PBA Adding Prize Money - Three Tournament Championships Worth $100,000.00 in 2020

In major news out Friday, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has announced increased first-place prizes in nearly every upcoming PBA Tour event, improved cashing ratios and added more dual pattern events.

Among the most high-profile changes were to the PBA’s most prestigious majors – the PBA Tournament of Champions (TOC) and the PBA World Championship. Both of those events will now feature a $100,000 first-place prize.

In 2019, the TOC paid $50,000 for first, while the World Championship paid $60,000. The changes are part of an overall $400,000 increase in prize money year-over-year for the FOX portion of the PBA schedule, which begins in January. It's the first major announcement since Bowlero purchased the PBA earlier this year.

In addition to the two majors, the PBA Playoffs will also once again award a $100,000 first-place prize, giving the PBA at least three six-figure payouts in 2020. The PBA Players Championship, the third of the PBA’s owned majors, will pay $70,000 for first.

First-place prizes for the USBC Masters and U.S. Open, both controlled by the USBC, have not been announced. In 2019, those events paid $30,000 for first place.

All of the standard singles events will pay $30,000 for first with the exception of the animal pattern events at the World Series of Bowling, which will pay $25,000. Cashing ratios will improve from 1:4 to 1:3 for all events other than the WSOB animal patterns.

The PBA will also roll out more dual pattern events. In 2019, two patterns were used for the PBA Indianapolis Open and PBA Jonesboro Open, both won by Norm Duke.

In 2020, the PBA Hall of Fame Classic, PBA Oklahoma Open, and the PBA Doubles Championship will join the Indianapolis and Jonesboro events as dual pattern tournaments.

As for event formats, the PBA Doubles Championship will change slightly in 2020. Instead of qualifying through the attached singles event, qualifying will happen separately as teams to determine advancers into match play.

The four standard singles events will have similar formats with one minor exception. The Hall of Fame Classic and Oklahoma Open will have two squads for qualifying. Those events will feature 12 qualifying games and 16 games of round-robin match play to determine stepladder finalists.

The Jonesboro and Indianapolis events will have one squad for qualifying with 14 total qualifying games and 16 games of round-robin match play to determine the stepladder advancers.

Just like in 2019, all rounds of qualifying and match play leading up to the stepladder finals for the FOX events will be broadcast live on FloBowling. The stepladder finals will also be simulcast on FloBowling for international audiences.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of each of the 2020 FOX events:

PBA Hall of Fame Classic

Where: Arlington, Texas (International Training and Research Center)
When: Jan. 13-19
TV: Finals Sunday, Jan. 19, 1 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 56 (48 + 8 PTQ)
Format: 2 squads. 12 qualifying games (6 per day, per squad). Cut to top 16 for 16 games round robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: Dual patterns throughout (Left lane: Weber 45, Right lane: Aulby 38)
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 3 event
Defending champion: Bill O'Neill
Prize fund, ratio: $110,000. 1 in 3 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $9,000, 4. $7,000, 5. $5,000

PBA Oklahoma Open

Where: Shawnee, Oklahoma (FireLake Bowling Center)
When: Jan. 20-26
TV: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 88 (80 + 8 PTQ)
Format: 2 squads. 12 qualifying games (6 per day, per squad). Cut to top 16 for 16 games round robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: Dual patterns throughout (Left lane: Dragon 45, Right lane: Wolf 32)
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 2 event
Defending champion: Jakob Butturff
Prize fund, ratio: $130,000. 1 in 3 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $9,000, 4. $7,000, 5. $5,000

PBA Jonesboro Open

Where: Jonesboro, Arkansas (Hijinx Lanes)
When: Jan. 27-Feb. 1
TV: Saturday, Feb. 1, 4:30 ET, FS1 (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 60 (52 + 8 PTQ)
Format: 1 squad. 14 qualifying games (two 7 game blocks in one day). Cut to top 16 for 16 games round robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: Dual patterns throughout (Left lane: Shark 48, Right lane: Viper 36)
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 2 event
Defending champion: Norm Duke
Prize fund, ratio: $120,000. 1 in 3 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $9,000, 4. $7,000, 5. $5,000

PBA Tournament of Champions

Where: Fairlawn, Ohio (AMF Riviera Lanes)
When: Feb. 3-9
TV: Sunday, Feb. 9, 5 p.m. ET, FOX (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 76 (70 national champions + 6 regional champion PTQ)
Format: 1 squad. 18 qualifying games (3 game blocks). Cut to top 24 for 24 games round robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: Johnson 40
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 1 event
Defending champion: Jason Belmonte
Prize fund, ratio: $283,000. 1 in 3 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $100,000, 2. $50,000, 3. $25,000, 4. $12,000, 5. $10,000

PBA Players Championship

Where: Columbus, Ohio (Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl)
When: Feb. 9-15
TV: Saturday, Feb. 15, 5:30 ET, FS1 (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 92 (82 + 10 PTQ)
Format: 1 squad. 18 qualifying games (3 game blocks). Cut to top 24 for 24 games round robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: Webb 38
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 1 event
Defending champion: Anthony Simonsen
Prize fund, ratio: $246,000. 1 in 3 cash
Top prizes: 1. $70,000, 2. $35,000, 3. $17,000, 4. $11,000, 5. $10,000

