Pins

Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour (PBA) title after nine years, held off PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke by two pins to earn the top stepladder berth for the June 1 Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open finals at AMF West Friday night.

Loschetter, who has finished second four times in his career, led the tournament from the second game, fighting off challenges all day Friday and clinging to the No. 1 position when Duke left a solid 8 pin in the 10th frame of his final game.

Loschetter celebrated his 33rd birthday by finishing the Wolf Open, the second of four tournaments in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil with a 26-game total of 6,617 pins, including match play bonus pins, and a feeling that it’s finally time to win his first PBA Tour title.

“I’m definitely due,” he said. “I feel like I deserve a title more than anybody out here. I’ve worked hard. I deserve it. I hope this time it happens. I’ve had some horrible breaks on TV, but I think the time has come.”

Loschetter will meet the winner of a stepladder field that includes Duke in second place; 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, IN, in third place with 6,554 pins; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, in fourth place with a 6,477 total, and Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, in fifth with 6,436 pins.

As relieved as Loschetter was to hold onto the lead, Duke was stunned over his bad break.

“That ball could have struck,” he said of the 8 pin that stood on a solid pocket hit. “Unbelievable. That was the third solid 8 pin I left in the last three games. They cost me 70 pins.

“Mentally I’m exhausted,” he continued. “Physically I’m fine except my right thumb wants to fall off. I’m a little frustrated, but I’ll tell you what, a lot of other guys are frustrated, too.”

Missing the top position for the Wolf Open stepladder finals means there can’t be a showdown match for the title between Duke and Weber, each of whom owns 37 PBA Tour titles, tied for third best in PBA history behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and Earl Anthony (43). But the two hall of famers could meet in the semifinal match.

“We haven’t bowled each other on TV in a long time,” Duke said, “but Pete and I have had some barn burners over the years. Pete’s one of the best that ever lived. We’re dear friends. We’re both aware of where we are in our careers, and to be mentioned in the same breath with him is really special.”

Tackett, a two-time member of Junior Team USA, will be making his first television appearance in the Wolf Open finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT. O’Neill is trying for his fifth PBA Tour title.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing now moves to AMF Bowlero in nearby Wauwatosa for the Lucas Oil Bear Open. Following a day off on Saturday, players will bowl practice and pro-am events Sunday followed by two five-game qualifying rounds on Monday. The top 24 will then advance to two eight-game match play rounds on Tuesday.
 

The Bear Open is the final qualifying leg leading into the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open which will be held Wednesday and Thursday, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events. O’Neill leads the Milwaukee Open qualifying field after 20 games.

Stepladder finals for all four PBA Tour events, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA WOLF OPEN

AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 24

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to Wolf Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 8-7-1, 6,617.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 12-4, 6,615.
3, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 11-5, 6,554.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 11-5, 6,477.
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8-8, 6,436.
6, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 9-7, 6,391, $1,800.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 11-5, 6,345, $1,700.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 11-4-1, 6,319, $1,600.
9, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 9-7, 6,314, $1,550.
10, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 8-7-1, 6,301, $1,500.
11, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 8-8, 6,264, $1,450.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5-10-1, 6,216, $1,400.
13, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 10-6, 6,175, $1,350.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-9-1, 6,170, $1,300.
15, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8-8, 6,145, $1,250.
16, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 7-8-1, 6,112, $1,200.
17, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7-9, 6,068, $1,150.
18, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7-9, 6,013, $1,100.
19, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 5-11, 6,001, $1,050.
20, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 7-9, 5,988, $1,000.
21, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 8-8, 5,940, $950.
22, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7-9-0, 5,761, $900.
23, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 4-12, 5,736, $850.
24, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2-14, 5,384, $800.

Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year Race

SEATTLE (May 14, 2013) – The Professional Bowlers Association’s 2012-13 Player of the Year race may take a decisive turn during the final two weeks of May when four PBA Tour titles are decided during the GEICO PBA Summer Swing in the Milwaukee.

