Barnes Wins 17th PBA Title in Doha, Qatar

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, defeated woman bowler New Hui Fen of Singapore, 493-483, in the two-game championship match to win the H.H. Emir Cup, a World Tenpin Bowling Association/PBA International Tour tournament, Friday at Qatar Bowling Center.

The victory gave Barnes his 17^th PBA Tour title and his second PBA International Tour title. He previously won the Columbia 300 Vienna Open in Oct. of 2012. His last U.S. PBA Tour title came in the PBA Viper Championship during World Series of Bowling V in Las Vegas.

Fen’s scores included an eight handicap pins per game, an equality handicap provided to women in many international events.

Fen got off to an early lead after the first game of the championship match topping Barnes, 275-257, but Barnes overcame the deficit by beating in the second game, 236-208.

In the semifinal matches Fen defeated Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, 489-397, and Barnes defeated another top international woman player, Shayna Ng of Singapore, 521-445.

The next stop for the PBA/WBT Tour will be the Bahrain Open March 1-7 in Oman, Bahrain.

H.H. EMIR CUP
Doha, Qatar, Feb. 28, 2014

Championship (two games, total pinfall; Fen score includes 8 handicap pins per game): Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas ($25,000) def. New Hui Fen, Singapore ($12,000), 493-483.

Semifinal Round (two games, total pinfall; Fen and Ng scores include 8 handicap pins per game): Barnes def. Shayna Ng ($6,000), Singapore, 521-445.
Fen def. Bill O’Neill ($6,000), Langhorne, Pa., 489-397.

Other PBA Cashers:
6, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, $2,700.
8, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., $2,700.
10, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., $2,300.
13, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., $1,800.
14, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., $1,800.
16, Jason Belmonte, Australia., $1,800.
20, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $1,500.
25, Andres Gomez, Colombia, $1,200.
26, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., $1,200.
29, Osku Palermaa, Finland, $1,200.
30, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, $1,200.
32, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, $1,100.

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

Belmonte Over Malott for USBC Masters Title

Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte picked up his first major title and became just the second foreign player to win the United States Bowling Congress Masters on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd at Brunswick Zone Carolier.

Belmonte defeated Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, 258-245, to win the $50,000 first-place prize and a major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. The victory was his sixth career PBA Tour title.

“This is without a doubt the greatest feeling I’ve ever had on a pair of the lanes,” said Belmonte, who joined Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi as the only foreign players to win the Masters. “You come out on the PBA Tour, the hardest tour in the world with the greatest players in the world, and at the top of that tree are the majors. To finally get atop one and check the view out for the first time is golden. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

The title match was filled with drama in the final frame as Belmonte delivered three strikes, including a heart-stopping second shot in the 10th when a pin darted across to take out the 10 pin at the last second.

Belmonte’s perfect 10th frame, capping a string of six strikes in a row, forced Malott to match him with three strikes of his own to take the title by one pin. Malott’s first shot barely struck with the 4 pin falling late, but his second shot went high and left the 3-6-10, giving the title to Belmonte.

“Watching that 4 pin fall at first I was like ‘oh no,’ but then I had an overwhelming feeling that if it was meant to be it would be,” said Belmonte, who went undefeated in the double-elimination match-play bracket to earn the top seed for the finals. “It was like the tension just doubled, and there was already a lot of tension. I can assure you the last thing I thought I was going to see was Wes not get the ball to the pocket.”

After the loss, Malott said a distraction caught his eye on the second shot in the 10th and caused him to pull the ball left.

“Someone in the crowd caught me in the 11th frame. I don’t want to say anything against the fans in New Jersey because they’ve been great, and it happened to some other guys during the week, but it’s a bummer, a heart-breaker,” Malott said. “It happened during the biggest tournament of my career, when I had a chance to win, but I’ll take the positives from this week and move forward. That’s all I can do.”

Malott, who entered the day as the No. 3 seed, advanced to the title match with a 202-185 victory over England’s Stuart Williams in the semifinal. Malott took down PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ, 255-248, in his first match of the day.

The stepladder finals started with a bang as Bohn opened the first game with the first eight strikes against Koivuniemi in a 278-246 victory.

The Masters, which featured a total prize fund of $325,000, is part of the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Bowling Tour. A sold-out field of 468 players from 13 countries started the week in their quest to take home the trophy.

 

Final standings

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia 258 (one game), $50,000

2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 702 (three games), $25,000

3, Stuart Williams, England, 185 (one game), $18,000

4, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 526 (two games), $13,000

5, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 246 (one game), $10,000

Sean Rash Leads 2nd Round of USBC Masters

Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, surged to the top of the leader board Wednesday after two rounds of qualifying at the 2013 United States Bowling Congress Masters.

The 2007 Masters champion has a 10-game pinfall total of 2,381 (238.1 average) to lead a field ­­of 468 of the top bowlers in the world at Brunswick Zone Carolier. The Masters, which features a total prize fund of $325,000, will conclude with the live ESPN finals on Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern.

Rash put together his second consecutive strong day to start the Masters. After firing 1,218 in Tuesday’s opening round, Rash came back with 1,163 in the second round. He closed out Wednesday’s block with games of 233 and 259 to take the lead.

“The pattern is starting to get flatter and with that the lanes are going to get tougher,” said Rash, who is the reigning Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year. “Shot making becomes important and spare shooting becomes important. I had a great game plan from practice, I bowled good yesterday and had another good block today.”

With one more round of qualifying to go Thursday, Rash said he will try to gather as much information as possible before the Masters heads to match play.

“I get to bowl on fresh (oil) tomorrow again and most of match play is going to be on fresh,” Rash said. “I want to know as much as possible, and I’m still trying to learn. Tomorrow’s a different day with different ball motions and following different people. I still have to make great shots and fill frames.”

Finland’s Osku Palermaa, who had a share of the lead after the first round, sits in second place with 2,376. Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, sits in third with 2,344, while Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, FL, is fourth with 2,326.

All competitors will bowl 15 games of qualifying over three days before the field is cut to the top 63 plus defending champion Mike Fagan of Dallas for the double-elimination match-play bracket starting Friday.

The top five players at the conclusion of the bracket competition will compete in the live two-hour championship round on ESPN.

The Masters, which features a first-place prize of $50,000, is a major event on the PBA Tour and is part of the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Bowling Tour for the third consecutive season.

All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com.

For more information on the Masters, including live scoring, visit BOWL.com/Masters.