U.S. Open

Where: Lincoln, Nebraska (Sun Valley Lanes)
When: Feb. 16-23
TV: Sunday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m. ET, FOX (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: TBA
Format: TBA
Conditions: TBA
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 1 event
Defending champion: Francois Lavoie
Prize fund, ratio: TBA
Top prizes: TBA

PBA Indianapolis Open

Where: Indianapolis (Woodland Bowl)
When: Feb. 24-29
TV: Saturday, Feb. 29, 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 120 (no PTQ)
Format: 1 squad. Two blocks of 7 games qualifying (14 total). Cut to top 16 for 16 games round robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: Dual patterns throughout (Left lane: Roth 42, Right lane: Holman 37)
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 2
Defending champion: Norm Duke
Prize fund, ratio: $152,000. 1 in 3 cash
Top prizes: 1. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $8,000, 5. $7,000

PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship

Where: Indianapolis (Woodland Bowl)
When: Feb. 27-29
TV: Taped Saturday, Feb. 29, 4:30 ET. Airs Sunday, March 8, Noon ET, FS1 (taped)
Digital: Qualifying, match play, FloBowling (Live)
Field: 60 doubles teams
Format: 1 squad. Two blocks of 7 games (14 total, 28 games per team). Top 16 teams advance to 16 games of round robin match play using Baker system).
Conditions: Dual patterns throughout (Left lane: Roth 42, Right lane: Holman 37)
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 3
Defending champions: Sean Rash and Matt Ogle
Prize fund, ratio: $147,000. 1 in 3 teams cash.
Top prizes (per team): 1. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $13,000, 4. $12,000, 5. $11,000

PBA World Series of Bowling

Where: Las Vegas (South Point Bowling Plaza)
When: March 6-18
TV: Five consecutive days (first four live), FS1 (Sunday, March 15 - Thursday, March 19). Times below.
Field: 120 (110 + 10 PTQ)
Total prize fund: $685,000
Events: PBA Cheetah, PBA Chameleon, PBA Scorpion, PBA World Championship, USA vs. World.
WSOB PBA Cheetah Championship
TV: Sunday, March 15, 1:30 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Format: One squad. 2 blocks of 5 games qualifying (10 games total). Top 16 advance to elimination match play bracket. Surviving four players advance to TV finals. TV finals all four bowl one seeding game, then stepladder.
Conditions: Cheetah 33.
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 3 event
Defending champion: Dick Allen
Prize fund, ratio: $79,000. 1 in 7.5 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $25,000, 2. $13,000, 3. $7,000, 4. $6,000

WSOB PBA Chameleon Championship

TV: Monday, March 16, 8 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Format: One squad. 2 blocks of 5 games qualifying (10 games total). Top 16 advance to elimination match-play bracket. Surviving four players advance to TV finals. TV finals all four bowl one seeding game, then stepladder.
Conditions: Chameleon 39.
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 3 event
Defending champion: Jason Belmonte
Prize fund, ratio: $79,000. 1 in 7.5 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $25,000, 2. $13,000, 3. $7,000, 4. $6,000

WSOB PBA Scorpion Championship

TV: Tuesday, March 17, 8 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Format: One squad. 2 blocks of 5 games qualifying (10 games total). Top 16 advance to elimination match-play bracket. Surviving four players advance to TV finals. TV finals all four bowl one seeding game, then stepladder.
Conditions: Scorpion 42
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 3 event
Defending champion: Kris Prather
Prize fund, ratio: $79,000. 1 in 7.5 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $25,000, 2. $13,000, 3. $7,000, 4. $6,000

WSOB PBA World Championship


TV: Wednesday, March 18, 8 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Format: 30 games qualifying (10 games each on Cheetah, Chameleon and Scorpion patterns). Top 40 advance to cashers round, X games on Anthony. Cut to top 24 for 24 games round-robin match play. Top five advance to stepladder finals.
Conditions: After cut to top 40, Anthony 43
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 1 event
Defending champion: Jason Belmonte
Prize fund, ratio: $385,000. 1 in 3 cash.
Top prizes: 1. $100,000, 2. $50,000, 3. $25,000, 4. $20,000, 5. $15,000

WSOB USA vs. The World

TV: Taped Wednesday, March 18, 1 pm PT. Airs next day Thursday, March 19, 8 p.m. ET, FS1 (taped)
Format: Team event. The Top 5 USA players and Top 5 international players after the first 30 games of WSOB qualifying form the teams.
Prize fund: $60,000 (Winning team: $40,000, losing team: $20,000)

USBC Masters

Where: Reno, Nevada (Grand Sierra Bowling Center)
When: March 23-29
TV: Sunday, March 29, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX (Live)
Field: TBA
Format: TBA
Conditions: TBA
PBA Playoffs points: Tier 1 event
Defending Champion: Jakob Butturff
Prize fund, ratio: TBA
Top prizes: TBA

