Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour Player of the Year Wes Malott likes what he sees on the lanes in the DYDO Japan Cup 2009.
After shooting 219 in the first game, Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, turned up the heat and never looked backqualifying with a 3,060 12-game pinfall Friday at the Shinagawa Prince Bowling Center to earn the top seed for Saturday’s match play.
Malott, who opened the second qualifying block with an 837-series, credits the DYDO Japan Cup 2009 oil pattern for his success. This year’s pattern measures 42 feet in length and most closely resembles the PBA’s Scorpion pattern.
“After I saw the similarities between the two patterns yesterday in practice, I had a lot of confidence coming into today,” Malott, who won both the Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship and Etonic Marathon Championship on the Scorpion pattern this season, said. “It was a little tighter today compared to what I saw in practice which forced me to stay slow and get my hand around it. I made good adjustments and got a lot of good breaks which allowed me to keep my arm swing loose and continue to make good shots.”
Patrick Allen, who made the Japan Cup championship round in 2005, is in second with 2,907 while defending champion Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., who won his eighth Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title and a tournament championship in 11 different countries at the Dydo Japan Cup 2008, finished third with 2,851.
First time participant Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., is fourth with 2,843 and Chris Barnes, Flower Mound, Texas is fifth with 2,838.
Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., and Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., tied for the 48th position with 2,679. By Japanese Professional Bowlers Association (JPBA) rules, Williams earns the final spot due to bowling the most consistent set of four, three-game blocks. The player with the smallest difference between the low three-game set and the high three-game set determines who makes the cut.
Two-time Japan Cup champion Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C. and PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., missed the cut finishing 61st and 91st, respectively, join Angelo as the only Tour players who missed the cut.
The 144-person Japan Cup field, consisting of 90 combined JPBA and Korean Professional Bowlers Association (KPBA) entries, 20 PBA entries and 34 Japanese amateurs, was cut to the top 48 after Friday’s qualifying round. Players who finished in positions #17 - #48 will bowl match play tomorrow morning. The winners will then face players ranked #1 – 16 in the round of 32. The round of 16 will be held Friday evening with the eight winners advancing to the TV finals on Sunday, April 26 at the Tokyo Metro Gymnasium. All match play features best-of-five-games match play.
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Dydo Japan Cup 2009 Shinagawa Prince Bowling Center, Tokyo, Japan Friday, April 24
Newly-crowned Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, withstood the first challenge to his reign as King of Bowling, defeating Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, in the inaugural King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy telecast.
Trailing Barnes by nine pins after four frames, Malott when went on a seven-strike binge, racing away to a 268-214 victory after Barnes lost his carry. Barnes, No. 3 in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Player of the Year points race, won a brilliant battle with No. 3 Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., 257-248, for the right to challenge Malott for the King of Bowling throne. Barnes converted the 6-7-10 split in the sixth frame and then finished his game with six strikes in a row. Needing a strike for a shot at a 259 game of his own, Duke then left a 10 pin on his second shot in his half of the 10th frame.
While the preliminary match was going on, Malott had a chance to observe how the two leading challengers to his Player of the Year title were attacking the lanes.
“The king gets to decide which lane conditioning pattern is used,” Malott noted. “I went with the Scorpion pattern because I’ve had quite a bit of success on that one all year.
“The king has to sit on a throne right next to the action,” he continued, “so I had a bird’s eye view of what was going on. I knew the scores would be high, and I figured I’d just try to out-strike everyone. As it turned out, the lanes broke down just a little bit. I made a couple of slight adjustments that worked, and I threw the ball really well.”
Malott knew he was going to have his hands full, regardless of whom he had to bowl.
“At the end of the season, I did OK, but I wasn’t even a threat to make a TV show the last couple of tournaments,” he said. “I was fighting some timing issues. Being at the Kegel Training Center and knowing the way the lanes were oiled, the condition was fairly snug which allowed me to stay slow. By staying slow, it kinda fixed my timing issues.”
