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

Three New Oil Patterns to Debut in Milwaukee for the GEICO PBA Summer Swing

The Professional Bowlers Association has unveiled three distinct new lane conditioning patterns that will debut during the GEICO PBA Summer Swing in the Milwaukee area May 20-June 2, expanding the PBA’s current library of “animal pattern” lane conditions.

 

The new lane conditioning patterns, named the Badger, Wolf and Bear, are a continuation of the animal pattern theme the PBA introduced in 2005 to not only test the versatility of the players and demonstrate the variety of scoring challenges PBA players face, but to give PBA members, grassroots league bowlers and fans an easier way to identify specific types of conditions.

 

The Badger will be the longest animal pattern ever (52 feet). Conversely, the Wolf will be the shortest animal pattern ever (32 feet). The Bear will be a flat pattern of medium length (40 feet), similar to what has been used at the U.S. Open in recent years and characterized as the most difficult test in professional bowling.

 

The way lane oil is applied (in shape and volume) to the 60-foot playing surface of a lane is a strong factor in the scoring pace of a professional bowling tournament, testing the skills necessary for success and the strategic approach the players must take.

 

"We listened to players and fans looking for more diversity in our lane maintenance program and have developed patterns that will give everyone fresh looks," said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. "These new animal patterns have dramatically different, uniquely challenging characteristics."

 

The original animal pattern system, featuring the Chameleon, Cheetah, Scorpion, Shark and Viper patterns, eventually became the foundation for the PBA Experience League program which allows grassroots United States Bowling Congress league bowlers across America a chance to bowl on the same lane conditions PBA players compete on in national and regional tournaments. The original animal patterns will be used again at this fall's PBA World Series of Bowling V in Las Vegas.

 

All eight animal patterns, in addition to PBA major tournament patterns, will be used and available for future PBA national, PBA50 and PBA regional tournaments plus PBA Experience league play. All of the new patterns are USBC Sport Bowling-compliant, which generally means flatter ratios of oil across the lane and demanding more precision by players than on more typical "house" conditions found in bowling.

 

Clark said there was a lot of synergy in debuting the new PBA patterns at the upcoming GEICO Summer Swing in Milwaukee. The Swing features four events in three different bowling centers and will be the first time the PBA airs on the CBS Sports Network.

 

"The best players in the world will develop fresh strategies to attack the lanes and fans will be entertained by the results," Clark said.

The Badger condition will be applied on the wood-based lane surfaces at AMF Waukesha in Waukesha for the qualifying and match play rounds for the PBA Badger Open, May 20-21. The Wolf condition will be applied to the synthetic lanes at AMF West in Milwaukee for the PBA Wolf Open, May 23-24. The Bear condition will be used on synthetic lanes at AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa for the PBA Bear Open May 27-28.

 

A combination of the three patterns will be used for the culminating PBA Milwaukee Open. The “cashers” round, featuring the top qualifiers based on total pins from the three previous events, will employ the Bear pattern. The three subsequent match play rounds will feature the Bear, Wolf and Badger patterns, respectively. Whoever is high qualifier for the PBA Milwaukee Open stepladder finals will select the pattern for the TV finals. Five TV shows (including the special GEICO King of The Swing event) will be taped June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11 on the CBS Sports Network.

 

The PBA's online bowling channel Xtra Frame will have live coverage of every GEICO Summer Swing event's qualifying and match play portions.

 

A complete description of the new animal patterns, along with graphs illustrating how oil is applied for each pattern for PBA members, is available here (from pba.com under the “resources” tab). Along with the new patterns, the PBA has created a new series of animal pattern logos which will be used in conjunction with each pattern.

 

More information about the GEICO PBA Summer Swing, including entry and ticket information, is available at pba.com.

 

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.