PBA Playoffs

Where: Round of 24 in Norco, California. Round of 16 in Lone Tree, Colorado. Round of 8, Euless, Texas, Final Four, North Brunswick, N.J..
When: Round of 24, April 6. Round of 16, April 20-21. Round of 8, May 10-11. Final Four, May 16-17.
TV: Monday, April 6, 7 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Monday, April 13, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Taped April 6)
Monday, April 20, 7 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Monday, April 20, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Monday, April 27, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Taped April 21)
Monday, May 4, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Taped April 21)
Sunday, May 10, 2 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Monday, May 11, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Taped May 10)
Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. ET, FOX (Live)
Sunday, May 17, 2 p.m. ET, FOX (Live)
Field: Top 24 in points from 2020 PBA on FOX season. All cash.
Format: Single elimination bracket. Top 8 seeds get byes into second round. First round one game matches, subsequent matches best of 2.
Conditions: Carter 39
Defending champion: Kris Prather
Prize fund: $320,000
Top prizes: 1. $100,000, 2. $50,000, 3. $25,000, 4. $25,000

PBA/PWBA Bowl Expo Cup

Where: Denver (Bowl Expo special lane construct)
When: July 5
TV: Sunday, July 5, 7 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Conditions: TBA
Prize fund: TBA

PBA Summer League

Where: Portland, Maine (Bayside Bowl)
When: July 19-23
TV (4 telecasts): Tuesday, July 21, 7 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Tuesday, July 21, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Wednesday, July 22, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Thursday, July 23, 9 p.m. ET, FS1 (Live)
Format: TBA. 10 teams. All players cash.
Conditions: Roth 42
Defending champions: Portland Lumberjacks
Prize fund: $360,000 (1, $60,000. 2, $50,000. 3, $35,000. 4, $35,000. 5, $25,000. 6, $25,000. 7, $25,000. 8, $25,000. 9, $20,000. 10, $20,000.)

ESPN and the Professional Bowlers Association Sign Five-Year Deal

ESPN announced that it will expand its relationship with the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) under a new five-year deal that will see the network’s previous coverage of the PBA Tour and the PBA League grow from 25.2 hours per year to 36. The deal becomes effective with the 2013 World Series of Bowling, which will debut on ESPN on Sunday, December 1, 2013.  

The new deal follows a successful inaugural season of the PBA League, which features eight celebrity team owners, including stars Chris Paul, Kevin Hart, Terrell Owens and Billie Jean King.   

The second season of The PBA League will debut on ESPN on Sunday January 5, 2014.

The deal ensures that the PBA will remain on ESPN and marks the continuation of a partnership that dates back to 1979.

 

"We are thrilled to continue our long-standing relationship with the PBA, which dates back to 1979, ESPN's inaugural year. Bowling makes for compelling television, and with last year's addition of the PBA League, it has the potential for appealing to a broader audience,” said Jason Bernstein, ESPN Senior Director, Programming.

Chris Paul, one of the league’s founding owners, said, “I’m excited to be part of the PBA League’s second season and back on ESPN. When the League starts in January, I'm confident my guys will come out strong this year.”

“ESPN’s renewed and expanded commitment will help us grow our sport and build on the successful launch of the PBA League.  I’m thrilled that our fans will continue to see the world’s greatest bowlers on ESPN for many years,” said PBA CEO Geoff Reiss.   

PBA League Teams and Celebrity Owners

• L.A. X  (Chris Paul)
• Philadelphia Hitmen (Kevin Hart)
• New York City WTT Kingpins (Billie Jean King)
• Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Chris Hardwick)
• Dallas Strikers (Terrell Owens)
• BROOKLYN STyLES (Jesse Williams)
• Detroit Motown Muscle (Jerome Bettis)
• Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits (LaMarr Woodley)

Rash Leads First Round of PBA Viper Championships

Reigning Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, averaged 254.37 Sunday to take the qualifying round lead in the PBA Viper Championship, the second event of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling, at South Point Bowling Center, in Las Vegas, NV.

Rash bowled games of 234, 280, 257, 233, 269, 257, 248 and 257 for an eight-game total of 2,035 pins to lead the field of 16 qualifiers who advanced to Sunday night’s six-game semifinal round. After six more games Sunday night, the top four players will advance to the ESPN stepladder finals on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. in the special arena setting in South Point’s Exhibition Hall area. The Viper Championship will air on ESPN on Sunday, Dec. 23.

Rash was a dominant force in WSOB III in 2011 when he qualified a record five consecutive television shows and six out of seven during the World Series. He finished 30th in Saturday’s Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship, but didn’t make any major changes for Sunday’s Viper event.

“I used the same philosophy today as I did Saturday – get as many pins as possible. This is stage two of four. The World Championship is what matters,” Rash said. “If you can make it into one of the animal pattern shows along the way, so much the better.”

The eight-game qualifying totals from the Viper Championship will be added to qualifying totals from Saturday’s Cheetah, Monday’s Chameleon and Tuesday’s Scorpion Championships to produce the 32-game totals that will determine the 24 match play finalists for the PBA World Championship. Three eight-game World Championship match play rounds will take place Wednesday and Thursday at South Point.

After 16 of 32 qualifying games, Rash was advanced from 30th place to first in the PBA World Championship race with a 3,949 total, 19 pins ahead of Cheetah qualifying leader Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio.

“I made an unbelievable ball change in game four, and it definitely helped me,” Rash said. “The team behind me helped a lot. You’ve got to have some help if you’re going to succeed here.”