In a way, he was also pleased he got a chance to defend his King of Bowling crown against Barnes because of the way Barnes’ season ended in the Lumber LiquidatorsU.S. Open.
“(U.S. Open champion Mike) Scroggins knew he was fortunate to win,” Malott said. “Barnes threw one of the best shots of his career in the 10th frame and left an 8 pin. That 8 pin possibly cost him another U.S. Open title and possibly the Player of the Year title. But he was also the first guy to text me after the show and congratulate me. I gained that much more respect for him.
"By defeating Barnes, Malott collected $10,000 and earned the right to return as King of Bowling in week two of the five-week series of one-hour King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy telecasts – all of which air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Wednesdays through May 20.
In the next show, Malott will bowl the winner of a match between Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Scroggins, the No. 4 and No. 5 players in the 2008-09 Player of the Year points race. In week two, Malott also will confront ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” co-host Mike Wilbon, an enthusiastic casual bowler who accepted to bowl a game against Malott.
The week one King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy show will re-air on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 26, at 1 p.m. Eastern.
A five-week series of one-hour King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy telecasts will air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Wednesdays April 22 through May 20. Each show will open with two of the top players from the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season bowling a one-game match for the right to bowl the reigning "King" for a $10,000 prize.
The winner of the "King of Bowling" match will return the following week where two new challengers will try to knock him off his throne. A highlight of the opening telecast will be a special appearance by ESPN's"Pardon the Interruption" co-host Michael Wilbon.
Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, defeated James Stanley of Cincinnati, Ohio, 246-236, to win his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour title in the PBA Senior Jackson Open at Airport Lanes Tuesday.
It was the opening event on the PBA Senior Tour’s 2009 schedule.
“I’m not sure if I’m dreaming or not,” Mohr, a four-time Team USA member and second-year PBA Senior said. “I’m thrilled.”
Mohr, who retired as a full-time air traffic controller in 2007, but is now “teaching the next generation of air traffic controllers” on a contract basis, said the lessons learned in his first year led to his first professional title.
“I qualified well last year,” Mohr said, “but I learned that in match play, you can’t fool around. You have to make changes quickly and with confidence. There are some great players out here. You can’t afford to give away 15 pins.
“And I came out this year feeling pretty good. I shot 835 my last night of league, and I drilled up a new ball that worked great. With any luck, I’ll keep it going. My plan right now is to bowl all of the Senior Tour events this year.”
Stanley advanced to the title match after eliminating defending Senior Jackson Open champion Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J., 10-9, in a one-ball roll-off after they tied at 226-226. Petraglia started the roll-off by leaving a solid 7 pin and Stanley then struck to end the PBA Hall of Famer’s bid for his eighth PBA Senior Tour title.
Mohr defeated Bill Henson of Westerville, Ohio, 289-258, in their semifinal round match.
The tournament produced a PBA Senior Tour record 17 300 games, breaking the record of 16 set in Lady Lake, Fla., in 1991. Mitch Jabczenski of Novi, Mich., had two of the perfect games, and also converted the 7-10 split.
For complete, game-by-game match play results, visit pba.com and click on the Senior Tour tab.
The PBA Senior Tour’s next stop is the PBA Senior Dayton Classic, April 25-28, at Capri Bowling Lanes. Keith Sharp of Orlando, Fla., is defending champion. For more information, visit pba.com.
PBA SENIOR JACKSON OPEN Airport Lanes, Jackson, Mich., April 21, 2009 Championship Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska ($8,000) def. James Stanley, Cincinnati, Ohio, ($4,500), 246-236.