 

1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,381.
2, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,376.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,344.
4, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,326.
5, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 2,318.
6, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,314.
7, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 2,305.
8, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,298.
9, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2,288.
10, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 2,284.
11, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,281.
12, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 2,279.
13, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,277.
14, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 2,273.
15, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,271.
16, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,268.
17, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 2,263.
18, Todd Book, Russells Point, Ohio, 2,262.
19, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 2,260.
20, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 2,257.
20, Allen Rice II, Salem, Ala., 2,257.
22, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,255.
23, Mike Moore, Orlando, Fla., 2,254.
24, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,244.
25, Matt McNiel, Prior Lake, Minn., 2,238.
26, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,236.
26, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 2,236.
28, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,233.
28, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 2,233.
30, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,224.
31, Devin Golden, Coopersburg, Pa., 2,216.
31, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 2,216.
33, Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, 2,211.
33, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,211.
35, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 2,210.
35, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 2,210.
37, Walter McKnight, Brick, N.J., 2,206.
38, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,204.
39, Jeff Kubasak, Staten Island, N.Y., 2,201.
40, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,199.
41, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 2,194.
41, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 2,194.
43, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 2,193.
43, Troy Lint, Leola, Pa., 2,193.
45, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,191.
46, Matt Gasn, Laurel, Md., 2,186.
47, Tommy Dakouvanos, Belford, N.J., 2,185.
48, Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., 2,184.
49, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 2,183.
50, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,179.
51, Timothy Foy Jr., Salisbury, Md., 2,178.
52, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,177.
53, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,176.
54, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,163.
55, Stuart Williams, England, 2,161.
55, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 2,161.
57, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,160.
58, Michael Markis, Tafton, Pa., 2,159.
59, Joe Costanzo, Bethpage, N.Y., 2,155.
60, Daniel Dunleavy, Staten Island, N.Y., 2,154.
61, Robert Andersson, Sweden, 2,152.
61, Kyle King, Glendale, Ariz., 2,152.
63, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 2,151.
63, Charles Anderson, Sloatsburg, N.Y., 2,151.
65, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 2,147.
65, Quentin Collins, Jamaica, N.Y., 2,147.
65, Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 2,147.
68, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 2,143.
69, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 2,139.
70, Jason Howard, Baltimore, 2,135.
71, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 2,134.
72, Isao Yamamoto, Japan, 2,132.
73, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,127.
74, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,124.
75, Geoffrey Young, Bel Aire, Kan., 2,123.
75, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 2,123.
77, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,118.
78, Jeff Piroozshad, Coral Springs, Fla., 2,117.
79, Frankie Calca, Elmont, N.Y., 2,116.
80, Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 2,115.
81, Jack Castellano, Centereach, N.Y., 2,114.
81, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 2,114.
83, Bryan Viator, Friendswood, Texas, 2,109.
84, Jimmy Johnson, Wilmington, Del., 2,106.
84, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,106.
86, Gerald Marrs, Huntley, Ill., 2,105.
87, Mike Taylor, Havertown, Pa., 2,104.
88, Oleksandr Kalika, Ukraine, 2,103.
88, Steve Novak, Bay City, Mich., 2,103.
90, Zachary Wilkins, Canada, 2,102.
90, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 2,102.
92, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 2,099.
92, Kevin Kullman, Tinley Park, Ill., 2,099.
94, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 2,098.
95, Joe Scianna, Oakdale, N.J., 2,096.
95, Mike Centrone, Carmel, N.Y., 2,096.
97, Dom Barrett, England, 2,095.
98, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,093.
98, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,093.
100, John Brockland, St. Charles, Mo., 2,091.
101, Anthony Pepe, Jackson Heights, N.Y., 2,090.
102, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,088.
102, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 2,088.
104, Aaron Groendyk, Grandville, Mich., 2,086.
104, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,086.
106, Missy Parkin, Fullerton, Calif., 2,083.
106, Rusty Thomsen, Morgan, N.J., 2,083.
106, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 2,083.
109, R.J. Pollard, Versailles, Ind., 2,082.
110, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2,080.
111, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2,078.
112, Adam Chase, Seaford, N.Y., 2,076.
112, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 2,076.
114, Alex Cavagnaro, Massapequa, N.Y., 2,075.
115, Jonathan Crowder, Edison, N.J., 2,074.
116, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 2,073.
117, Eric Copping, Websterville, Vt., 2,072.
118, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 2,069.
118, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Japan, 2,069.
120, Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 2,068.
121, Williams Pautz, LeSueur, Minn., 2,066.
122, Jimmie Dillingham, Bonney Lake, Wash., 2,062.
122, Hugh McGainey, Baltimore, 2,062.
124, Casey Creutz, Jackson, N.J., 2,059.
125, Kevin Beers, Reinholds, Pa., 2,058.
126, Woody Ross II, Warner Robins, Ga., 2,057.
126, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 2,057.
126, Robert Mockenhaupt, Rutherford, N.J., 2,057.
126, Jack Zuniga, Tulsa, Okla., 2,057.
126, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,057.
126, Rodney Alston, Philadelphia, 2,057.
132, Brian Boghosian, Agawam, Mass., 2,056.
133, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 2,055.
134, Mykhaylo Kalika, Ukraine, 2,054.
135, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 2,053.
135, Mike McDonnell, Chesterfield, Va., 2,053.
137, Ryan Friend, Staten Island, N.Y., 2,052.
138, Paul Pinto, Philadelphia, 2,050.
138, Ricky Schissler, Henderson, Colo., 2,050.
140, Jimmy Clark, Corinna, Maine, 2,049.
141, Ronnie Horton, Christiansburg, Va., 2,048.
142, Tony Reynaud, Harwinton, Conn., 2,047.
142, Matt Meyer, Alexandria, Minn., 2,047.
144, Jim Rogers, Brick, N.J., 2,046.
145, Alejandro Reyna, Costa Rica, 2,045.
145, Mike Albert, Little River, S.C., 2,045.
147, Richard Holmes, Culpeper, Va., 2,044.
148, Chris Fisher, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2,043.
148, Thomas Coco, Cortland Manor, N.Y., 2,043.
150, Tomoyuki Sasaki, Japan, 2,042.
150, Kyle Paxson, Orlando, Fla., 2,042.
152, Matt Russo, Millstone Township, N.J., 2,041.
153, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 2,040.
153, Joe Novara, Holtsville, N.Y., 2,040.
155, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,039.
155, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 2,039.
155, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 2,039.
158, Rob Hoffman, Freehold, N.J., 2,035.
159, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 2,034.
159, Michael Austin, Magnolia, Texas, 2,034.
161, Eric Cornog, Cherry Hill, N.J., 2,032.
162, Allen Nichols, Loganville, Ga., 2,031.
163, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 2,029.163, Paul Moor, England, 2,029.
165, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 2,026.
166, Joseph Bofrone, Columbia, Md., 2,025.
167, Jim Wolcott, Hendersonville, Tenn., 2,020.
167, Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J., 2,020.
167, Adam Barta, Girard, Ohio, 2,020.
167, Mitch Sacks, Jersey City, N.J., 2,020.
167, Carl Zbranak, Beachwood, N.J., 2,020.
167, Tyson Branagan, Bedford, Texas, 2,020.
173, Jazreel Tan, Singapore, 2,016.
173, Drew Balta, Swisher, Iowa, 2,016.
175, Greg Young, Viera, Fla., 2,015.
176, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 2,013.
176, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 2,013.
176, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,013.
179, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 2,012.
179, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 2,012.
181, Michael Askins, Gainesville, Ga., 2,011.
182, Scott Halvarson, Lakewood, Wash., 2,009.
182, Michael Calhoun, Wyandotte, Mich., 2,009.
182, Matthew Paine, Richfield, Minn., 2,009.
185, Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 2,007.
186, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,006.
186, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 2,006.
186, Fabrizio Cerutti, Plainview, N.Y., 2,006.
186, David Kipperman, Rocky Hill, Conn., 2,006.
186, Brad Muri, Billings, Mont., 2,006.
191, Fero Williams, Adelphi, Md., 2,005.
191, Matt Taylor, Knightdale, N.C., 2,005.
191, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,005.
194, Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla., 2,004.
195, Rob Gotterbarn Jr., Garden City South, N.Y., 2,002.
195, Leon Platt, Summerville, S.C., 2,002.
195, Jeffery Hicks, Allen Park, Mich., 2,002.
195, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 2,002.
199, David McGowan, Ringgold, Ga., 2,001.
200, Joe Krajkovich, North Brunswick, N.J., 2,000.
201, Stephen Hardy, Raymond, N.H., 1,999.
201, Noel Vega, Forest Hills, N.Y., 1,999.
201, William Bittenbender, Burlington, N.J., 1,999.
201, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,999.
201, Brian Chec, Wheatland, Pa., 1,999.
206, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,998.
206, Christopher Blackmore, Fairfax, Va., 1,998.
208, Mike Carmean, Georgetown, Del., 1,997.
208, Michael Norris, Melvindale, Mich., 1,997.
210, Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 1,994.
210, Eddie Santiago, Tuckahoe, N.Y., 1,994.
212, Toby Sambueno, Saginaw, Mich., 1,993.
212, Jeff Leaphart, Columbia, S.C., 1,993.
214, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,990.
215, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,989.
215, Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla., 1,989.
217, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 1,988.
218, Nobuhito Fujii, Japan, 1,987.
219, Tim McAuliffe, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,986.
220, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,984.