Rounding out the top five heading into Sunday night’s Viper semifinal round were 30-year-old attorney Scott Norton of Cost Mesa, CA, in second place with 1,943 pins; Dan MacLelland of Canada in third with a 1,923 total; Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, fourth with 1,920 and rookie Craig Nidiffer of Trenton, MI, in fifth place with 1,914.

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling competition continues Monday with Chameleon Championship qualifying squads bowling at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., followed by the Chameleon semifinal round at 8 p.m.

PBA VIPER CHAMPIONSHIP
South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Sunday
QUALIFYING ROUND (after 8 games; top 16 advanced to six-game semifinal round Sunday night; top four after 14 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals)
1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,035.
2, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,943.
3, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,923.
4, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,920.
5, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,914.
6, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,909.
7, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,907.
8, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,906.
9, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 1,905.
10, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,880.
11, (tie) Osku Palermaa, Finland, and Mohamed Sultan, Bahrain, 1,879.
13, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,866.
13, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,866.
15, (tie) Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, and Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., 1,861

Other Qualifying Round Cashers (after 8 games):
17, Dom Barrett, England, 1,857, $1,100.
18, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,855, $970.
19, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,851, $940.
20, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 1,844, $920.
21 (tie), Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,839, $895.
23, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,838, $880.
24, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,831, $870.
25, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,820, $860.
26, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 1,815, $850.
27, (tie) Matt Meyer, Alexandria, Minn., and Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,808, $835.
29, (tie) Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., and Peter Hellstrom, Sweden, 1,803, $815.
31, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,800, $800.
32, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,799, $790.
33, Yousif Falah, Bahrain, 1,787, $780.
34, Johan Hellden, Sweden, 1,786, $770.
35 (tie), Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., and D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 1,782, $755.