Semifinal Round (losers earned $3,000) Mohr def. Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 289-258 Stanley def. Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 226-226, 10-9 in a one-ball roll-off
Round of 8 (best of three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each) Henson def. Fred McClain, Lincoln Park, Mich., 2-0 Mohr def. Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 2-0 Petraglia def. Larry Walker, Garden City, Mich., 2-1 Stanley def. Hugh Miller, Seattle, 2-1
Round of 16 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each) Henson def. Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3-2 McClain def. Charlie Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 3-2 Csuhta def. Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla., 3-1 Mohr def. Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3-2 Walker def. Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., 3-0 Petraglia def. Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., 3-0 Stanley def. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3-2 Miller def. Mitch Jabczenski, Novi, Mich., 3-0
Round of 24 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,150 each) Henson def. Steve Cook, Granite Bay, Calif., 3-1 McClain def. Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio, 3-2 Sharp def. Tom Baker, King, NC., 3-2 Mohr def. Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, 3-1 Walker def. Mike Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 3-0 Morton def. Chuck Haus, Linden, Mich., 3-2 Stanley def. Steve Lickliter, Beckley, W.Va., 3-0 Jabczenski def. Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 3-2
Round of 32 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,050 each) Cook def. Dick Baker, Henderson, Nev., 3-1 McClain def. Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-1 Sharp def. Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 3-2 Hiday def. Curt Aemisegger, Wauconda, Ill., 3-2 Walker def. Jay Young, Bowling Green, Ohio, 3-1 Haus def. Bill Hewlett, Meridian, Idaho, 3-2 Stanley def. Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 3-0 Jabczenski def. Mike Hastings, Georgetown, Del., 3-1
With a 249.62 16-game average, Kenny Parks of Hammond, Ind., moved into the qualifying lead after the second round of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Jackson Open at Airport Lanes Monday.
Parks, the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters champion, leads with a 3,994 pinfall, 47 pins ahead of PBA Hall of Famer and 2008 PBA Senior U.S. Open champion Wayne Webb of Sacramento, Calif., in second with 3,947.
Placing sixth after Sunday’s first round with a 1,950 eight-game pinfall, Parks had 2,044 in Monday’s eight-game round with games of 267, 268, 257, 226, 247, 247, 265 and 267 (255.5 average). He did it despite having to deal with an abscessed tooth.
“After yesterday’s block I had an abscessed tooth flare up which caused a lot of swelling,” said Parks. “I was worried about how that would affect me the rest of the tournament, but I went to the doctor last night to get some antibiotics and now I’m pretty much good to go.”
The 52-year-old Parks credited a change in equipment for his big round Monday.
“I had success yesterday playing outside on the lane in the first block,” Parks said. “Having to bowl the second block today, I drilled up the same (brand) ball that I used yesterday but changed the weight structure which allowed me to play pretty much the same line.”
The field of 151 has been cut to the top 32 qualifiers for match play rounds that begin Tuesday morning. Match play begins with the Round of 32 which will feature players who qualified 17th-32nd. Bowlers qualifying 9th-16th receive one bye and those qualifying in the top eight receive two byes. The Round of 8, semi-final and championship matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday.
PBA SENIOR JACKSON OPEN Airport Lanes, Jackson, Mich. April 20, 2009 ROUND 2 QUALIFYING (16 games)
1, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3,994 2, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, 3,947 3, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 3,925 4, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3,899 5, Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 3,878 6, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3,877 7, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3,862 8, Charlie Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 3,858 9, Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio, 3,826 10, Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., 3,806 11, Steve Lickliter, Beckley, W. Va., 3,802 12, (TIE) Tom Baker, King, N.C., and Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3,800 14, Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 3,780 15, Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 3,748. 16, Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 3,746 17, Steve Cook, Granite Bay, Calif., 3,743 18, (TIE) Jay Young, Bowling Green, Ohio, and Mitch Jabczenski, Novi, Mich., 3,742 20, (TIE) Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, and Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla., 3,737 22, (TIE) Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., and Chuck Haus, Linden, Mich., 3,733 24, Fred McClain, Lincoln Park, Mich., 3,722 25, Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3,719 26, Bill Hewlett, Meridian, Idaho, 3,717 27, James Stanley, Cincinnati, Ohio, 3,709 28, (TIE) Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., and Curtis Aemisegger, Wauconda, Ill., 3,687 30, Mike Hastings, Georgetown, Del, 3,682 31, Larry Walker, Garden City, Mich., 3,681 32, Dick Baker, Henderson, Nev., 3,679
*Baker defeated Ferraro 223-204 in a one game tiebreaker to earn the 32nd spot.
33, Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 3,679, $900 34, (TIE) Randy Lightfoot, St. Charles, Mo., and Timothy Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 3,672, $900 36, Bob Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, 3,667, $900 37, Don Sylvia, Discovery Bay, Calif., 3,666, $900 38, Bill Spigner, Vernon Hills, Ill., 3,660, $900 39, Rodney Tramp, Porterville, Calif., 3,657, $900 40, Harv Pallas, Stevensville, Mich., 3,655, $900 41, Frank Gallo Jr., Newport News, Va., 3,648, $900 42, Ken Konczos, Sagamore Hills, Ohio, 3,630, $900 43, David Axon, Bellevue, Neb., 3,629, $900 44, George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 3,627, $900 45, Timothy Bates, Orlando, Fla., 3,623, $900 46, Barry Mefford, Aurora, Ill., 3,621, $900 47, Randy Rau, Belleville, Ill., 3,620, $900 48, Bill Argenbright, Fisherville, Va., 3,617, $900 49, Jim Knoblauch, Waukesha, Wis., 3,612, $900 50, Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 3,610, $900 51, Brian Voss, Alphretta, Ga., 3,608 52, Sam Zurich, Grant, Fla., 3,602 53, John Bennett, Clarkston, Mich., 3,598, $700 54, Steve Fulton, Lansing, Mich., 3,596 55, (TIE) Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., and Harley Trumbull, New Boston, Mich., and Gerry Keslar, Tonganoxie, Kan., 3,594 58, Gale Voshell, Dover, Del, 3,593 59, Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 3,591, $700 60, Sam Perrotta, Lincoln Park, N.J., 3,580, $700 61, Doug Evans, Southgate, Mich., 3,578, $700 62, Joe Krajenke, Clinton Twp., Mich., 3,575 63, Gene Vincent, Decatur, Ill., 3,574 64, Mike Mineman, Belleville, Ill., 3,573 65, Norb Wetzel, Fond du Lac, Wis., 3,569, $700 66, Larry Graybeal, Elizabethton, Tenn., 3,568, $700 67, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3,565 68, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla, 3,555 69, Robert Maki, Ishpeming, Mich., 3,543 70, (TIE) Fred Ferreira, Kings Park, N.Y., and Karl Wolf, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., 3,539 72, Dave Flemming, Fairborn, Ohio, 3,534 73, Roy Buckley, New Albany, Ohio, 3,529, $700 74, Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 3,528, $700 75, Jim Shuck, Huntingdon, Pa., 3,522 76, Sal Bongiorno, Hollywood, Fla., 3,520, $700 77, Russ Freeman, Lake Villa, Ill., 3,516 78, Phillip Moros, Lombard, Ill., 3,502 79, Robert Flaws, Chicago Ridge, Ill., 3,498 80, Bill McCorkle, Westerville, Ohio, 3,495 81, Don Boone, South Euclid, Ohio, 3,494 82, Michael Truitt, Orland Park, Ill., 3,486 83, (TIE) Dannie Hettinger, Circleville, Ohio, and Mark Weller, Jonesville, Mich., 3,484 85, Matt Buxton, Jefferson City, Mo., 3,480 86, Michael Chrzanowski, Shepherd, Mich., 3,477 87, Bob Andersen, Forest City, N.C., 3,467 88, Gregg Getzlow, St Charles, Mo., 3,455 89, Andy Ippolito, Forest Hills, N.Y., 3,452 90, Bobby Johnson, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,443 91, John Milletics, Sandusky, Mich., 3,435 92, Hubert Harrison, Middletown, Ind., 3,424 93, (TIE) Ross McDonald, Clarksville, Md., and Vic Portalatin, Jackson, Mich., 3,423 95, Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 3,409 96, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 3,406 97, Leo Plaia, New Orleans, 3,405 98, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 3,404 