221, Jason Ciszewsik, Parlin, N.J., 1,983.
221, Josh Chambliss, Hanahan, S.C., 1,983.
223, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,980.224, Robert Smith, Voorhees, N.J., 1,979.
225, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,978.
226, Mike Dolan, Fond du Lac, Wis., 1,975.
226, Garret Maxey, Greeley, Colo., 1,975.
226, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 1,975.
226, Tim Davidsson, Sweden, 1,975.
230, Billy Trudell, Coventry, R.I., 1,970.
230, Marty Berke, Allentown, Pa., 1,970.
230, Carl Kurilich, Parma, Ohio, 1,970.
233, Miles Coplan, Manchester, N.H., 1,967.
234, Tony Todd, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 1,966.
235, Tony Ament, Monroe, N.J., 1,965.
235, Andrew Stewart, Galloway Twp., N.J., 1,965.
237, Zack Brown, Raleigh, N.C., 1,964.
237, Jim Emens Jr., Rochester, N.Y., 1,964.
237, Donald Beck, Fishers Island, N.Y., 1,964.
240, Wayne Porr, Sinking Springs, Pa., 1,963.
240, John Pierce, Denton, Texas, 1,963.
242, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,962.
242, Keith Laing, Los Angeles, 1,962.
244, Kenneth Gray, North East, Md., 1,959.
244, Chris Kramer, Richlandtown, Pa., 1,959.
246, Chris Williams, North Las Vegas, Nev., 1,958.
246, Jaime Gonzalez, Colombia, 1,958.
246, Josh Schneidman, Bay Shore, N.Y., 1,958.
249, Randy Kenny, Maple Shade, N.J., 1,957.
249, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,957.
251, Michael Murtha, West Des Moines, Iowa, 1,956.
251, Brian O'Mara, Webster, N.Y., 1,956.
253, Takashi Kudoh, Japan, 1,954.
254, Ray Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y., 1,953.
255, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,952.
255, Ryan Wyandt, West Lawn, Pa., 1,952.
255, Andrew Suscreba, Clifton, N.J., 1,952.
255, Sean McAuliffe, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,952.
259, Martin Paulsson, Sweden, 1,950.
260, Bryson Rogers, Durham, N.C., 1,949.
261, William Barlow, Edgewood, Md., 1,946.
261, Joe Biscardi, Wantagh, N.Y., 1,946.
261, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,946.
264, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,944.
264, Charles Hayslett III, Apple Valley, Minn., 1,944.
266, Jessica Abel, Wichita, Kan., 1,943.
267, Yuta Shirahama, Japan, 1,942.
268, Rick Banister, Vandenburg, Calif., 1,941.
269, Paul Smith, Clinton, Conn., 1,940.
270, Dean Richards, Tacoma, Wash., 1,939.
270, Yoichi Nakayama, Japan, 1,939.
270, Austin Boulds, Wichita, Kan., 1,939.
273, Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 1,938.
273, J.T. "Action" Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1,938.
275, Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mount, N.C., 1,936.
276, Evan Nash, Kennewick, Wash., 1,934.
277, Joseph Nawn, Upper Darby, Pa., 1,932.
278, Victor Hnatczenko Jr., Philadelphia, 1,931.
279, Aaron Williams, Pennsauken, N.J., 1,929.
280, Kevin Magnan, Canada, 1,928.
280, David Knight Jr., Folcroft, Pa., 1,928.
282, Brandon Robertson, Spotswood, N.J., 1,925.
283, Dale Barshewski Jr., Keansburg, N.J., 1,923.
284, Ernest Lukacs, Manville, N.J., 1,921.
284, Ron Papp, Bordentown, N.J., 1,921.
286, Justin Warhol, Sound Beach, N.Y., 1,920.
286, Bradley Powell, Fox River Grove, Ill., 1,920.
288, Duane Steinmetz, Evans, Colo., 1,919.
289, Clay Adams, Carmel, N.Y., 1,918.
290, Timothy Gillick, Milford, Conn., 1,916.
290, Van Tilley, Debary, Fla., 1,916.
290, Billy Bertuch III, Yonkers, N.Y., 1,916.
293, Luke Walker, Dumont, Colo., 1,915.
293, Brian Knauer, Federalsburg, Md., 1,915.
293, Mike Armstrong Jr., Battle Ground, Wash., 1,915.
296, Chris Thornhill, Salisbury, Md., 1,914.
297, Frank Verni, Bronx, N.Y., 1,912.
298, Darryl Carreon, Woodbridge, Va., 1,910.
299, Robert Lee, Japan, 1,909.
300, Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 1,907.
301, Kevin Brophy, Oakhurst, N.J., 1,906.
302, Ryan Yelle, South Easton, Mass., 1,905.
303, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 1,904.
303, Cassandra Leuthold, Black Hawk, S.D., 1,904.
305, David Pelkey, Burke, N.Y., 1,902.
306, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 1,901.
306, Kenny Ryan, Ocean, N.J., 1,901.
308, Joseph Vrobel, Crest Hill, Ill., 1,899.
309, Geoff Wetzler, Tolland, Conn., 1,898.
310, Richard Horsley, Morrisville, N.C., 1,897.
311, Michael LoBianco, Brick, N.J., 1,895.
312, Richard Salcedo, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,894.
313, Kazumi Shioyama, Japan, 1,892.
313, Justin Lesser, LaPorte, Ind., 1,892.
313, Scott Falatovich, Hillsborough, N.J., 1,892.
316, Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 1,891.
316, Greg Rottengen, Washington, N.J., 1,891.
318, Anthony Trethewey, Lexington, Ky., 1,890.
319, Adam Kirtley, Apopka, Fla., 1,889.
320, Robert Fusik III, East Windsor, N.J., 1,888.
321, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 1,887.
322, Philip Karwoski Sr., South Hadley, Mass., 1,881.
323, Dan Furman, Schenectady, N.Y., 1,879.
324, Jeremy Domingo, Sewell, N.J., 1,875.
325, Charles Bonis Jr., Port Chester, N.Y., 1,874.
326, David Shinn, West Columbia, S.C., 1,872.
327, Mauricio Chaparro, Colombia, 1,871.
328, George Gohagan III, Roswell, Ga., 1,870.
329, Herbert Hiigh Jr., Bailey, N.C., 1,868.
329, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 1,868.
331, John Wenman, Middletown, Md., 1,866.
332, Kyle King, Canton, S.D., 1,865.
332, Chris DosSantos, Fairhaven, Mass., 1,865.
332, Fran Luzzi, Port Jervis, N.Y., 1,865.
335, Ken Yokobosky, Fredon, N.J., 1,864.
335, Jerry Anderson, Smithton, Ill., 1,864.335, Noel Pabilonia, Jersey City, N.J., 1,864.
338, Alexander Marx, Toms River, N.J., 1,861.
339, Richard Avery, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,858.
340, Thomas Parker III, Columbus, 1,856.
341, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 1,855.
342, Hayward Marlow, Bronx, N.Y., 1,854.