Failed to Cash:
37, (tie) Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,781.
39, Paul Koehler, Stuart, Fla., 1,778.
40, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,776.
40, Travis Anderson, Washington, Ill., 1,776.
42, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,774.
42, Stuart Williams, England, 1,774.
44, Mik Stampe, Denmark, 1,773.
45, Mikael Kanold, Sweden, 1,772.
46, Kevin Brophy, Oakhurst, N.J., 1,771.
47, (tie) John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., and Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,770.
49, (tie) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., and Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,768.
51, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,766.
52, (tie) Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, and Matt Ramshaw, Longview, Wash., 1,764.
54, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 1,763.
55, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,761.
56, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,759.
57, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,757.
58, Scott Halvarson, Lakewood, Wash., 1,755.
59, Ji Hyun Cha, Korea, 1,754.
60, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,753.
61, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 1,750.
62, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,748.
63, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,745.
64, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,744.
65, (tie) Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., and Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,740.
67, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 1,739.
68, John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 1,738.
69, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,736.
70, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,734.
71, Kim Ojala, Sweden, 1,730.
72, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,729.
73, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 1,726.
74, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,721.
75, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,720.
76, Ben Davis, Ashland, Ky., 1,719.
77, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,716.
78, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 1,713.
79, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,712.
80, (tie) Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., and Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden, 1,709.
82, (tie) Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Patrick Bohm, Sweden, 1,708.
84, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 1,707.
85, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,706.
86, (tie) Thomas Larsen, Denmark, and Kevin Morillo, Venezuela, 1,705.
88, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,704.
89, Perttu Jussila, Finland, 1,702.
90, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 1,695.
91, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 1,692.
92, (tie) Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., and Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 1,690.
94, (tie) Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., and Erik Andersin, Sweden, 1,686.
96, (tie) Carsten Hansen, Denmark; Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., and Thomas Biniek Jr., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1,684.
99, (tie) Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., and Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,682.
101, Hernan Ramirez, Venezuela, 1,681.
102, (tie) Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, and Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,676.
104, (tie) Hyun Bum Kim, Korea, and Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,674.
106, Chad Pojas, Wahiawa, Hawaii, 1,672.
107, (tie) Mathias Arup, Sweden, and Kyle Martinez, Broken Arrow, Okla., 1,671.
109, (tie) Alejandro Reyna, Costa Rica, and Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,669.
111, John Cicero, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,666.
112, (tie)Mike Bailey, Allen, Texas, and Kasey Normandin, Canada, 1,665.
114, (tie) Isaac Amkie, Mexico, and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,664.
116, (tie) Andrew Cain, Phoenix, and Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 1,659.
118, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,658.
119, (tie) Jason Stadtler, Cherry Hill, N.J., and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,656.
121, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,654.
122, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,652.
123, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,651.
124, (tie) Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., and Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,644.
126, (tie) Matt Taylor, Knightdale, N.C., and Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla., 1,640.
128, (tie) Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., and Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,637.
130, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,635.
131, Hyun Suk Kim, Korea, 1,631.
132, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,629.
133, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,628.
134, Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore., 1,627.
135, (tie) Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and Wayne Stellick, Aurora, Colo., 1,624.
137, Jimmy Mortensen, Denmark, 1,623.
138, Mike Armstrong Jr., Battle Ground, Wash., 1,621.
139, (tie) Mattias Olsson, Sweden, and Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 1,620.
141, (te) Wes Newman, Panama City, Fla., and Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore, 1,617.
143, (tie) Evan Nash, Kennewick, Wash., and Eduardo Yzcaray Jr., Venezuela, 1,614.
145, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,612.
146, (tie) MahdI Assad, Bahrain, and Justin Stevens, Aiea, Hawaii, 1,610.
148, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,606.
149, Hafthor Hardarson, Iceland, 1,605.
150, Roberto Silva, Mexico, 1,604.
151, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,602.
152, (tie) Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala.; Robert McBride, Plano, Texas, 1,601, and Meen Woo Kim, Korea, 1,601.
155, Helen Johnsson, Sweden, 1,600.
156, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,599.
157, Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mt., N.C., 1,594.
158, Kim Bolleby, Sweden, 1,593.
159, (tie) Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., and Shawn Lee, Centennial, Colo., 1,590.
161, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,589.
162, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,587.
163, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,584.
164, (tie) Robert Piroozshad, Brooklyn, N.Y., Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., and Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,583.
167, (tie) Nathan Urrutia, Banning, Calif., and Brett Cooper, Newburyport, Mass., 1,579.
169, Manuel Mrosek, Germany, 1,574.
170, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,573.
171, Adam Monks, Conway, S.C., 1,571.
172, (tie) Lee Rucker, Fort Myers, Fla., Carlos Cottone, Venezuela, and Chris Hans, Rocky Mount, N.C., 1,570.
175, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 1,565.
176, Jacob Heger, Houston, 1,563.
177, Nam Yi Jo, Korea, 1,562.
178, Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., 1,556.
179, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,549.
180, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,546.
181, (tie) Frederik Ohrgaard, Denmark, and Chad Vendeville, Arlington, Texas, 1,544.
183, Jin Han Kim, Korea, 1,543.
184, (tie) Michael Smith, Centenniel, Colo., and Daniel Falconi, Mexico, 1,541.
186, (tie) Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, and James Hobson, Converse, Texas, 1,540.
188, Dave Gillson, Phoenix, 1,527.
189, Jeff Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,520.
190, Myles Duty, Modesto, Calif., 1,518.
191, Hameed Taqi, Bahrain, 1,517.
192, Chris DosSantos, Fairhaven, Mass., 1,515.
193, (tie) Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., Ahmed Saad Alhadyan, Saudi Arabia, 1,514.
195, Greg Knolton, Bartlett, Tenn., 1,509.
196, Mohammed AlSaud, Saudi Arabia, 1,508.
197, Dustin Ochoa, Cibilo, Texas, 1,504.
198, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 1,503.
199, Kirk Sauro, Dearborn Heights, Mich., 1,497.
200, John Perry, Nuevo, Calif., 1,495.
201, Ted Sidehamer Jr., Newport News, Va., 1,494.
202, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,489.
203, Allen Blansette, Napa, Calif., 1,484.
204, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,480.
205, (tie) Rob Gotterbarn Jr., Garden City South, N.Y., and Salinas, Mexico, 1,478.
207, Michael Menard, Canada, 1,477.
208, Masood Saberi, Bahrain, 1,471.
209, (tie) Josh Lewis, Asheville, N.C.; Fawaz Abdulla, Bahrain, and Mohamed Al Jahrami, Bahrain, 1,463.
212, Paolo Joquico, Philippines, 1,461.
213, Jason Miller, Portland, Ore., 1,460.
214, Doug Scheidig, Royersford, Pa., 1,457.
215, Giorgio Clinaz Jr., Venezuela, 1,451.
216, Sean Daniels, Aloha, Ore., 1,449.
217, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1,446.
218, Jamar Lee, Livermore, Calif., 1,443.
219, Yeo Jin Yoon, Korea, 1,442.
220, (tie) Diego Lopez, Colombia, and Kenneth Bland Jr., Germany, 1,439.
222, Richard Rezendes, Cumberland, R.I., 1,433.
223, (tie) Paul Nilsen Sr., Murrieta, Calif., and Shawn St. Andre, Garden Grove, Calif., 1,430.
225, Josh Willis, Orleans, Ind., 1,419.
226, Bryan Viator, Friendswood, Texas, 1,417.
227, (tie) Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, and Steve Ford, Seaside, Ore., 1,397.
229, Tim Arnold, Las Vegas, 1,392.
230, Tommy Martin, Olive Branch, Miss., 1,383.
231, Adam James, Redmond, Wash., 1,380.
232, (tie) Chris Groom, Lancaster, Calif.; Troy Behanna, Pasadena, Texas, and Philip Medley, Washington, Mich., 1,372.
235, Gradie Merritt-Foster, Park Forest, Ill., 1,368.
236, Hakim AlSaud, Saudi Arabia, 1,363.
237, Chris Ashworth, Gallatin, Tenn., 1,336.
238, Kyle Leiffer, Weed, Calif., 1,331.
239, Branden Lee, Chicago, 1,329.
240, Mickey Fry, Akron, Ohio, 713.