 

With the Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Open titles at stake in the Milwaukee series, a hotly-contested six-man race for PBA Player of the Year honors could quickly change in favor of one of the leading contenders. Or it could move a couple of dark horse candidates into position to challenge for the end-of-season honor.

 

The Player of the Year will be selected in balloting by the PBA membership and members of the bowling news media at the close of the season. Key criteria most voters use are titles won, competition points, earnings, averages and television finals. Major titles won, or championship round appearances, are commonly factors that will tip the scales if voting is close.

 

The 2012-13 Player of the Year competition will be based upon overall performance over an expanded 14-month campaign which began with the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling IV and will conclude on Dec. 31, 2013, as the PBA heads toward a return to a traditional calendar year schedule beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.

 

Heading into the GEICO PBA Summer Swing, the Player of the Year leaders, in alphabetical order, are:

 

● Jason Belmonte, Australia: won the 2013 USBC Masters for his only 2012-13 title, leads the PBA Tour in competition points and average (234.97), and ranks third in earnings ($131,586). Finished second in the PBA World Championship and PBA Tournament of Champions, and has three other TV appearances.

 

● Parker Bohn III, Jackson, NJ: won the 2012 PBA World Championship for his only 2012-13 title, ranks fifth in competition points, and seventh in earnings ($77,688) and average (228.91). He also finished fourth in the USBC Masters.

 

● Mika Koivuniemi, Finland/Hartland, MI: has won two 2012-13 titles, both on the PBA International Tour (Round1 Japan Cup and Qatar Open), ranks seventh in points, first in earnings ($158,412) and sixth in average (228.99). Koivuniemi also finished fifth in the USBC Masters.

 

● Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, CA: has won two 2012-13 titles (Chameleon Open and Earl Anthony PBA Players Championship), and ranks fourth in points, fifth in earnings ($87,970) and eighth in average (228.85).

 

● Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL: reigning PBA Player of the Year’s only title this season is Kuwait Open. He ranks third in points, second in earnings ($145,472) and third in average (232.58), and is tied with Belmonte with five TV appearances, including finishing third in PBA World Championship and PBA Tournament of Champions.

 

● Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO: won a PBA-record 10th major title in the PBA Tournament of Champions at age 50. Ranks 13th in points, sixth in earnings ($82,306) and fourth in average (229.97).

 

Heading the “dark horse” list includes Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, a one-time title winner in 2012-13 who ranks sixth in points and fourth in earnings, and non-winner Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, who is second in points and average and eighth in earnings. Other players who have won one title during the 2012-13 season are Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, PA; Brad Angelo, Lockport, NY; Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, FL; Andres Gomez, Colombia; Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, AZ; Jason Sterner, McDonough, GA, and Ronnie Russell, Marion, IN.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing begins with the Badger Open May 19-21 at AMF Waukesha, followed by the Wolf Open May 22-24 at AMF West, Bear Open May 26-28 at AMF Bowlero, Milwaukee Open May 29-30 at Bowlero, and two days of CBS Sports Network stepladder finals June 1-2 at Bowlero.

 

Thus far in 2012-13, the PBA Tour has conducted 16 individual tournaments in the United States and around the world and the extended 14-month season will include 14 more PBA Tour and International Tour events – including the four Milwaukee title events – before it ends.

 

REMAINING 2013 PBA TOUR EVENTS

 

May 20-June 2 – GEICO PBA Summer Swing (Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Open), AMF Waukesha, AMF West and AMF Bowlero, Milwaukee, Wis.