342, Jonathan Sellers, Stratford, Conn., 1,854.
344, Ryan Pudlowski, North Versailles, Pa., 1,853.
345, Thomas McLane, Lusby, Md., 1,852.
345, Monte Baker, Bozeman, Mont., 1,852.
347, Dale Aivaz Jr., Yonkers, N.Y., 1,851.
348, Megan Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, 1,850.
349, Pedro Agapito, Monticello, N.Y., 1,845.
349, Mike Klosin, Windham, N.H., 1,845.
351, Hideaki Aizawa, Japan, 1,843.
351, Gary Goldberg, Paxton, Mass., 1,843.
351, Takayoshi Akiba, Japan, 1,843.
354, Conan Mackey, Oskaloosa, Iowa, 1,839.
355, Craig Coplan, Manchester, N.H., 1,837.
356, Joseph Truchan Jr., Ringwood, N.J., 1,836.
356, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 1,836.
358, Gary Smalling, Johnson City, Tenn., 1,834.
358, Jason Smalling, Bluff City, Tenn., 1,834.
360, Evan Ruoti, West Valley City, Utah, 1,832.
360, Robert Lint, Johnstown, Pa., 1,832.
362, Kevin Bandrowski, Lancaster, Pa., 1,828.
363, Andrew Diley, Conway, S.C., 1,827.
363, Kenji Kawashima, Japan, 1,827.
365, Shane Reid, Enfield, Conn., 1,826.
366, Rich Poznanski, Union, N.J., 1,825.
367, Darian LeMay, East Brunswick, N.J., 1,824.
368, Brandon Hinderer, York, Pa., 1,823.
368, James Grago, Rome, N.Y., 1,823.
370, Connor LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 1,821.
370, Doug Scheidig, Royersford, Pa., 1,821.
372, Brian DiCicco, Agawam, Mass., 1,820.
373, Brian Lohse, Corinth, Texas, 1,816.
373, Frankie Mazzella, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,816.
375, Steve Creech, Corbin, Ky., 1,815.
376, Tyler Coplan, Manchester, N.H., 1,811.
377, Michael Stevens, Howell, N.J., 1,809.
378, Lowell Schoonmaker, Middletown, N.Y., 1,807.
379, Matthew Carpenter, Woonsocket, R.I., 1,806.
380, Josh Malanoski, West Mifflin, Pa., 1,804.
380, Dave Penfold, Hebron, Ind., 1,804.
380, Robert Greene, Oxford, Conn., 1,804.
383, Nicholas Biglasco, Clark, N.J., 1,803.
384, Gary Matten, Westminster, Colo,, 1,802.
385, Dave Shampaner, East Brunswick, N.J., 1,799.
386, Bobby Benton, Accident, Md., 1,797.
386, Nobuyuki Fukuchi, Japan, 1,797.
388, Jack Cook, Denville, N.J., 1,796.
389, Ryan Chall, East Brunswick, N.J., 1,795.
389, Steven Stayrook, Berwyn, Pa., 1,795.
391, Mark Cornelius, Peru, Ind., 1,791.
392, Frank Szabo, Lawrenceville, Ga., 1,790.
393, Brian Turschman, Cary, Ill., 1,789.
393, Brian Sulzbach, Levittown, N.Y., 1,789.
393, Brandon Boyer, Hudson Falls, N.Y., 1,789.
396, Ryan Ool, Middletown, N.Y., 1,787.
397, Michael Smith, Howell, N.J., 1,786.
398, Cody Vaughn, Arvada, Colo., 1,785.
398, Ed Cutter, Manassas Park, Va., 1,785.
398, David O'Sullivan, Sanford, Fla., 1,785.
401, Jason Nicholas, Wantagh, N.Y., 1,783.
401, Billy Young Jr., Edgewood, Md., 1,783.
403, Ralph Ehrlich, N. Massapequa, N.Y., 1,781.
404, Duteche Aine, North Brunswick, N.J., 1,780.
405, Zach Simon, Scottsdale, Ariz., 1,779.
405, Danny Buchman, Maple Shade, N.J., 1,779.
405, Rob Sperling, Livingston, N.J., 1,779.
408, Steven Maruffi, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,775.
409, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 1,773.
410, Clifford (Phoenix) White, Great Mills, Md., 1,772.
411, Geordin Krupski, Newtonville, N.J., 1,771.
412, Mike Gossman, Emmaus, Pa., 1,768.
413, Troy Long, Northumberland, Pa., 1,765.
413, Joseph Marinucci, Gaithersburg, Md., 1,765.
415, Michael Vella, Coram, N.Y., 1,764.
416, Mike Deckelman, Milford, Del., 1,761.
416, Tony Bennett, Worcester, Mass., 1,761.
418, Scott Salem, Oradell, N.J., 1,758.
419, Emmanuel Rigas, Sarasota, Fla., 1,757.
419, Michael Dutkiewicz, Nicholson, Pa., 1,757.
421, Jeffrey Smith, Annville, Pa., 1,755.
422, Matt Blackstone, Hot Springs, Ark., 1,753.
423, Domenico Curra, Mahopac, N.Y., 1,748.
424, John Barrett, Hazlet, N.J., 1,747.
425, Ken Karamichael, New Brunswick, N.J., 1,745.
426, Damar Been, Eastchester, N.Y., 1,734.
427, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 1,732.
427, Jonathan Burke, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., 1,732.
429, Greg Eskow, Syosset, N.Y., 1,731.
430, Jerome Olson, Denver, 1,730.
431, Kevin Dziuba, Howell, N.J., 1,728.
431, Leon DeMasi, Rose Valley, Pa., 1,728.
433, Benjamin Zakrocki, Philadelphia, 1,725.
434, Shawn Aiello, Hawthorne, N.J., 1,724.
434, Steven Green, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,724.
436, Melissa Kammerer, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,720.
437, Michael Robey, Morrisville, Pa., 1,714.
438, Thomas Paisley Jr., Hazleton, Pa., 1,708.
439, Robert Butler Jr., Staten Island, N.Y., 1,707.
440, Patrick Donohoe Jr., Hampstead, N.H., 1,695.
441, Eddie Wu, New York, 1,692.
442, Eric Laflam, Milton, Vt., 1,689.
442, Rashad Franze, Baltimore, 1,689.
444, Leo Mulligan, Columbia, N.J., 1,685.
445, Joseph Ferrazzano, Beaver Falls, Pa., 1,674.
446, Collin Raineri, Gilbertsville, Pa., 1,667.
446, Artavius Clark, Oxen Hill, Md., 1,667.
448, Jonathan Glattstein, North Bergen, N.J., 1,666.
449, Steven Fred, Williamstown, N.J., 1,660.
450, Joseph Caloger, Milford, Pa., 1,657.
451, Brian Horton, Hastings on the Hudson, N.Y., 1,656.
452, Raphael Morin, Canada, 1,653.
453, Bruce Smallacombe, Jermyn, Pa., 1,649.
454, Michael Gibbons, Randolph, Mass., 1,647.
455, Ercillo Costa, Denver, 1,641.
456, Alex Quesada, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,638.
457, Shawn Fallon, Cranbury, N.J., 1,633.
458, Rich Kaluzny, Parlin, N.J., 1,630.
458, Shawn Tucker, New Brunswick, N.J., 1,630.
460, Lee Groscost, Mentor, Ohio, 1,628.
461, Ric Licardo, Ft. Belvoir, Va., 1,601.
462, Stanley Harris, Chesapeake Beach, Md., 1,570.
463, Bill Kempton, Cohasset, Mass., 1,547.
464, Ricky LaRue, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 1,515.
465, Atef Darghali, Warren, Mich., 1,463.
466, Nicholas Vieta, Portage, Mich., 1,413.
467, Ed Rabbitt, South Norwalk, Conn., 1,165.
468, Neil Senkowsky, Worton, Md., 762.