300 Games (4): Stuart Williams, Dom Barrett, Jeff Frankos, Matt Meyer.
PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
QUALIFYING STANDINGS (top 50 after 16 of 32 games; top 24 after 32 games will advance to PBA World Championship match play)
1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,949.
2, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,933.
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,864.
4, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,855.
5, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,839.
6 (tie), Dan MacLelland, Canada and Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 3,824.
8, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3,809.
9, Dom Barrett, England, 3,792.
10, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,777.
11, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,763.
12, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3,762.
13, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,754.
14, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,747.
15, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,745.
16, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,742.
17, Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., 3,741.
18, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,737.
19, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,730.
20, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 3,728.
21, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,723.
22, Johan Hellden, Sweden, 3,721.
23, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,707.
24, Stuart Williams, England, 3,706.
25, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 3,689.
26, Paul Koehler, Stuart, Fla., 3,688.
27, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,687.
28, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 3,682.
29, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,677.
30, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,674.
31, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 3,672.
32, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,668.
33, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,665.
34, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 3,660.
35 (tie), Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 3,657.
37, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 3,651.
38, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 3,647.
39, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,641.
40, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,639.
41, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 3,635.
42, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,633.
43, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,631.
44, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,630.
45 (tie), Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, and Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 3,624.
47, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 3,620.
48, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3,618.
49, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,617.
50, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,607.

Columbia's Gomez Leads Carmen Salvino Classic

Colombian native Andres Gomez, who has won titles around the world as a member of his national bowling team for more than a decade, will try to add a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title to his collection in the finals of the PBA’s Carmen Salvino Classic as part of the PBA Tour’s final “doubleheader” weekend of the 2011-12 season.

The seventh of eight PBA World Series of Bowling finals will air Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Also this weekend, the PBA Tour’s competition points leaders will join the best players from the PBA’s seven regional programs and the 2011 PBA Senior Tour points list for the Xtra Frame Tour Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The PBA Playoffs will be covered live, exclusively by PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, including all qualifying and elimination rounds Saturday and Sunday.

Gomez, a 38-year-old veteran of four seasons of PBA Tour competition, earned top qualifier honors for the Carmen Salvino Classic by averaging 249.44 over 16 games at South Point Bowling Center. He will face 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX; non-titlist Ronnie Russell of Marion, IN, and Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte, who has already won two World Series of Bowling titles, in the four-player “eliminator” format finals.

Gomez, who now lives in the Miami area, came closest to victory during the 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling when he finished second in the Pepsi Viper Championship, losing to Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, 237-203, in the title match.

Malott won his seventh career PBA Tour title, and first in three years, when he teamed with Norm Duke to win the Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship earlier in the World Series. In the process of winning, Malott helped deny Russell his first PBA Tour title for the fourth time. Russell and Sean Rash of Suburban Chicago (Montgomery), IL, were top qualifiers in the doubles championship, but lost to Malott and PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, 193-167.

Belmonte, now a three-time PBA Tour winner, has already won the 2012 Chameleon Open and GEICO Shark Open titles.

Sunday’s ESPN eliminator-format finals will feature three one-game rounds. All four players bowl the opening game, with the lowest-scoring player after each game being eliminated. In the two rounds to follow, the same “low man out” format applies.

In the Salvino title match, the two surviving players will bowl for $15,000 and a PBA Tour title. Gomez and Russell also have a chance to earn a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions (TOC) if either wins (Belmonte and Malott have already qualified for the Round of 36 as title winners).

Malott and Russell will try for a second American title in World Series competition while Gomez and Belmonte will try to improve the international players’ domination in the World Series to six titles in seven events.

In the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer, the winner (if he hasn’t previously won a title during the 2011-12 season), also will earn a TOC Round of 36 berth along with $20,000 and a PBA Tour title. Dick Allen of Columbia, S.C., is defending champion.

A Carmen Salvino Classic pre-event show will be webcast at no cost on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel starting Wednesday, with a follow-up post-game show immediately following Sunday’s ESPN telecast. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo. The monthly subscription rate is $7.99; a full-year subscription is $64.99.

Belmonte Wins GEICO Shark Open

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, rolled the 22nd nationally-televised 300 game in Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) history during the GEICO Shark Open finals, but he bowled it one game too soon.

After his perfect effort in the semifinal round, Barnes lost in the GEICO Shark Open title to Australia’s Jason Belmonte, 244-213, in a match that extended the international dominance in the PBA World Series of Bowling to five consecutive titles. The finals, conducted at South Point Casino and Hotel, aired Sunday on ESPN.

The title was Belmonte’s second in the World Series and the third of his PBA career.

The GEICO Shark Open, the fourth and final PBA “animal pattern” championships contested during the third annual PBA World Series of Bowling, almost got the best of Belmonte, who had struggled in the opening game of three previous elimination-format finals.

In the opening game of the “low man out” Shark finals, Barnes, who led the Shark field in qualifying, posted a 234. Sean Rash of Suburban Chicago (Montgomery, IL), making his fifth straight final, was next with a 205. Belmonte, with a double in the ninth and 10th frames, finished with a 190 to advance when Finland's  Mika Koivuniemi now living in Hartland, MI, failed to double on his first shot in the 10th, leaving a 2-10 split which he failed to convert for a 172 game.

In game two, Barnes was untouchable on his way to winning a $10,000 perfect game bonus. Belmonte continued to search for strikes, but Rash left splits in the first, third, fifth and seventh frames. Despite converting three of the four, he couldn’t throw two strikes in a row and Belmonte survived their battle for the second berth in the title match, 215-182.

In the title match, Belmonte almost turned the tables on Barnes, finding his line to the pocket and running off a string of seven strikes to start the game. Barnes started with three strikes, but he then lost his carry. Barnes’ 7-10 split on a soft pocket hit in the seventh frame gave the two-handed Australian power player a 51-pin lead. Despite an open frame by Belmonte in his seventh, Barnes was too far behind to make up the difference.

