H&R Block Tournament of Champions

Wes Malott, the hottest player in professional bowling, toke the lead into Friday night’s final round of match play in the Professional Bowlers Association’s H&R Block Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes.

Malott, who has won two of the last five Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events and has advanced to the ESPN television finals in five consecutive singles events, won six of his eight matches Friday afternoon and tied in the other two to finish with a 40-game total of 9,864 pins (238.4 average) and a seven-pin lead over Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas.

“I have a lot of confidence right now and I’m getting some key hits to keep the momentum going,” the five-time PBA Tour titlist said. “When hits don’t go my way, the biggest thing has been to quit whining and do something about it.”

First prize in the tournament is $50,000 plus a two-year Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exemption.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR

H&R BLOCK TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Nev.

January 23, 2009

Round 5 (after 40 games, including match play records and bonus pins)
1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 10-4-2, 9,864
2, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 10-6, 9,857
3, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 10-6, 9,837, $100
4, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 9-7, 9,744
5, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 9-6-1, 9,729, $100
6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 10-6, 9,613, $100
7, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 11-5, 9,581, $100
8, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 11-4-1, 9,543
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 10-5-1, 9,531
10, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 10-6, 9,503
11, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 7-8-1, 9,470, $100
12, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 9-7, 9,448
13, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 9-7, 9,318
14, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 6-10, 9,309
15, Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas, 4-11-1, 9,272
16, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 9-7, 9,224
17, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 8-8, 9,190
18, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 6-9-1, 9,164
19, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 7-8-1, 9,151
20, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-12, 9,132
21, Brian Voss, Kennesaw, Ga., 5-11, 9,081
22, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 5-10-1, 9,069
23, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 5-11, 8,849
24, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2-12-2, 8,774