Koivuniemi Wins European Bowling Tour Qatar Open

Two-time Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, a native of Finland now living in the United States, continued to expand his unprecedented international bowling portfolio when he won the 12th annual Qatar Open Saturday at Qatar Bowling Center, making Qatar the 19th different country in which he has won a bowling title.

Koivuniemi defeated fellow Finn Tony Ranta, 544-471, in the two-game total pinfall title match to win a first prize of US$39,480.

 

The tournament was part of the growing World Tenpin Bowling Association-PBA International Tour series, and it was the final event of the 2012 European Bowling Tour season.

Koivuniemi, who led the Qatar field of 142 players from 26 countries through the preliminary qualifying rounds, defeated Sweden’s Martin Larsen, 442-385, to advance to the title match while Ranta eliminated 13-time PBA Tour titlist Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., 389-361.

"This is my first title in this part of the world and I'm glad I finally broke that jinx," the 45-year-old Koivuniemi said.

Koivuniemi, a long-time member of Finland’s national bowling team before joining the PBA and moving to Hartland, MI, had previously won titles in his home country, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, China, Colombia, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Slovenia, England and Germany as well as the United States. The 2003-04 and 2010-11 PBA Player of the Year and Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli (1989 and 1990) are the only international players to win Player of the Year honors twice.

The WTBA-PBA International Tour’s next tournament will be the International Bowling Championships presented by DHC in Aichi-ken, Japan, Jan. 17-19.

QATAR OPEN

Qatar Bowling Center, Doha, Qatar, Dec. 16

Championship (two games total pinfall): Mika Koivuniemi, Finland ($39,480) def. Tony Ranta, Finland ($18,950), 544-471.

Semifinal Round (two games total pinfall, losers earned $6,580): Koivuniemi def. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 442-385. Ranta def. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 389-361.

Other PBA Finalists (after 6 games): 5, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 1,330, $3,290. 6, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,325, $3,290. 7, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,324, $3,290. 8, Yousif Falah, Bahrain, 1,318, $3,290. 10, Dom Barrett, England, 1,299, $3,290.

13, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,283, $2,360. 15, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,268, $2,360. 16, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,254, $2,360. 17, Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 1,248, $2,360. 18, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,242, $2,360.

Barnes and Parkin Win World Bowlers Tour Finals

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, CA, successfully concluded two years of international travel when they captured Bayer Advanced Aspirin World Bowling Tour (WBT) men’s and women’s finals titles to kick off the 2012-13 Professional Bowlers Association television season at South Point Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV.

Barnes, a 14-time PBA Tour champion, defeated reigning WBT men’s champion Mika Koivuniemi of Finland, 244-228, while Parkin defeated Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, 238-190, in the women’s finals during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB). Both finals, which featured three players who qualified by earning points in World Tenpin Bowling Association-PBA International Tour events over a span of two years, aired Sunday on ESPN. Both champions earned $20,000.

Barnes, who won the Columbia 300 Vienna Open in Austria in October to lock up his berth in the WBT men’s finals, edged Mike Fagan of Dallas, 258-244, in the semifinal match before closing with a string of six strikes for a come-from-behind victory over his close friend, Koivuniemi, in the title match.

“Any win feels good,” Barnes said. “Mika and I always have good matches. I’ve been fortunate the last three times, but I’m pretty sure it’ll even out whether I like it or not.”

The key to Barnes’ victory was three 10 pins left by his long-time international rival on the right lane in the third, seventh and ninth frames.

“I left a couple of solid 10s on that lane myself,” Barnes said. “I knew that lane was tighter. I threw one shot that I thought was pretty good that didn’t even get back to the pocket.”

Forced to finish his game on the tricky right lane after Koivuniemi’s misfortune in the ninth frame gave him an opening, Barnes made a critical adjustment and threw three strikes in the 10th frame. The first strike was the one that iced the title.

“I knew I was going to move right and have to stay firm with the shot,” Barnes said. “Earlier on in my career I didn’t commit to that shot very well, but I committed to it, and made the shot I wanted to throw. It didn’t quite get up to high flush, but it was good enough today.”

As part of their ongoing rivalry on television, Barnes and Koivuniemi make a side bet that has involved things like the gaudy Madras plaid pair of pants Koivuniemi was forced to wear on television the last time he lost.

“We had a jersey bet on this one,” Barnes said of his WBT win. “I, or my fans, or his daughters will get to design a jersey that he’ll get to wear on a future TV show. And pretty much anything goes as long as it’s legal for TV.”

In the women’s finals, Johnson advanced to the title match after a thrilling 267-260 victory over PBA Tour titlist Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ. But Johnson’s strike shot evaporated in the title match. A 4-6-7 split in the second frame and a 4-6 in the fourth put her in a hole she couldn’t escape.

“I’ve come in second a lot lately,” said Parkin, who lost to Chicago’s Diandra Asbaty in the Australian Masters title match prior to the WSOB and finished second to Kulick in the U.S. Women’s Open earlier in the year. “Today I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I kind of went out with a mindset that I was going to make the pins strike. I know you can’t do that, but it was the mindset I had.

“I only had one game, and I needed to throw 10 really good shots, and I feel like I did. Luckily the pins fell my way and it was enough to win.”

But for Parkin, the victory made her international travels worth the effort.

“This year all of the travel has been particularly hard being away from family and friends,” she said. “It’s really hard; a lot of people don’t understand how much we travel. Winning this tournament after two years and having to accumulate all those points means so much.”

The second annual Bayer Advanced Aspirin WBT Finals presented by the PBA also signaled the start of a new points cycle for the international series. Points earned in WTBA-PBA International Tour events over the next 12 months will replace points earned in the first year of the qualifying cycle, leading into the third WBT Finals which will be part of PBA WSOB V in November 2013.

The 2012-13 PBA Tour season on ESPN continues next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with the finals of the Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship. Stepladder finalists will include Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, PA; Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio; Jeff Roche, Dearborn, MI, and top qualifier Mike Wolfe, New Albany, IN.

 

Pre- and post-telecast shows for all PBA-ESPN telecasts will be available on Xtra Frame, PBA’s online bowling channel.

Norton Leads Early First Round of PBA Viper Championship

California attorney Scott Norton averaged Sunday to take the early first round lead in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)’s Viper Championship, the second of five GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IV events being conducted at South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, NV.

Norton, a 30-year-old left-hander who won his only PBA Tour title in the 2010 Chameleon Championship, rolled games of 222, 252, 228, 226, 238, 279, 229 and 269 for an eight-game total of 1,943 pins and a 29–pin edge over rookie Craig Nidiffer of Trenton, MI, among the early finishers in the Viper qualifying round. The other half of the 240-player field will bowl its Viper qualifying round later Sunday.

After the full field has bowled the eight-game round, the top 16 players will return Sunday night for a six-game semifinal round to determine the top four players who will bowl for the Viper Championship title on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. PT in a special arena setting inside South Point’s Exhibition Hall A.
Norton, the 2010-11 PBA Rookie of the Year, said improved focus was the key to Sunday’s performance after finishing 105th in Saturday’s Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship qualifying round.

“Yesterday I had a little trouble on one side of the center, and by the time I figured it out, it was too late,” he said. “So I tried to improve my focus level today and it was much higher. It seems like sometimes when it’s a little tougher on the left side of the lane, I have the magic ball roll that works. That doesn’t always happen, but sometimes, and today it worked.”