“I would have liked to have thrown the 300 one game later, but I’ll still take it,” Barnes said. “I can’t blame the last game on a bad start. I got out of the gate okay. But Belmo made a ball change, and moved farther inside. My ball started (hooking) a little quicker.

“The killer shot for me was in the seventh frame. I made the hand position change I thought I needed to make, but all of a sudden my ball was hitting flat like everyone else who has bowled against Belmo, and I left that 7-10. I was pretty much dead at that point. He forced the action, which is what great bowlers do. That’s what happens in one-game matches.”

“When someone has just shot 300, you know the next game isn’t going to be low,” Belmonte said. “It probably won’t be 300, but you know it’s going to be good. As long as guys don’t shoot 300 at me in the title match and there’s still a way for me to get the win, they can bowl as many 300s as they want.”

Belmonte, who ended a three-year title drought by winning the Chameleon Open earlier in the World Series, said confidence was the key to getting back into the winner’s circle.

“My physical game is as sharp as it’s ever been,” he said. “If I do everything correct, the ball does the work for me. In the past, I was worried about what the ball was going to do rather than just making the shot and letting the ball do the work.

“When I’m bowling in normal competition, I’m always confident and I’m always ready to bowl strikes. But when you put me into the TV arena, my psyche changes and I can feel myself bowling differently,” he continued. “Today I felt like me. I felt great. I knew exactly where the ball was going. That’s how I was able to get out of that nervous frame of mind.”

Belmonte was at a loss to explain why the United States’ top stars had not yet won a World Series title, although he wasn’t totally surprised.

“In my opinion, the U.S. has by far the best bowlers in the world, but the world is catching up and I think the World Series of Bowling is proving it,” he said. “Stu Williams (England), Dom Barrett (England), Osku (Palermaa, Finland), Martin Larsen (Sweden), Andres Gomez (Colombia), Ildemaro Ruiz (Venezuela)…there are so many international players who have now gone past the amateur level.

“It has taken us time for us to learn the tricks of the trade, and to understand the lifestyle (on the PBA Tour) and how to deal with it. But we’re at the point where we can come out here and be successful.

“In the past, (the international players) haven’t really come to the U.S. a lot and the Americans haven’t come to us, but now the PBA Tour and the World Bowling Tour are causing that to happen. It’s a cool thing.”

PBA World Series of Bowling competition continues on ESPN on Sunday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET with the Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship. Teams in the finals will include Belmonte bowling with PBA Hall of Famer and newly-crowned U.S. Open champion Pete Weber of St. Anne, MO; Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, with 2012 USBC Masters winner Mike Fagan of Dallas; international teammates Gomez and Larsen; PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, with Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and top qualifiers Ronnie Russell of Marion, IN, with Rash.

In the interim, PBA players will head to Detroit for the third Xtra Frame Tour event, the Detroit Open presented by Track, March 9-11 at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Allen Park. First prize will be $10,000 and a berth in the Round of 36 for the season-ending PBA Tournament of Champions. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Detroit Open Saturday and Sunday will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. To subscribe, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

PBA GEICO SHARK OPEN

South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas

Round One (lowest score eliminated): Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 234; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL, 205; Jason Belmonte, Australia, 190; Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI, 172 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Barnes 300, Belmonte 215, Rash 182 ($4,500).

Championship: Belmonte ($15,000) def. Barnes ($7,500), 243-213.

The PBA Scorpion Open Sunday on ESPN

England’s Dom Barrett, fully recovered from a broken collar bone sustained nine months earlier in a near-tragic all-terrain vehicle accident in Saudi Arabia, will lead the field of four finalists into the battle for the Professional Bowlers Association’s Scorpion Open title Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Also on Sunday, PBA fans will be able to watch the final rounds of the Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 live on the Internet from Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio.

The Scorpion Open is the third of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the World Series of Bowling at South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

Barrett’s Scorpion Open opponents will include Dave Wodka of Henderson, NV, who won his only PBA Tour title in the 1999 Greater Detroit Open; Sean Rash of suburban Chicago (Montgomery,) IL, who qualified for the ESPN finals in a record six PBA World Series of Bowling events, and 13-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Allen of Baltimore, who is seeking his first title in two years.

Barrett earned the top qualifier position for the Scorpion finals by averaging 233.14 over 14 qualifying games, posting a 3,264 pinfall total. Wodka finished 17 pins behind, followed by Rash and Allen.

Barrett, who qualified for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions by winning a PBA West Regional title in Reno, NV, just before the World Series of Bowling, hopes to join fellow British competitor Stuart Williams as the second English player to win a PBA Tour title. Williams won his first PBA Tour title in the Bayer Viper Open.

“I came (to the United States) to win one of these tournaments,” Barrett said. “Winning the regional gave me a lot of confidence. This is going to be my first (PBA) show and I couldn’t be happier.”

Sunday’s ESPN eliminator-format finals will feature three one-game rounds. All four players bowl the opening game, with the lowest-scoring player after each game being eliminated. In the two rounds to follow, the same “low man out” format applies. In the title match, the two surviving players will bowl for a $15,000 first prize, a PBA Tour title and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions.