99, Kim Buell, Speedway, Ind, 3,390 100, (TIE) Bob Oakes, Akron, Ohio, and Mark Koehler, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 3,379 102, Jerry Lau, St. Peters, Mo., 3,373 103, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,364 104, James Souder, Greeneville, Tenn, 3,360 105, Rod Michael, Florissant, Mo., 3,359 106, (TIE) Michael Lucente, Warren, Mich., and Leo Scantamburlo, Riverview, Mich., 3,357 108, Jim Lauricella, Sterling Hts., Mich., 3,352 109, Chuck Huckelberry, Rockford, Ill., 3,342 110, Lee Snow, Wixom, Mich., 3,335 111, Dick Selgo, Archbold, Ohio, 3,331 112, Howard Frostman, Washburn, Wis., 3,329 113, Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, 3,327 114, Len Gray, Cincinnati, 3,323 115, Ray Johnson, Battle Creek, Mich., 3,303 116, (TIE) Donald Breihan, Columbia, S.C., and Robert McDonald, Addison, Ill., 3,302 118, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3,293 119, Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,287 120, Steve Bova, Massapequa, N.Y., 3,286 121, Allen Meskan, Wood Dale, Ill., 3,277 122, Douglas Weese, Carson City, Mich., 3,275 123, James Scott, Villa Park, Ill, 3,271 124, Dowell Milliken, Lake Grove, N.Y., 3,268 125, Perry Keplinger, Amherst, Ohio, 3,256 126, Edward Buco, Berlin, Md., 3,255 127, Gregory Smith, Baltimore, 3,242 128, Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,238 129, Charlie Juliano, Batavia, N.Y., 3,227 130, Larry Galloway, Fresno, Calif., 3,217 131, Gregg Schmied, Schererville, Ind., 3,179 132, Rick Cashell, Dedham, Mass., 3,154 133, Joseph Stalnaker, Alderson, W.Va., 3,128 134, Jim Hutchinson, Ludlow Falls, Ohio, 3,122 135, Ken Waters, Kingsport, Tenn., 3,101 136, Robert Kwiecien, Lansing, Mich., 3,087 137, John Hunt, Grayling, Mich., 3,080 138, Dave Bernhardt, Shelby Twp., Mich., 3,071 139, Ray Randall, Dearborn, Mich., 3,051 140, Dennis Amato, Pine Brook, N.J., 3,050 141, Robert Teeters, Lapel, Ind., 3,028 142, Bryan Cleavenger, Temperance, Mich., 3,012 143, Daniel Miner, East Moline, Ill., 3,006 144, Bill Brake, North Canton, Ohio, 2,983 145, Larry Grandt, Gurnee, Ill., 2,964 146, David Rossi, Morgantown, W.Va., 2,957 147, Karl Bosman, Trenton, Mich., 2,948 148, Phil Cloyne, Anthony, Fla., 2,945 149, John Henry Jr, Fort Wayne, Ind., 2,906. 150, Rick Kralovic, Sylvania, Ohio, 2,811. 151, Rick Horne II, Brownstown, Mich., 2,187 (WD).
A new Storm Premier Line product, the Virtual Energy, will be introduced in June. The “Shape Lock HD” core is surrounded with “R2X™ Hybrid Reactive” coverstock in Emerald/Olympic Gold/Black finished at 1500 grit and polished. The Virtual Energy features a Pear Berry fragrance. The 15# ball has RG of 2.48, with RG Differential of .052.
Look for a Fast and Furious duo to be added to theHot Line of balls at StormBowling Products. The pearl Storm Fast and solid Storm Furious utilize a “Turbine” core like the Street Rods and the new Natural. The Fast sports an “R2s™ Pearl Reactive” cover in Rally Red and Chrome with a cherry fragrance finished at 1500, then polished. While theFurious features “R2s™ Solid Reactive” coverstock, it is finished at 2000 with Abralon and the Amethyst and Violet cover has a grape fragrance. Intro date May 28th. In #15, the core Radius of Gyration (RG) is 2.55 and RG Differential is .038.