The Costa Mesa, CA, resident also said he returned to PBA Tour competition this season with a new attitude.

“I took the summer off, except for bowling a mixed doubles league with my mother (hall of famer Virginia Norton). I kind of went back to my roots and asked myself why I do this in the first place,” he said. “The idea is to have fun and that’s sometimes that’s hard to remember out here.

“I moved into a new house, I’m getting settled into my life, and it’s just a new perspective. As passionate as I am about this game, and as much as I love to compete, at the end of the day I still have family and friends who love me.”

Rounding out the top five among the early finishers were Nidiffer in second place with 1,914 pins, Brad Angelo of Lockport, NY, in third with 1,909 pins, Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, in fourth with a 1,907 total and Finnish native Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, in fifth with 1,880 pins.

Sunday’s B squad qualifying and Viper Championship semifinal round will be webcast live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.

Fagan Leads PBA Tournament of Champions Into Round of 18

Mike Fagan of Dallas made another statement in his bid to become Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year, averaging 240.22 in building a 119-pin lead over defending champion Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, after 18 qualifying games in the PBA Tournament of Champions Thursday at Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, NV.

Fagan finished Thursday’s Round of 36 qualifying with a total of 4,324 pins. Koivuniemi had a 4,205 pinfall total.

The 18 players who survived Thursday’s qualifying will bowl another 18 games of head-to-head match play Friday to decide the four players who will compete for the $80,000 first prize in the ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Tournament of Champions is the final event of the PBA Tour’s 2011-12 season.

Fagan, who had won only two titles in nine previous seasons as a PBA Tour player, is seeking his third title of the 2011-12 season, including his second major championship after winning the United States Bowling Congress Masters in January. He also finished second in the U.S. Open, another major, losing that title to Pete Weber by one pin in February, and the 31-year-old Long Island, NY, native won the Brunswick Euro Challenge in March for his fourth career PBA title.

Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, are the only players who have won three titles during the 2011-12 season. Finland’s Osku Palermaa has won twice. Belmonte and Palermaa remained in title contention. Duke finished 25th and missed the cut to match play.

Koivuniemi, who snuck into the Round of 36 by a single pin in a four-player roll-off at the close of Wednesday’s Elite Field round, bowled with Fagan throughout Thursday’s qualifying, advancing from third place to second during Thursday’s evening round while cutting Fagan’s early lead in half. Rhino Page of Dade City, FL, finished qualifying in third place with 4,172 pins followed by Belmonte in fourth place with 4,148 pins and Sean Rash of Suburban Chicago (Montgomery, IL), in fifth with a 4,124 total.

Bowling fans can follow the final 18 games of match play today through the PBA’s exclusive coverage on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel; through live scoring on pba.com, and through the Professional Bowlers Association on Facebook and Twitter. Subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on the pba.com home page.

PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Thursday

ROUND OF 36 STANDINGS (after 18 games; top 18 advance to Round of 36 match play finals on Friday):

1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 4,324.
2, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 4,205.
3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 4,172.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4,148.
5, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 4,124.
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 4,105.
7, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 4,093.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 4,086.
9, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4,044.
10, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4,034.
11, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,027.
12, Robert Smith, Los Angeles, 4,016.
13, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4,003.
14, Stuart Williams, England, 3,975.
15, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,965.
16 (tie), Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., and Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,957.
18, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,953.

Failed to advance:
19, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,940, $5,500.
20, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,914, $5,200.
21, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 3,896, $5,000.
22, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,887, $4,900.
23, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,862, $4,800.
24, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 3,854, $4,700.
25 (tie), Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., and Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,853, $4,550.
27, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3,847, $4,400.
28, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 3,806, $4,300.
29 (tie), Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., and Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 3,805, $4,150
31, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3,801, $4,000.
32, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,754, $3,900.
33, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,730, $3,800.
34, Dom Barrett, England, 3,687, $3,700.
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,646, $3,650.
36, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,539, $3,600.

300 Games: Osku Palermaa, Stuart Williams.

Rash Leads 24 Into TOC Championship Round

Sean Rash of west suburban Chicago (Montgomery, IL), completed the Elite Field qualifying portion of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)Tournament of Champions (TOC) Wednesday at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas, NV with a 20-game total of 4,845 pins, leading a group of 25 players who will join 11 current-season title winners for the final dash toward Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals starting Thursday morning.

Competition for the TOC title and the $80,000 first prize starts fresh Thursday with two nine-game qualifying rounds. After Thursday’s 18 games, the top 18 will advance to two nine-game rounds of head-to-head match play on Friday. The top four players after 36 games will advance to the finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Rash, a four-time PBA Tour title winner, averaged 242.25 to finish 43 pins ahead of 2011 TOC runner-up Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI.

Leading the group of Elite Field qualifiers was no more meaningful than finishing 25th as far as Rash was concerned, other than giving him an opportunity to get his game fine-tuned for the 36-game dash to the finals.

“My tempo is what I’ve worked on all year and that’s what I worked on,” Rash said. “Leading right now doesn’t matter. There’s no added prize money, no points. We drop pins and start over. The goal was just to survive these two days.

“Tomorrow is when the tournament starts. It’ll be a lot different tournament tomorrow - different players, a different level of talent, different approach.”

The final five games in the Elite Field resulted in an intense battle for the final spots. With one game to go, nine players were within 33 pins of the 25th spot. After 20 games, four players wound up tied for 24th place, resulting in a one-game roll-off with two of the four advancing. In the roll-off, Eddie VanDaniker of Essex, MD (256) and defending champion Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, with a strike on his final ball in the 10th frame (226), advanced. Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, who became the first woman ever to win a PBA Tour title in the 2010 Tournament of Champions, lost by a pin to Koivuniemi with a 225. Jim Pratt of Glendale, AZ (213) also was eliminated.

Joining the Round of 36 field Thursday are three-time 2011-12 titlists Jason Belmonte of Australia and Norm Duke of Clermont, FL; U.S. Open champ Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO; two-time winners Osku Palermaa of Finland and Mike Fagan of Dallas, TX; England’s Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett; Colombia’s Andres Gomez; Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas; Eugene McCune of Munster, IN, and Scott Newell of Deland, FL.

Two of the longest-running streaks of television appearances in PBA history ended Wednesday night when PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, missed the cut to the Round of 36, assuring that his PBA record streak of 26 consecutive years of TV appearances has ended. Steve Jaros of Yorkville, IL, also saw his streak of 20 consecutive years with at least one television final come to an end.

Bowling fans can follow progress in the Tournament of Champions through the PBA’s exclusive coverage on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel; through live scoring on pba.com, and through the Professional Bowlers Association on Facebook and Twitter. Subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on the pba.com home page.

PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Wednesday

ELITE FIELD STANDINGS (after 20 games; top 25 advance to Round of 36):

1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 4,845.
2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4,802.
3, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 4,784.
4, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 4,766.
5, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4,691.
6, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 4,688.
7, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 4,662.
8, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 4,660.
9, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 4,631.
10, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 4,614.
11, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 4,600.
12, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 4,599.
13 (tie), Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., and Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 4,595.
15, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4,593.
16, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 4,569.
17, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 4,567.
18, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 4,555.
19, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 4,543.
20, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 4,524.
21, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 4,521.
22, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,512.
23, Robert Smith, Hong Kong, 4,510.
24 (tie), x-Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., and y- Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 4,509.

  x-VanDaniker (256) and y-Koivuniemi (226) won a one-game roll-off over Kulick (225) and Pratt (213) to advance to the Round of 36.

Did not advance:

26 (tie), Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., and Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 4,509.

28 (tie), Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 4,501.
30, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 4,497.
31 (tie), D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, and Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 4,486.
33, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 4,483.
34, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 4,480.
35, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 4,463.
36, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4,458.
37, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 4,452.
38, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 4,444.
39, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 4,430.
40, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 4,416.
41, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4,405.
42, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 4,399.
43, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 4,395.
44, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 4,390.
45, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 4,386.
46, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 4,379.
47, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 4,361.
48, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 4,360.
49, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 4,349.
50, Bryan Alpert, Northridge, Calif., 4,343.
51, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 4,341.
52, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 4,340.
53, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 4,336.
54, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4,292.
55, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 4,285.
56, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 4,284.
57, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 4,269.
58, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 4,268.
59, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 4,251.
60, Chris Hayden, Las Vegas, 4,250.
61, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 4,246.
62, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 4,243.
63, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 4,219.
64, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 4,209.
65, Mike Bailey, Frisco, Texas, 4,205.
66, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 4,201.
67, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 4,187.
68, Michael Steil, Wheeling, Ill., 4,182.
69, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 4,166.
70, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 4,156.
71, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 4,146.
72, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 4,132.
73, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 4,118.
74, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 4,113.
75, Joe Salvemini, Henderson, Nev., 4,067.
76, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 4,003.
77, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,791.

300 Games: PJ Haggerty, Dick Allen, Dan MacLelland.

PBA Detroit Open Win #35 For Norm Duke



Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Norm Duke won the PBA Detroit Open presented by Track Sunday for his first win of the 2011-12 season and the 35th of his career.

Duke, of Clermont, FL, defeated reigning PBA Player of the Year and No. 1 seed Finland native Mika Koivuniemi, 266-217, in the championship match at Thunderbowl Lanes to win the $10,000 first prize which pushed his career earnings over the $3 million mark. 

Koivuniemi, who now makes his home in Hartland, MI, was trying for his 10th career Tour title. Duke joins fellow Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber as the only players to earn more than $3 million and his 35 wins also moved him into fourth on the all-time career list for titles won.

Williams is PBA’s all-time career titles leader with 47 followed by Earl Anthony with 43 and Weber with 36. Williams holds the all-time career earnings mark with $4.35 million followed by Weber with $3.52 million.

“At this point in my career I feel just blessed to be able to compete,” said the 47-year-old Duke. “It’s just so hard to win out here that at this point in my career I’m just blessed — that’s all I can say. I’m jealous of what the young guys can do so it makes it all the more special.”

Duke, the No. 2 seed, soundly defeated 2009 PBA World Championship winner Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, in the semi-final match 288-178 to advance to the championship match.

Duke attributed his success to reducing the amount of practice he took before each match. “Usually, everyone wants as much practice as they can get but for me that’s not always the case,” Duke said. “Sometimes you need the practice but other times you have to know when to get out of there.

“The guys with the big rev rates will just burn up the lane and I didn’t want to add to that. Fortunately, I was able to play outside on the lane where I like to play. I had to make a one-board adjustment in the first game but even in the championship match I had to make a three and a half board adjustment.”

In the opening stepladder match, Smallwood, who was trying for his second career title, defeated three-time Tour titlist Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, 245-214, to advance to the semifinal against Duke.

The Detroit Open was the third PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. 

The next stop for the PBA Tour will be the Dick Weber Playoffs from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, IN March 30-April 1 which will also be streamed live on Xtra Frame.

PBA DETROIT OPEN PRESENTED BY TRACK
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Sunday

FINAL STANDINGS:
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., two games, 554 pins, $10,000.
2, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, one game, 217 pins, $5,000.
3, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., two games, 423 pins, $3,200.
4, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., one game, 214 pins, $2,500.

PLAYOFF RESULTS: Match One – Smallwood def. O’Neill, 245-214. Semifinal match – Duke def. Smallwood, 288-178. Championship match – Duke def. Koivuniemi, 266-217.

MATCH PLAY RESULTS After 22 games, including match play records and total pinfall including bonus pins. Top four advanced to stepladder finals.

1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 10-3, 5,629.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 11-2, 5,598.
3, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 10-3, 5,499.
4, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 9-4, 5,484.
5, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7-6, 5,373, $2,300.
6, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 5-7-1, 5,372, $2,000.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 10-3, 5,299, $1,900.
8, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 6-6-1, 5,296, $1,800.
9, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 7-6, 5,264, $1,750.
10, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 8-5, 5,241, $1,700.
11, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 6-7, 5,227, $1,750.
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5-8, 5,209, $1,600.
13, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4-9, 5,201, $1,550.
14, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7-6, 5,200, $1,500.
15, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4-9, 5,195, $1,450.
16, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 7-6, 5,147, $1,400.
17, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 8-5, 5,121, $1,350.
18, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 5-8, 5,117, $1,300.
19, Corey Miller, Grand Blanc, Mich., 6-7, 5,067, $1,275.
20, Troy Stus, South Lyon, Mich., 5-8, 5,023, $1,250.
21, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 4-9, 5,015, $1,225.
22, Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala., 4-9, 4,956, $1,200.
23, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 5-8, 4,940, $1,275.
24, Justin O'Hara, Westland, Mich., 2-11, 4,613, $1,150.