 

July 7-13 - It's Daejeon International Open Bowling Tournament, Daejeon, Korea

 

July 21-27 – U.S. Open, Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus Western Bowl, and Holiday Lanes, Columbus, Ohio

 

Oct. 1-6 – 11th annual Columbia 300 Vienna Open, Plus Bowling Center, Vienna, Austria

 

Oct. 14-21 – 2013 World Bowling Tour Thailand, Bul-O Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand

 

Oct. 25-Nov. 3 – PBA World Series of Bowling V (Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships plus PBA World Championship), South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas

 

Nov. 28-30 – Round1 Japan Cup, Tokyo Port Bowl, Tokyo, Japan

Dave Ryan and Randy Pederson to Team Up for GEICO PBA Summer Swing

from Bill Vint 

Veteran Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) announcer Dave Ryan returns as play-by-play announcer for the PBA, partnering with color analyst Randy Pedersen, for the five-event GEICO PBA Summer Swing series on CBS Sports Network.

Ryan, who served as Voice of the PBA for five years (2002-07), joined CBS Sports Network in 2009 and has spent the past four years covering college football, basketball and baseball, college and professional lacrosse, as well as professional tennis.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve done PBA coverage, but I’m really looking forward to it,” Ryan said. “I joined CBS Sports Network in 2009 and it’s been great. I’ve done a lot of events for CBS. I’ve pretty much had the same role I had with ESPN, but with a different network.

“I’m thrilled, really excited. I miss being around the guys, and I’m particularly excited to work with Randy again. We’re good friends. I’ve been following the PBA since I left,” he added.

Ryan is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Pedersen, a 13-time PBA Tour champion and 2011 PBA Hall of Fame inductee, is currently in his 12th season as color analyst for PBA Tour telecasts.

“Dave called me and started singing, ‘Reunited.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about until then, but it was great news,” Pedersen said. “Dave Ryan is a great guy, a friend and he’s a real professional. It’ll be great to work with him again. I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing will feature five two-hour telecasts on CBS Sports Network – the Badger, Wolf and Bear Opens, the Milwaukee Open and the GEICO Summer King of the Swing – which will air on consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing will be held at three different Milwaukee area bowling centers – AMF Waukesha, AMF West and AMF Bowlero – May 20-June 2. PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, will provide wall-to-wall coverage of all preliminary rounds of the Summer Swing. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

PBA Summer Swing Will Air on CBS Sports

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and CBS Sports Network have entered into a multi-year television agreement that features a series of five telecasts originating from the new GEICO PBA Summer Swing in Milwaukee in June.

The agreement, announced Tuesday by PBA CEO Geoff Reiss and Dan Weinberg, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports Network, includes five two-hour telecasts featuring stepladder finalists from four PBA Summer Swing events, and concludes with a GEICO PBA Summer King of the Swing special event featuring the top five competition points leaders from the Summer Swing events.

Summer Swing telecasts debut Tuesday, June 11 (7:00 PM, ET) on CBS Sports Network and continue for five consecutive Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, ET.

“We're thrilled at how committed CBS Sports Network is to the PBA and we're looking forward to their telecasts of the debut of the Summer Swing,” Reiss said. “The PBA's long-term success is predicated on developing great partnerships and we're looking forward to working with everyone at CBS Sports Network to grow both the PBA and the Network.” 

”We’re excited to partner with the PBA and showcase the world’s best bowlers,” Weinberg said. “The PBA has a storied history and an established fan base and we’re pleased to add it to our extensive lineup of event programming.”

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing is a new series of PBA Tour events which will be contested on three new “animal pattern” lane conditions that will debut in Milwaukee. The qualifying segments of the PBA Badger Open, PBA Wolf Open and PBA Bear Open will be hosted by three different Milwaukee area bowling centers (AMF Waukesha, AMF West and AMF Bowlero) between May 19-30. The cumulative pinfall totals from the three animal pattern events will qualify players for the Milwaukee Open, the fourth event in the series, and the GEICO PBA Summer King of the Swing will feature the top five points leaders based on the four previous events.

The Badger Open finals will air on June 11, the Wolf Open on June 18, the Bear Open on June 25, the Milwaukee Open on July 2 and the GEICO PBA Summer King of the Swing on July 9. All will be two-hour, five-player stepladder finals.