In addition to the other benefits, Barrett hopes to become the fourth straight international player to win a World Series of Bowling title. Rash, a four-time PBA Tour champion, is trying for his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters.

The Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 will be webcast live in its entirety on pba.com’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, including Saturday’s qualifying rounds and Sunday’s match play competition. Saturday’s schedule includes nine-game qualifying rounds for Squads A and B at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET, with the top 24 qualifiers advancing to match play Sunday. Sunday’s live coverage will include round-robin match play sessions at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with the top four advancing to the live stepladder finals at 6 p.m.

A Scorpion Open pre-event show will be webcast at no cost on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel starting Wednesday, with a follow-up post-game show immediately following Sunday’s ESPN telecast. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Belmonte Wins Second PBA Titile

Australia’s Jason Belmonte ended his nearly three-year quest for his second Professional Bowlers Association title, stringing eight strikes to run away from Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, 268-191, in the finals of the Chameleon Open at South Point Casino and Hotel.

The Chameleon Open finals, the second of four PBA “animal pattern” championships contested during the third annual PBA World Series of Bowling, aired Sunday on ESPN.

Belmonte, who came into the Chameleon elimination-format finals as the leading qualifier, barely survived the first two games before finding his groove in the title match.

In the opening game, Belmonte’s two-handed rival, Osku Palermaa of Finland, led the four-man field with a 213. Rash was second with a 201, and Belmonte nipped Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, 189-187, to avoid elimination as low man in the round. 

In game two, Rash led the survivors with a 226 while Belmonte edged Palermaa, 200-190, to advance to the title match. Belmonte had lost to Palermaa in the only two previous meetings of the two-handed rivals, and barely escaped a third loss. After throwing a strike on his first ball in the 10th to take the lead over Palermaa, Belmonte left the 3-6-9-10 on his next shot to hand a one-pin lead back to the Finn. But Palermaa then left a 10 pin on his first shot in the 10th frame and failed to convert the spare to hand the game back to Belmonte.

In the title match, the Australian kicked in the afterburners. After converting the 6-10 spare in the first frame, the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year ran off a string of eight consecutive strikes to run away with the $15,000 first prize and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions. Belmonte won his only previous PBA Tour title in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Open.

“This feels a million times better than my first title,” Belmonte beamed. “I bowled one of the best games of my life.

“In the second match, I got very lucky,” he added. “When you get a break like that, you have to take it, pardon the expression, in both hands and I was able to do that.”

By winning the Chameleon Open, Belmonte became the third straight international player to win a PBA World Series of Bowling title. In two previous events, Palermaa captured the PBA World Championship and England’s Stuart Williams won the Bayer Viper Open.

The third “animal pattern” championship, the Scorpion Open, will be settled next Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. The finalists will be England’s Dom Barrett; Dave Wodka of Henderson, NV; Rash and Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, FL.

PBA CHAMELEON OPEN

South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas

Round One (lowest score eliminated): Osku Palermaa, Finland, 213; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL, 201; Jason Belmonte, Australia, 189; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 187 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Rash 226, Belmonte 200, Palermaa 190 ($4,500).

Championship: Belmonte ($15,000) def. Rash ($7,500), 268-191.

PBA Chameleon Open Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

This Sunday on ESPN: PBA Chameleon Open at 3 p.m. ET. from the South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas. The PBA Chameleon Open is the second of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the World Series of Bowling.  
Four finalists will bowl a one-game match. The player with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three survivors will bowl another game, with the low man ousted. The two finalists will then bowl a final game for the title. 

Sean Rash, who qualified for the ESPN finals in a record six PBA World Series of Bowling events, will meet two-handed rivals Jason Belmonte of Australia and Osku Palermaa of Finland in the Chameleon Open finals Sunday on ESPN. Rounding out the field of four will be Venezuelan Ildemaro Ruiz, making his third career PBA television appearance. 

Rash, a four-time PBA Tour champion who is trying for his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters, will try to derail the two international two-handed stars who finished one-two in Chameleon Open qualifying. Belmonte averaged 236.29 to pace the Chameleon field with Palermaa averaging at a 235.14 pace. Rash was another 25 pins behind Palermaa while Ruiz qualified fourth for the four-man eliminator format finals. 

Belmonte, the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year, is trying for his second career title. He won his only Tour title in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Open. In the meantime, Palermaa has won twice including the 2012 PBA World Championship. Ruiz is trying for his first PBA title. 

In their only two previous meetings in PBA Tour televised competition, Palermaa is 2-0 vs. Belmonte. Palermaa defeated Belmonte, 182-176, in the 2010 GEICO Shark Championship semifinal match and he nipped the Aussie, 10-6, in a one-ball rolloff after they tied at 203-203 in round one of the PBA World Championship elimination finals, knocking Belmonte out of title contention in that event. 

Last Season: Rookie Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, CA, started the title match at the South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas with eight strikes before converting a 4-7 spare in the eighth frame to defeat Sean Rash of Wichita, KS, 256-181. Rash had won three consecutive matches to reach the championship contest. 

PBA:39X60 Pre-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Tune into PBA.com’s Xtra Frame for interviews with the finalists as they give their insight into strategy and equipment selection. All World Series of Bowling preview shows on Xtra Frame are available the Wednesday before each Sunday ESPN telecast for free.  

PBA:39X60 Post-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation.