Defending Champ Scroggins Top Seed For Finals of the US Open

Defending champion Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, TX, methodically worked his way through the field Saturday, rolling a key 300 game on the way to clinching the top qualifying position for Sunday’s finals in the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl.

And Jason Couch of Clermont, FL, bowled the biggest 214 game of his life to earn his shot at the title in a pressured-packed final round of match games.

In the intense position round to determine Sunday’s finalists, Scroggins defeated Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, 227-185, to pass O’Neill for the top rung on the stepladder with a total of 11,537 pins for 51 games. O’Neill, who is trying for his second career title and first major championship, dropped to second with 11,486 pins.

Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, slipped past Australia’s Jason Belmonte in the final game, 203-190, to clinch the third spot in the finals. Belmonte, who led the tournament after the first match play round, battled a hamstring injury suffered earlier Saturday and dropped to sixth place because of his loss.

But the real drama was unfolding on the adjacent pairs of lanes where the winner
of the Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, vs. Norm Duke of Clermont, FL,
match was poised to pass Belmonte for the fourth position in Sunday’s finals.
Duke closed his game with four strikes to force Williams to get a double and
good count in the 10th frame to win and earn 30 bonus pins. Williams got the
first two strikes, but left four pins on his final shot to end the match between
PBA Hall of Famers in a 201-201 tie.

Because the tie gave each player 15 bonus pins, Couch – who entered the position round in seventh place – jumped all the way to fourth by winning his match against four-time U.S. Open champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, 214- 190. With 30 bonus pins for winning the match, Couch edged Williams by two pins for fourth place.

Scroggins will try to become the first bowler since Dave Husted in 1996 and 1995
to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles. Ironically, Husted won his 1996 in
Indianapolis. Prior to changing its name to the U.S. Open in 1971, St. Louis
bowling legends Dick Weber and Don Carter each won the former BPAA All Star in
consecutive years twice.

Sunday’s stepladder finals will air live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 27

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 51 games, including won-lost records and
pinfall including match play bonus pins)
1, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 16-8, 11,537.
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 13-11, 11,486.
3, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 16-8, 11,413.
4, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 13-11, 11,282.
5, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 13-9-2, 11,280, $10,000.
6, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 11-12-1, 11,277, $8,000.
7, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 14-9-1, 11,264, $6,500.
8, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 13-11, 11,188, $6,000.
9, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 14-10, 11,117, $5,500.
10, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 11-13, 11,061, $5,000.
11, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 12-12, 11,058, $4,500.
12, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 12-11-1, 11,056, $4,300.
13, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 9-15, 10,992, $4,100.
14, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 10-14, 10,971, $4,000.
15, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 14-10, 10,955, $3,900.
16, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 11-13, 10,943, $3,900.
17, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 12-12, 10,933, $3,700.
18, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 12-12, 10,892, $3,600.
19, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 11-13, 10,888, $3,500.
20, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 11-13, 10,771, $3,400.
21, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 9-14-1, 10,721, $3,300.
22, Anthony Jordan, Sycamore, Ill., 12-12, 10,691, $3,200.
23, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 8-16, 10,678, $3,100.
24, x-PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 8-8, 10,653, $2,920.
25, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 0-8, 7,266, $2,920.

x-Haggerty replaced Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela who withdrew at the end of the fifth round due
to injury. 300 Games – Nathan Bohr, Mitch Beasley

Tommy Jones Jumps Into Lead at US Open

Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, overtook
Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, to take the lead in the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open heading into Saturday night’s final eight games of match play at Woodland Bowl.

Jones, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, won seven of his eight matches Saturday
afternoon to jump from third place into a 98-pin lead over O’Neill and a 136-pin
margin over fifth-round leader Belmonte. Jones finished the sixth round with a
43-game total of 9,723 pins, including match play bonus pins.

Jason Couch of Clermont, FL, advanced from 10th place to fourth with a 9,553
total, but the battle for the fourth spot in Sunday’s ESPN stepladder finals was
expected to be an all-out war during Saturday night’s final round. Trailing
Couch in fifth place was defending U.S. Open champion Mike Scroggins of
Amarillo, TX, and chasing both were three PBA Hall of Famers as well as
former U.S. Open champions: Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.; Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL.

Duke, the 2008 U.S. Open winner, advanced from 17th to sixth heading into the
final round. Weber, a four-time U.S. Open winner, was 16 pins behind Duke after winning a one-game roll-off on Friday to make it into the match play field in
24th place. Williams, a two-time U.S. Open winner and the PBA Tour’s all-time
titles leader with 47 wins, was in eighth place, 23 pins behind Weber.

Williams, at age 50, is the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s only two-time winner in the 2009-10 season and is trying to become the first PBA player to win
back-to-back major championships twice. Williams won his eighth career major
title in the USBC Masters in Reno, NV, on Feb. 14. The first time he won
consecutive majors was in 2003 when he won the U.S. Open and the PBA World
Championship back-to-back.

Sunday’s stepladder finals will air live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. At stake
is the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s final major title of the 2009-10 season, a
$60,000 first prize and a three-year PBA Tour exemption.

67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 27

SIXTH ROUND (after 43 games, including won-lost records and pinfall including
match play bonus pins)
1, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 13-3, 9,723.
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 9-7, 9,625.
3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 7-9, 9,586.
4, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 9-7, 9,553.
5, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 10-6, 9,534.
6, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 9-7, 9,444.
7, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 10-6, 9,428.
8, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 10-6, 9,405.
9, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7-9, 9,390.
10, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 8-7-1, 9,342.
11, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 7-9, 9,320.
12, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 10-6, 9,319.
13, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 7-9, 9,268.
14, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 9-7, 9,262.
15, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 6-10, 9,226.
16, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 8-8, 9,200.
17, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 8-8, 9,172.
18, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 8-8, 9,160.
19, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 7-9-0, 9,122.
20, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 8-8, 9,114.
21, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 6-10, 9,087.
22, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 5-10-1, 9,041.
23, x-PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 4-4, 8,958.
24, Anthony Jordan, Sycamore, Ill., 6-10, 8,938.
x-Haggerty replaced Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela who withdrew at the end of
the fifth round due to injury.
300 Games – Nathan Bohr, Mitch Beasley

Belmonte Holds On To Lead at US Open

Australia’s Jason Belmonte barely held onto the lead after the opening round of match play in the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl Friday, fending off challengers Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, and Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC.

Belmonte, who led by 178 pins heading into Friday’s competition, finished the
day with a 5-3 match play record, 7,871 total pins for 35 games and a 27-pin
edge over O’Neill. Jones, who came into match play 273 pins behind of the
Australian two-handed star, was in third place, 79 pins behind after both he and
O’Neill had closed to within eight pins of the lead with one game to go.

Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ, was in fourth place with 7,664 pins and
two-time U.S. Open champion Walter Ray Williams Jr., who is trying for his 48th
career victory and second major title of the season, was in fifth place with a
7,657 total.

“It was me and Frodo Baggins walking to Mordor tonight,” Belmonte said. “It was
an adventure like Lord of the Rings. I needed a map.

“In match play the lanes are going to play differently depending upon who played where and how the oil was broken down as you move across the center,” Belmonte added. “It’s really different in the U.S. Open because earlier in the day, guys played all over the lanes. It was hard to find anything, but Tommy Jones found something. Everyone else was bowling 180s and he had nothing under 205. But that’s what makes players at his echelon as good as they are. They rise up.”

O’Neill, who said he made a change in his timing and the way he was playing the lanes after he wound up in 185th place after the first six games, almost
overtook Belmonte.

“I’m bowling good now. I’m getting a good ball reaction and I got some good luck tonight. Three times guys could have beat me in the 10th frame and they didn’t,”
O’Neill said. “I was fortunate. I’ll have to do better tomorrow or I won’t be
around on Sunday.”

The 24 match play finalists will bowl two more eight-game match play rounds
Saturday to determine the top four players who will advance to Sunday’s live
ESPN stepladder finals at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 26

FIFTH ROUND (after 35 games, including won-lost records and pinfall including
match play bonus pins)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5-3, 7,871.
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 6-2, 7,842.
3, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 6-2, 7,792.
4, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4-4, 7,664.
5, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 6-2, 7,657.
6, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5-3, 7,652.
7, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-2, 7,625.
8, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-5, 7,613.
9, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 6-2, 7,599.
10, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 4-4, 7,589.
11, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 5-3, 7,562.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2-6, 7,550.
13, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6-2, 7,527.
14, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 3-5, 7,492.
15, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 5-3, 7,467.
16, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 4-4, 7,458.
17, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3-5, 7,440.
18, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3-5, 7,414.
19, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 5-3, 7,411.
20, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 2-6, 7,404.
21, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3-5, 7,379.
22, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2-6, 7,292.
23, Anthony Jordan, Sycamore, Ill., 2-6, 7,284.
24, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 0-8, 7,266.

Belmonte Tops US Open Field Going Into Matchplay

Australia’s Jason Belmonte slowed his torrid scoring pace, but still led the field of 24 top qualifiers into the match play portion of the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl Friday.

Belmonte finished the final qualifying round with a 27-game total of 6,051 pins,
an overall average of 224.1, and held an 87-pin lead over Colombia’s Andres
Gomez. Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, was third with 5,958 pins followed by
Jason Couch of Clermont, FL, at 5,866 and Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala,
FL, with 5,850 pins. Williams won U.S. Open titles in 1998 and 2003.

“It’s not like I bowled bad,” the Australian two-handed player said. “I didn’t
have quite the same look as yesterday. I got a couple of bad breaks that turned
200s into 180s. But, hey, this is the U.S. Open. I’m a realist. I’m still in
first, so I’m happy.”

Also advancing to match play were past U.S. Open champions Chris Barnes (2005), Tommy Jones (2006), Norm Duke (2008), Mike Scroggins (2009) and four-time winner Pete Weber.

Weber made up a 102-pin deficit in the final qualifying game to earn a tie for
24th place, and then defeated P.J. Haggerty of Clovis, Calif., 236-202, in a
one-game roll-off for the final match play position.

The top 24 players after 27 qualifying games will begin the first of three
eight-game match play rounds Friday night. After two more rounds Saturday, the
top four players will advance to Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals at 12:30
p.m. Eastern.

At stake is the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s final major title of the 2009-10
season, a $60,000 first prize and a three-year PBA Tour exemption.

67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 26

FOURTH ROUND (after 27 games)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 6,051.
2, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 5,966.
3, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 5,958.
4, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 5,866.
5, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 5,850.
6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,839.
7, (tie) Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., and David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 5,813.
9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,778.
10, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 5,743.
11, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 5,739.
12, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 5,717.
13, (tie) Jason Wojnar, Chicago, and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 5,708.
15, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5,701.
16, Anthony Jordan, Sycamore, Ill., 5,692.
17, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5,690.
18, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 5,688.
19, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 5,674.
20, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 5,669.
21, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 5,667.
22, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 5,663.
23, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 5,657.
24, x-Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,637.
x- Weber def. P.J. Haggerty, 236-202, in a one-game roll-off to break a tie
for 24th place.

OTHER CASHERS (after 27 games)
25, P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 5,637, $2,840.
26, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 5,626, $2,500.
27, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 5,623, $2,400.
28, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 5,606, $2,300.
29, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 5,593, $2,200.
30, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,575., $2,100.
31, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,568, $2,000.
32, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 5,565, $1,900.
33, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 5,562, $1,850.
34, (tie) J.R. Raymond, Belleville, Ill., 5,559, and Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 5,559, $1,775.
36, Bob Hale, Louisville, Ky., 5,556, $1,700.
37, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5,548, $1,650.
38, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 5,546, $1,600.
39, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5,541, $1,550.
40, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 5,536, $1,500.
41, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5,509, $1,480.
42, Chad Kloss, West Allis, Wis., 5,505, $1,460.
43, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 5,503, $1,440.
44, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 5,497, $1,420.
45, (tie) Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 5,496, and Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 5,496, $1,395.
47, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 5,486, $1,380.
48, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 5,483, $1,370.
49, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 5,482, $1,360.
50, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 5,477, $1,350.
51, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 5,471, $1,340.
52, (tie) Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 5,470, and Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 5,470, $1,325.
54, Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., 5,467, $1,310.
55, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 5,464, $1,300.
56, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 5,459, $1,290.
57, Jimmy Cook, Indianapolis, 5,449, $1,280.
58, Daniel Hannagan, Mt. Juliet, Tenn., 5,438, $1,270.
59, Ken Jessee, Huber Heights, Ohio, 5,436, $1,260.
60, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 5,428, $1,250.
61, Rick Hara, Darien, Ill., 5,424, $1,240.
62, John Szczerbinski, Wichita, Kan., 5,420, $1,230.
63, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 5,419, $1,220.
64, (tie) Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., and George Brooks, Loveland, Colo., 5,406, $1,213.
66, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 5,389, $1,205.
67, Patrick Girard, Canada, 5,385, $1,200.
68, Antonio Medina, Davenport, Iowa, 5,380, $1,195.
69, Matthew Zasowski, Buffalo, N.Y., 5,365, $1,190.
70, Tim Pfeifer, Cranberry Twp., Pa., 5,362, $1,185.
71, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 5,361, $1,180.
72, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 5,358, $1,175.
73, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 5,352, $1,170.
74, (tie) Josh Brown, Molalla, Ore., 5,347, and Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 5,347, $1,163.
76, (tie) Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla., 5,342, and Scott Gilmore, Lafayette, Ind., 5,342, $1,153.
78, Andro Simounet, Babson Park, Fla., 5,334, $1,145.
79, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 5,324, $1,140.
80, Chris Hansen, Chicago, 5,283, $1,135.
81, Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 5,279, $1,130.
82, Joe Green, Maplewood, Ohio, 5,254, $1,125.
83, Corey Young, Steeleville, Ill., 5,253, $1,120.
84, Craig Hanson, Orlando, Fla, 5,243, $1,115.
85, Terry Krawec, Canada, 5,205, $1,110.
86, Michael Christensen, Great Falls, Mont., 5,193, $1,105.
87, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., withdrew, $1,100.
88, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., withdrew, $1,100.
300 Games – Nathan Bohr, Mitch Beasley

Jurek Leading US Open Field

Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, NY, who ended a record 14-year drought between titles earlier this season, claimed the early second round lead in the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl Wednesday, averaging 222 for 12 games to take a 20-pin lead over Jason Wojnar of Chicago.

With one-third of the field of 352 yet to bowl Wednesday, Jurek had posted a
2,672 pinfall total to lead Wojnar’s 2,652. First round leader Robert Smith of
Columbus, Ohio, was third with 2,650 pins followed by Australian two-handed
player Jason Belmonte at 2,624 and Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, at 2,621.
Four-time U.S. Open champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, was 15 pins behind
Shafer.

Jurek, 46, is trying for his first PBA Tour major title after defeating Mike
Fagan of Patchogue, NY, to win the PBA Shark Championship over Labor Day
weekend in Detroit and end his quest for a second title. With the pressure to
end his streak gone, he has bowled himself into unfamiliar territory in a
tournament that has traditionally stymied him.

“This is by far the best start I’ve ever had in a U.S. Open,” he said. “The
whole season has been going well. It’s a combination of things.

“Today I started with a 179, but then I stumbled into a little better shot. The
second squad has always been a little tougher for me because the condition is
broken down and you have to move to an inside angle where the ball returns get
in the way on the right lane,” Jurek added. “This year I’ve been able to stay a
little farther right, so I felt like I bowled 200 (pins) over (a 200 average)
today.

“I know the lanes will be different tomorrow morning, but I usually do a little
better on the freshly-oiled surfaces.”

Wojnar, a 30-year-old Chicago area pro shop operator, is contending for his
first PBA Tour title after an unsuccessful season as a PBA Tour exempt player
during the 2006-07 season.

“My secret today was keeping my hand behind the ball and letting it roll. Any
time I got my hand to the side of the ball, I got too much reaction,” he said.
“It’s something I worked on last year after what I learned out on tour."

“It stinks to get one chance to bowl on tour and you’re out if you don’t earn
enough points, but it was a great learning experience. I learned a lot and
that’s what helped me today. I only used two balls. You have to limit your
equipment options, or you start second-guessing yourself. I know what these two
balls do, so I’m sticking with the basics.”

Other players who made huge moves Wednesday included PBA Player of the
Year contender Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., was averaged 242 during the
second round to advance from 185th place to 10th, and reigning PBA Player of
the Year Wes Malott, who jumped from 135th place to 25th among the early
finishers.

All players in the U.S. Open will bowl six more qualifying games Thursday before
the field is cut to the top 87 for a cashers’ round Friday morning. The top 24
will then advance to eight-game match play rounds Friday night and Saturday to
determine the four finalists for Sunday’s live ESPN telecast at 12:30 p.m.
Eastern. At stake in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s final major championship
of the 2009-10 season is a $60,000 first prize and a three-year PBA Tour
exemption.

67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Feb. 24

EARLY SECOND ROUND (top 50 after 12 games, 2/3 of field only)
1, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,672.
2, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 2,652.
3, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 2,650.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,624.
5, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,621.
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,606.
7, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,601.
8, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,599.
9, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,596.
10, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 2,590.
11, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,588.
12, Anthony Jordan, Sycamore, Ill., 2,583.
13, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 2,569.
14, Chad Kloss, West Allis, Wis., 2,567.
15, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 2,559.
16, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,555.
17, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 2,549.
18, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,548.
19, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,542.
20, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,537.
21, John Szczerbinski, Wichita, Kan., 2,530.
22, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,522.
23, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 2,521.
24, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 2,520.
25, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,512.
26, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 2,510.
27, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,505.
28, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 2,503.
29, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 2,502.
30, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,500.
31, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 2,497.
32, (tie) Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., and Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 2,489.
34, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 2,485.
35, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 2,481.
36, Peter Spreadbury, Oak Forest, Ill., 2,480.
37, Jeff Clark, Indianapolis, 2,478.
38, Daniel Hannagan, Mt. Juliet, Tenn., 2,476.
39, Bob Hale, Louisville, Ky., 2,476.
40, (tie) Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., and Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 2,472.
42, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 2,470.
43, Corey Young, Steeleville, Ill., 2,464.
44, Matthew Gasn, Laurel, Md., 2,460.
45, Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., 2,458.
46, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,457.
47, Jacob Peters, Decatur, Ill., 2,453.
48, Joe Bailey, Doylestown, Ohio, 2,450.
49, Justin Williams, Barrett, Tenn., 2,437.
50, Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 2,435

The Rev Monsters Lead The US OPEN

Robert Smith of Columbus, Ohio, rolled into the first round lead in the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl Tuesday, averaging 235.3 for his first six games to take a 16-pin lead over Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte.

Smith, a 36-year-old 13-year PBA Tour veteran, has won seven PBA
Tour titles, including the 2000 U.S. Open.

“This is by far my favorite tournament,” he said. “You go into this
event knowing you can’t give away the headpin. You’re going to have
your good games and your bad games, but you can’t give anything away. It calls for a different 
mindset.

“I fell into something today, and I basically had two pockets – the 1-3 and the Brooklyn side. It was
a good day.”

Smith, one of the strongest players ever to compete on the PBA Tour, has admittedly had an up-and
-down career, partly due to injuries caused by his power game. After 13 years of wear-and-tear, he
is forcing himself to adapt.

“I feel healthy for the first time in awhile,” he said, “but my game has changed. I’m not the gorilla I
thought I was once upon a time. Mentally, I still am, but physically, no. I can’t do what I used to do.
I’m learning to deal with it.”

Smith led the field of 352 players with a 1,396 pinfall total. Belmonte, in his first full year as a PBA 
Tour competitor after winning the Bowling Foundation Long Island Open a year ago, was second
with 1,380 pins. Third was Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, NY, who won the PBA Shark Championship
earlier in the season in Detroit, with 1,374 pins followed by defending U.S. Open champion Mike
Scroggins of Amarillo, TX, at 1,352 and Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ, with 1,350 pins.

All players in the U.S. Open will bowl 18 qualifying games before the field is cut to the top 87 for an
additional qualifying round Friday morning. The top 24 will then advance to eight-game match play
rounds Friday night and Saturday to determine the four finalists for Sunday’s live ESPN telecast at
12:30 p.m. Eastern. At stake in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s final major championship of the
2009-10 season is a $60,000 first prize and a three-year PBA Tour exemption.

FIRST ROUND (top 100 after 6 games)
1, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 1,396.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,380.
3, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,374.
4, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,352.
5, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,350.
6, Chad Kloss, West Allis, Wis., 1,348.
7, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,347.
8, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,346.
8, (tie) Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., and Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,342.
11, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,330.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,324.
13, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,320.
14, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,318.
15, Chris Tomlinson, Franklin, Tenn., 1,315.
16, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,308.
17, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 1,306.
18, Matthew Zasowski, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,304.
19, Peter Spreadbury, Oak Forest, Ill., 1,303.
20, Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 1,298.
21, Matthew Gasn, Laurel, Md., 1,294.
22, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,293.
23, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,291.
24, (tie) Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., and Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 1,289.
26, (tie) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., and Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,288.
28, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,287.
29, (tie) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,285.
31, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,284.
32, (tie) Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind.; Patrick Kendall, Greentown, Ind., and PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,283.
35, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,282.
36, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,281.
37, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 1,278.
38, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,272.
39, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,271.
40, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,267.
41, Scott Lavy, Troy, Mo, 1,265.
42, Fero Williams, Fairfield, Ohio, 1,263.
43, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,261.
44, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,258.
45, Jeff Clark, Indianapolis, 1,256.
46, Scott Gilmore, Lafayette, Ind., 1,253.
47, Mike Ragon, Marion, Ind., 1,251.
48, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,250.
49, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,245.
50, Tim Pfeifer, Cranberry Twp., Pa., 1,243.
51, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,238.
52, (tie) J.R. Raymond, Belleville, Ill.; Luis Rodriguez, Puerto Rico; Luke Matthys, Lafayette, Ind.,
    and Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 1,237.
56, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,234.
57, (tie) Bob Hale, Louisville, Ky.; Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, and Antonio Medina, Davenport, Iowa, 1,231.
60, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,230.
61, Anthony Jordan, Sycamore, Ill., 1,229.
62, (tie) Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss.; Timothy Behrendt, St Louis, and Jerry Gentry Jr., Topeka, Kan., 1,226.
65, (tie) Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., and Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,225.
67, David O'Sullivan, Orlando, Fla, 1,223.
68, (tie) Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, and George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,222.
70, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,221.
71, (tie) Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, and Matt Hartigan, Tupelo, Miss., 1,220.
73, John Szczerbinski, Wichita, Kan., 1,219.
74, (tie) Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla., and Jimmy Cook, Indianapolis, 1,218.
76, (tie) Austin Marsh, Anderson, Ind., and Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,216.
78, (tie) Joseph Steiner, Saginaw, Mich., and Aaron Buss, Freeport, Ill., 1,215.
80, (tie) Chris Werner, Rochester, N.Y.; Jeffrey Segneri, Tucson, Ariz., and Justin Williams, Barrett, Tenn., 1,214.
83, (tie) Joe Green, Maplewood, Ohio; Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,213.
86, (tie) Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, and Terry Krawec, Canada, 1,211.
88, (tie) Andrew Cain, Phoenix, and Corey Young, Steeleville, Ill., 1,209.
90, (tie) Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., and Billy Oatman, Chicago, 1,208.
92, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,207.
93, (tie) Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., and Kyle King, Glendale, Ariz., 1,206.
95, (tie) Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., and Mason Brantley, Detroit, 1,205.
97, Jaime Monroy, Colombia, 1,204.
98, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,203.
99, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,202.
100, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,199.

US Open Revisits Indianapolis' Woodland Bowl

The pressure couldn’t be more intense as the Professional Bowlers Association’s
final major championship of the 2009-10 gets underway in the 67th Lumber
Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl Tuesday, heading toward a Sunday
conclusion at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

The three previous majors this season have all produced storybook champions:
laid-off General Motors assembly line worker Tom Smallwood wins the PBA World 
Championship in a rags-to-riches story that has captured America’s heart; Kelly
Kulick breaks a 50-year-old gender barrier, becoming the first woman to not only
win a PBA Tour title, but a major championship in the Tournament of Champions,
and finally, Walter Ray Williams Jr., the most successful player in PBA Tour 
history, becomes the second-oldest player ever to win a major when he conquers
the USBC Masters at age 50.

This week, after a 14-year absence, the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open will add
another capture to its colorful history in a return to 80-lane Woodland Bowl, a
bowling center that has played a prominent role in the sport’s colorful history
for two decades.

The U.S. Open, considered by many to be the most challenging and most
cherished title to win in all of bowling, is an extreme test of bowling skill,
patience and perseverance. At the end of the line, the reward for the player who
overcomes the demanding U.S. Open lane conditions will be a $60,000 first prize
and a three-year PBA Tour exemption.

PBA fans will recall that last year’s U.S. Open in North Brunswick, NJ, was
the decisive event in the 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year race. While the
attention was focused on a battle between top-qualifier Norm Duke and defending
Player of the Year Chris Barnes in the stepladder final, Mike Scroggins of
Amarillo, TX, upset the apple cart, defeating both players for his second
career major title and handing the Player of the Year crown of Wes Malott.

Whoever wins at Woodland Bowl – which has hosted three previous U.S. Opens –
will add to the tournament’s legacy.

Woodland Bowl’s first U.S. Open was won by Ron Palombi Jr. who defeated
Amleto Monacelli, 269-205, in 1990. Most fans don’t remember Pete Weber was
nearly perfect in defeating Mark Thayer of nearby Lafayette, IN, 289-184, for the
1991 title, but everyone who watched certainly remembers the “eagle” trophy
crashing to the floor after Weber hoisted it over his head. In 1996, the Men’s 
and Women’s U.S. Opens were held side-by-side for the first time ever at
Woodland Bowl. The finals were contested before a crowd of 1,600 at Market 
Square Arena where Dave Husted defeated George Brooks to become the first
male to successfully defend his U.S. Open title and become the event’s first
three-time champion. A rookie on the women’s pro tour – Liz Johnson – won the
1996 Women’s U.S. Open.

The next chapter in U.S. Open history begins with 18 qualifying games for all
players – six games each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The field will then be
cut to the top 25 percent for a nine-game “casher’s round” on Friday. The top 24
after 27 games will then advance to three round-robin match play rounds Friday
night and Saturday.

The top four players will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals on Sunday
at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

The U.S. Open will also have a major impact on the 2009-10 PBA World Points
Ranking race with only four tournaments to follow. With “bonus points” at stake
because it’s a major, the pressure is on players who are battling for the xx
exemptions for the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.

Scroggins returns as the defending champion. Pete Weber will return to
Indianapolis seeking an unprecedented fifth U.S. Open title. Other past U.S. 
Open champions in the field will be Duke (2008), Tommy Jones (2006), Barnes
(2005), Williams (1998 and 2003), Mika Koivuniemi (2002), and Robert Smith
(2000).

Voss/Asbaty Win PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles

Coming from the No. 5 qualifying position, Hall of Famers Brian Voss of Alpharetta, GA, and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, won the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Sunday at Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge.

Voss, a member of the PBA Hall of Fame, and Asbaty,
a member of the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame, defeated No. 1 qualifiers
Jason Belmonte of Australia and Michelle Feldman of Auburn, NY, in the Baker
format championship match 234-212.

For Voss it was his 25th career Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title ranking him
10th on the all-time list and his first in four years. It was the second PBA
Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM title for Asbaty.

“Diandra bowled so well it took a lot of pressure off of me,” said the 51-year-old
Voss.  “Once we got to match play our strategy was that she would start and I
would finish and we stuck with that the whole tournament.

“This was special not just for myself but also because you have an opportunity to
share it with someone.”

The Baker format requires each member of the team to bowl alternate frames in a
game to combine for one score.

“Believe me, I couldn’t have done it without Brian,” Asbaty said. “We had good
chemistry right from the start.  Even though we qualified fifth for the finals,
we had a lot of confidence and the fact that we jumped out to big leads in the
first two matches helped make us feel we were in control.”

The Voss and Asbaty team had a scare in the championship match when Voss
missed a 10 pin spare in the eighth frame.

“I hadn’t thrown any shots on the right hand part of the lane all day and just
threw a bad shot,” Voss said.  “Fortunately it didn’t cost us.”

Voss and Asbaty shared in a $50,000 first prize and Belmonte and Feldman split
$26,000 for second.

“I thought after bowling  really well at the start it would eventually end for
them but it didn’t,” said Belmonte. “That’s the cruel part of bowling one game
for the title, but if it’s your day it can be the beauty of it as well.”

Voss and Asbaty began the finals by defeating 2009 PBA World Championship
winner Tom Smallwood and Jodi Woessner 276-224.  In the second match they
defeated Rhino Page and Shannon Pluhowsky 276-227, and in the semi-final beat
reigning PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott and Shannon O’Keefe 224-202 to get
to the championship match.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
BAYER DON AND PAULA CARTER MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge, Wheat Ridge, CO, Feb. 21

Final Standings
1, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga./Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, $50,000.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia/Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., $26,000.
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas/Shannon O’Keefe, Arlington, Texas, $16,000.
4, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla./Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, $12,000.
5, Tom Smallwood, Flushing, Mich./Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, $10,000.

Belmonte/Feldman Lead Through Matchplay at Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Sponsored by Bayer

Jason Belmonte of Australia and Michelle Feldman of Auburn, NY, picked up where they left off in qualifying and combined forces in match play to earn the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s stepladder finals of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles at Brunswick Zone, Wheat Ridge, Wheat Ridge CO.

Belmonte and Feldman combined for an 11-5 Baker format match play record and
a 7,289 30-game overall pinfall Friday giving the pair a 386-pin lead over No. 2
qualifiers, reigning PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott and Shannon O’Keefe.
O’Keefe, trying for her first PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM title,
won a PBA regional title on Feb. 5 in Houston.

The Baker format requires each player to alternate frames in a game to combine
for one score.

“The only strategy we had was determining which lane we felt best bowling on,”
said Belmonte, the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year. “We have a lot of
confidence in each other right now which helps develop a good rhythm which I feel
is very important in a doubles or team situation."

“I think we’re pretty relaxed and confident for Sunday and we’ll formulate our
strategy then.”

Belmonte, using his unique two-handed delivery, is trying for his second career
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title and Feldman her third PBA Women’s
Series title.

“It’s easy to help each other because we both have a lot of hook,” Feldman said.
“We both play the same part of the lane so it’s just a matter of making little
adjustments here and there.”

Qualifying No. 3 for the finals were three-time PBA Tour titlist Rhino Page and
two-time Women’s Series titlist Shannon Pluhowsky.

The opening stepladder match will be between No. 4 qualifiers, 2009 PBA World
Championship winner Tom Smallwood and Jodi Woessner against No. 5 qualifers
PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss and World Bowling Writers Hall of Famer titlist
Diandra Asbaty.

Voss converted a crucial 7-10 split in the eighth frame of the last match to keep
his team in contention for a TV finals position.

The Mixed Doubles finals will be televised live by ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern (11
a.m. Mountain) on Sunday.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
BAYER DON AND PAULA CARTER MIXED DOUBLES
Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge, Wheat Ridge, CO, Round 4
(After 30 games, including match play records and pinfall including bonus pins.
Top five teams advance to Sunday’s stepladder finals).

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia/Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., 11-5, 7,289.
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas/Shannon O’Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 12-4, 6,903.
3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla./Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 9-7, 6,888.
4, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich./Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 10-6, 6,883.
5, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga./Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 9-7, 6,839.
6, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich./Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 11-5, 6,811, $4,500.
7, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind./Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 8-8, 6,774, $4,400.
8, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C./Clara Guerro, Colombia, 9-7, 6,718, $4,100.
9, Stuart Williams, England/Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 8-8, 6,715, $3,900.
10, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash./Laura Hardeman, Chula Vista, Calif., 9-7, 6,654, $3,650.
Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla./Lindsay Baker, Amherst, N.Y., 5-11, 6,654, $3,650.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas/Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6-10, 6,607, $3,500.
13, Steve Harman, Indianapolis/Missy Bellinder, Lake Forest, Calif., 5-11, 6,540, $3,400.
14, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan./Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 6-10, 6,478, $3,300.
15, Walter Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla./Stefanie Nation, Grand Prairie, Texas, 6-10, 6,462, $3,200.
16, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y./Brenda Edwards, Mansfield, Texas, 4-12, 6,355, $3,100.

Belmonte and Feldman Top Qualifying For PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Sponsored by Bayer

After earning top qualifier honors, 2008-09 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Rookie of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia and Michelle Feldman of Auburn, NY, will head a field of 16 mixed doubles teams going into Friday’s match play rounds in the Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles at Brunswick Zone, Wheat Ridge, CO.

Looking for his second Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title, Belmonte led the 64-player PBA Tour men’s field with a 3,389 14-game pinfall (242 average). Belmonte, who has a two-handed delivery, had games of 245, 257, 258, 268, 220, 233 and 211 in Thursday’s seven-game qualifying round.
“She’s bowling great and I’m bowling great and what more can you ask for than
that,” Belmonte said of his pairing with Feldman. “Michelle’s a winner, she’s won titles so I’m looking forward to bowling with someone that has the experience she has.”

Feldman, a two-time PBA Women’s Series titlist ended Thursday’s qualifying with a 3,199 14-game overall pinfall (228 average). She had games of 258, 229, 211, 194, 258, 217 and 247 in Thursday’s qualifying round.

“The one thing we have in common is that we’re here to bowl well and try the
best we can,” Feldman said. “I haven’t had a real good year so this is the last
hurrah for me this season and I’m hoping we can make the best of it.”

The PBA Tour players and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM players competed in separate qualifying rounds which determined the doubles parings. Based on their qualifying ranking, the top 16 men and top 16 women are paired together to compete in Baker format match play beginning Friday. After 16 head-to-head doubles matches, the top five teams will advance to the stepladder finals. The finals format will also use the Baker format where each player will
bowl five alternate frames to combine for one score.

The Mixed Doubles finals will be televised live by ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern (11
a.m. Mountain) on Sunday, Feb. 21.

Fans can also follow all the action by subscribing to PBA.com’s video service
Xtra Frame.

PBA Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Field
Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge, Wheat Ridge, CO
Round 2 results (after 14 games)
Top 16 paired with top 16 from PBA Women’s Series Field based on qualifying order
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,389.
2, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,250.
3, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,241.
4, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,237.
5, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,235.
6, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,212.
7, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 3,207.
8, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 3,202.
9, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,197.
10, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,189.
11, Stuart Williams, England, 3,186.
12, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 3,168.
13, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., and Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,158.
15, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 3,137.
16, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,133.
17, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,120, $2,900.
18, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 3,118, $2,800.
19, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 3,110, $2,650.
21, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 3,107, $2,500.
22, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,089, $2,350.
24, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 3,066, $2,200.
25, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 3,060, $2,150.
26, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,056, $2,100.
27, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,055, $2,050.
28, Jonathan Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,047, $2,000.
29, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,039, $1,950.
30, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., and Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, 3,037, $1,875.
32, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,035, $1,800.
33, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 3,029, $1,750.
34, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,026, $1,700
35, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 3,022., $1,650.
36, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,014, $1,620.
37, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,008, $1,590.
38, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,003, $1,570.
39, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 3,002, $1,550.
40, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,993, $1,530.
41, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,989, $1,520.
42, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,984, $1,510.
43, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,979, $1,500.
44, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 2,971, $1,490.
45, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 2,969, $1,480.
46, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 2,955, $1,470.
47, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 2,950, $1,460.
48, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,946, $1,450.
49, George Lambert IV, Canada, 2,943, $1,440.
50, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 2,941, $1,430.
51, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 2,940, $1,420.
52, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,938, $1,410.
53, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 2,930, $1,400.
54, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,914, $1,400.
55, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,895, $1,400.
56, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 2,867, $1,400.
Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 2,867, $1,400.
58, Steven Black, Phoenix, 2,858, $1,400.
59, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,857, $1,400.
60, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 2,821, $1,400.
61, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 2,814, $1,400.
62, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 2,783, $1,400.
63, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,728, $1,400.
64, Lawrence Marquez, Lakewood, Colo., 2,528, $1,400.

PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Field
Round 2 results (after 14 games)

1, Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., 3,199.
2, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 3,084.
3, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,080.
4, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,063.
5, Lindsay Baker, Amherst, N.Y., 3,041.
6, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 2,975.
7, Missy Bellinder, Lake Forest, Calif., 2,928.
8, Brenda Edwards, Mansfield, Texas, 2,927.
9, Stefanie Nation, Grand Prairie, Texas, 2,923.
10, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,915.
11, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 2,909.
12, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 2,903.
13, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 2,896.
14, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 2,882.
15, Laura Hardeman, Chula Vista, Calif., 2,871.
16, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 2,870.
17, Christine Bator, Warren, Mich., 2,869, $1,400.
18, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 2,855, $1,400.
19, Kathy Tribbey, Dundee, Ore., 2,847, $1,400.
20, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 2,840, $1,400.
21, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,826, $1,400.
22, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,814, $1,400.
23, Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo., 2,808, $1,400.
24, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 2,807, $1,400.
25, Jacqui Reese, Roseto, Pa., 2,757, $1,400.
26, Trisha Reid, Columbus, Ohio, 2,746, $1,400.
27, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 2,741, $1,400.
28, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,740, $1,400.
29, Kayla Bandy, Pikeville, Ky., 2,721, $1,400.
30, Samantha Williams, Hunt Valley, Md., 2,660, $1,400.
31, Crystal Schoneman, Grand Prairie, Texas, 2,636, $1,400.
32, Amanda Beck, Patchogue, N.Y., 2,629, $1,400.

Belmonte and Woessner Lead PBA Doubles Event

Two-handed specialist Jason Belmonte of Australia and Jodi Woessner of Oregon, Ohio, were the first round qualifying leaders Wednesday in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles at Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge.

Belmonte, last season’s PBA Rookie of the Year and the first two-hander to win a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title, had a 1,697 seven-game pinfall (242 average) to lead the 64-player men’s field. He had games of 222, 256, 238, 237, 289, 220 and 235.

Having to negotiate an extreme inside shot in today’s first round matched up
well with Belmonte’s technique as a two-handed player.

“You’ll find that most two-handers hook the ball a lot,” said the 26-year-old
Belmonte. “So any time we can use a lot of the lane it’s to our advantage.

“Obviously having a big hook is not conducive to all conditions on Tour but it’s
nice to be able to take advantage of a condition where you can throw the big
hook.”

Woessner, who owns one PBA Women’s Series title, led the 32-player women’s field with a 1,640 seven-game pinfall (234 average) which included a 300 game. She had games of 221, 202, 226, 214, 243, 300 and 234.

Woessner holds a five-pin lead over 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, in second with 1,635. Kulick’s Tournament of
Champions win on Jan. 24 landed her a place in sports history by becoming the
first woman to win a PBA Tour title.

“I was really concentrating on keeping a tight line to the pocket,” Woessner
said. “I was also able to make the right ball choice and stayed ahead of the
changing lane conditions by making the right adjustments.”

The PBA Tour male players and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM players compete in separate qualifying rounds which will continue Thursday. Based on their ranking after qualifying concludes, the top 16 men and top 16 women will be paired together to compete in match play on Friday. After 16 head-to-head doubles matches, the top five teams will advance to the stepladder finals. The finals format will use the Baker format where each player will bowl five alternate frames to combine for one score.

The Mixed Doubles finals will be televised live by ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern (11
a.m. Mountain) on Sunday, Feb. 21.

PBA Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Field
Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge, Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Round 1 results (after 7 games)

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,697.
2, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,682.
3, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,672.
4, Tyler Jensen, Keller, Texas, 1,661.
5, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,650.
6, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,648.
7, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,640.
8, Jonathan Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,628.
9, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,619.
10, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,617.
11, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,616.
12, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 1,614.
13, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,609.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,600.
16, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,599.
17, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,598.
18, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, Fla., 1,596.
19, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,591.
20, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,558.
21, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,556.
22, Stuart Williams, England, 1,553.
23, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,543.
24, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., and Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 1,539.
26, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 1,536.
27, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 1,533.
28, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,531.
29, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 1,525.
Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 1,525.
31, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,519.
32, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Steven Black, Phoenix, 1,518.
34, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 1,509.
35, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,506.
36, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,501.
37, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,499.
38, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,490.
39, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 1,489.
40, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,487.
41, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 1,486.
42, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,485.
43, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,482.
44, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,480.
45, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,479.
46, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,475.
47, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,474.
48, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,473.
49, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., and Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,471.
51, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,468.
52, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,464.
53, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,458.
54, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,446.
55, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,441.
56, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,432.
57, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 1,416.
58, George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,412.
59, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,398.
60, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,393.
61, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,384.
62, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,379.
63, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,355.
64, Lawrence Marquez, Lakewood, Colo., 1,257.

PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Field
Round 1 results (after 7 games)

1, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 1,640.
2, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,635.
3, Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., 1,585.
4, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 1,511.
5, Lindsay Baker, Amherst, N.Y., 1,509.
6, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 1,488.
7, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 1,482.
8, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 1,458.
9, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Laura Hardeman, Chula Vista, Calif., 1,449.
11, Stefanie Nation, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1,446.
12, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 1,442.
13, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 1,438.
14, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,430.
15, Brenda Edwards, Mansfield, Texas, 1,429.
16, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 1,421.
17, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 1,408.
18, Christine Bator, Warren, Mich., 1,390.
19, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 1,387.
20, Trisha Reid, Columbus, Ohio, 1,386.
21, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 1,383.
22, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 1,381.
23, Missy Bellinder, Lake Forest, Calif., 1,379.
24, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 1,362.
25, Kathy Tribbey, Dundee, Ore., 1,354.
26, Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,330.
27, Amanda Beck, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,325.
28, Jacqui Reese, Roseto, Pa., 1,320.
29, Kayla Bandy, Pikeville, Ky., 1,319.
30, Samantha Williams, Hunt Valley, Md., 1,306.
31, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,265.
32, Crystal Schoneman, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1,259.

WRWJr Just Keeps Rolling, Wins USBC Masters

Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, won his second United States Bowling Congress Masters title Sunday, defeating top seed Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX, 290-217, at the National Bowling Stadium.

The victory was Williams' 47th on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers
Association Tour, extending his record for the most in PBA Tour history, while
also moving him up to a tie for second with eight career major titles.

"This is just another little feather, it's just awesome," said Williams, who
defeated Barnes, 268-239, to win the January 2004 USBC Masters also at the
National Bowling Stadium. "It's hard to explain it better than that. To win any
tournament is awesome, and the bigger ones are even better."

Williams is now tied with Pete Weber and Mike Aulby with eight career major
titles, but all three players trail USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Earl Anthony, who
won 10 majors and 43 total titles.

"I really don't envision that I can get to 10, but I'm not giving up yet," said
Williams, who turned 50 in 2009. "I'm going to go out there and plug along as
good as I can, and the year that I'm no longer exempt out here, that's when I
will have had enough."

In the title match against Barnes, Williams got off to a shaky start, going high
on his first shot, breaking up a split and leaving a 7 pin. From there, he was
perfect, finishing with 11 consecutive strikes to take home the $50,000 prize
and two-year PBA Tour exemption.

Williams said the turning point in the match was when Barnes left a 10 pin in
the fourth frame, but he managed to carry a similar shot in the fifth frame.

"Chris left that weak 10 pin after a scout came over and touched it but didn't
knock it over, and then I step up and leave a 10 pin but the scout comes over
and gets it," Williams said. "That helped me get a little more comfortable, and
from that point, every one of my strikes was high flush."

Looking back on the loss, Barnes said he thought he threw the ball well, but it
was the way the lanes broke down in practice that had a major impact.

"I lost this one in the practice session," said Barnes, who finished second in
the season's second major, losing to Kelly Kulick, 265-195, in the PBA
Tournament of Champions three weeks ago. "He played further right than I
anticipated. When I broke them down, it made the lanes pretty good for me, but
it had no affect on him."

When Williams and Barnes met for the Masters title in 2004, the scenario set up
the same way. Barnes was the top seed, while Williams was No. 2.

"The last two Masters here in Reno, I've gone undefeated in match play, I
haven't lost a three-game match, yet I haven't won either tournament," said
Barnes, who made it through the double-elimination bracket unscathed in both
events. "TV is one of the best things the sport has going for it, but it is
probably the worst thing I have going for me personally."

To reach the championship match, Williams defeated No. 3 seed Ryan Ciminelli of
Buffalo, NY, 258-224. Ciminelli advanced with a 246-229 victory over fourth
seed Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, TX, in the opening match.

The 2010 USBC Masters featured a field of 267 of the top professional and
amateur bowlers in the world, competing for an overall prize fund of $255,000.

2010 USBC MASTERS
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Sunday
Final standings
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, FL, 548 (two games), $50,000.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX, 217 (one game), $25,000.
3, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY, 470 (two games), $15,000.
4, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, TX, 229 (one game), $10,000.

Stepladder results
Match One - Ciminelli def. Scroggins, 246-229.
Match Two - Williams def. Ciminelli, 258-224.
Championship - Williams def. Barnes, 290-217.

USBC Masters Matchplay

The field of survivors in the United States Bowling Congress Masters is down to 32 heading into the final rounds of match play at the National Bowling Stadium today, and there are several great storylines heading into the battle for berths in Sunday’s ESPN finals.

The USBC Masters is the third of our major championship tournaments on the
2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour schedule. The four players who survive
today’s eliminations matches will battle for the $50,000 first prize and a
two-year PBA Tour exemption in the ESPN finals Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern (noon Pacific).

Three-game match play rounds will be conducted all day and into the evening
Friday to whittle the field to four survivors. Bowling fans can keep up with the
action by watching free video streaming on pba.com’s Xtra Frame. To access this week’s complimentary Xtra Frame coverage, fans must download free Silverlight
software which also is accessible on the pba.com home page.

Among the 16 undefeated players heading into Friday’s the three-game,
double-elimination match play finals are five past Masters champions: Rick
Steelsmith of Wichita, KS (1987); Doug Kent of Newark, NY (1991 and 2006);
Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ (2001); Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL
(Jan. 2004) and Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, TX (2005).

Also among the undefeated players were:

* Qualifying leader Chris Loschetter of Avon, OH, and No. 2 qualifier Jason
Belmonte, Australia’s two-handed practitioner.

* Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, the “storybook” player of the season, who
lost his job at General Motors last year, but went on to win the PBA World
Championship in December.

* PBA Hall of Famer and 34-time PBA Tour titlist Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, who is still trying to win the first Masters title for the legendary Weber family.
Pete’s late father Dick Weber was a 26-time PBA Tour champion, but never won the Masters.

* PBA Players of the Year Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX (2007-08) and Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX (2008-09) are both trying for the first Masters Title.

* Loschetter is among the 10 surviving players – including nine who face uphill
battles through the “losers bracket” after sustaining one loss Thursday – who
are trying to become the fifth player to win his first PBA Tour singles title
this season.

Here’s a summary of Thursday’s early match play rounds:

2010 USBC MASTERS
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, NV, Feb. 11, 2010

THREE-GAME, DOUBLE-ELIMINATION MATCH PLAY
OPENING ROUND (with players’ qualifying positions in parenthesis)
(1) Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. (61) Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 673-573.
(33) Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., def. (29) Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 697-636.
(45) Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., def. (17) Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 643-642.
(13) Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., def. (49) John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 695-684.
(41) Jonathan Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., def. (21) Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 588-586.
(9) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., def. (53) Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 596-594.
(25) Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. (37) Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 614-595.
(5) Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., def. (57) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 729-695.
(3) Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. (63) Paul Bober, Morton Grove, Ill., 634-631.
(35) Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., def. (31) Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 684-501.
(19) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., def. (47) Ronnie Horton, Christiansburg, Va., 717-661.
(15) Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., def. (51) John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 688-594.
(43) Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, def. (23) Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 662-619.
(11) Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, def. (55) Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 702-652.
(27) Andrew Cain, Phoenix, def. (39) Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 703-639.
(59) Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., def. (7) Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 679-654.
(2) Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. (62) Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 658-580.
(30) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, def. (34) Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 636-611.
(18) Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., def. (46) Bob Aleksinski, Hillsboro, Ore., 700-582.
(14) Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., def. (50) PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 695-575.
(42) Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. (22) Andres Gomez, Colombia, 617-532.
(54) Erik Vermilyea, Mansfield, Texas, def. (10) Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 648-575.
(26) Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., def. (38) Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 617-564.
(58) Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., def. (6) Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 647-645.
(4) Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. (64) Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 634-552.
(32) John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., def. (36) Derek Eoff, Arlington, Texas, 668-662.
(48) Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., def. (20) Andrew Frawley, Australia, 588-532.
(52) Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., def. (16) Andrew Loose, Chicago, 633-558.
(24) Mike DeVaney, San Diego, def. (44) David Langer, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 652-546.
(56) Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., def. (12) Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 678-670.
(28) Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., def. (40) Dan Bock, Albert Lea, Minn., 666-661.
(8) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, def. (60) Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 685-545.

ROUND 1 WINNERS BRACKET
Loschetter def. Reyes, 705-638.
Steelsmith def. Page, 716-688.
Weber def. Van Hees, 746-648.
O'Neill def. Shafer, 646-616.
Smallwood def. P. Allen, 609-591.
Williams Jr. def. McCune, 680-630.
Scroggins def. Lehtonen, 556-543.
Bohn III def. Cain, 699-622.
Belmonte def. Monacelli, 671-610.
Ciccone def. Jurek, 602-570.
Ciminelli def. Vermilyea, 696-672.
Carter def. Edwards, 683-608.
Barnes def. Nolen, 696-642.
Boresch Jr. def. Newell, 577-566.
Kent def. DeVaney, 625-578.
Malott def. Wodka, 708-593.

ROUND 1 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,600)
Bock def. Mack, 617-507.
R. Allen def. O'Grady, 682-633.
Haugen Jr. def. Langer, 644-643.
Koivuniemi def. Janawicz, 656-587.
Fagan def. Frawley, 701-592.
Abel def. Loose, 659-627.
Brandon def. LeClair, 652-604.
Angelo def. Eoff, 671-603.
Waliczek def. Bober, 594-586.
MacLelland def. D'Ambrosio III, 647-610.
Gomez def. Horton, 581-545.
May def. Castillo, 593-588.
Voss def. Aleksinski, 598-542.
Haggerty def. Miyamoto, 626-555.
Harman def. Warren, 604-580.
Jones def. VanDaniker Jr., 632-586.

ROUND 2 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Bock def. Cain, 601-593.
R. Allen def. McCune, 694-647.
Haugen Jr. def. Lehtonen, 667-666.
P. Allen def. Koivuniemi, 721-636.
Van Hees def. Fagan, 603-569.
Reyes def. Abel, 759-544.
Shafer def. Brandon, 595-572.
Angelo def. Page, 646-632.
Wodka def. Waliczek, 671-654.
Newell def. MacLelland, 588-561.
Gomez def. DeVaney, 733-729.
May def. Nolen, 699-595.
Vermilyea def. Voss, 621-597.
Haggerty def. Monacelli, 592-580.
Edwards def. Harman, 687-655.
Jurek def. Jones, 697-624.

Loschetter Leads into Matchplay at the USBC Masters

Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, maintained his lead at the United States Bowling Congress Masters and now is in familiar territory heading into the double-elimination match-play portion of the event.

The 29-year-old right-hander, Wednesday's second-round leader, finished
qualifying Thursday with a 15-game total of 3,498, an average of 233.2, to lead
the field of 267 of the best professional and amateur bowlers in the world at
the 78-lane National Bowling Stadium. He earned the top seed for
double-elimination match play, which begins at 7 p.m. EST today.

Loschetter will be joined in match play by 62 other qualifiers and defending
champion John Nolen of Grand Blanc, MI. The 64 bowlers will compete to
determine the four players who will advance to Sunday's championship round,
which will be televised live on ESPN at 3 p.m. EST. The winner will take home
$50,000 and a two-year Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exemption.

"I've had a great reaction all week, and I feel like I'm throwing it well, but
it's a whole new tournament now," said Loschetter, who also earned top-qualifier
honors at the 2007 Masters. "At this point, I can't worry about trying to beat
my opponent, no matter who it is. I'm just going to focus on keeping my shoulder loose, and if I do what I've been doing, I think I'll be tough to beat."

Loschetter is still searching for his first win on the PBA Tour. Although there
is still a long road to Sunday's championship round, he is confident entering
match play. His first opponent will be No. 61 Tim Mack of Indianapolis.

"My confidence was high coming in because I thought I'd bowl well on this
pattern and because I've had past success in this tournament," said Loschetter,
whose highest finish this season was sixth at the Shark Championship. "I played inside the first day and outside yesterday and today, so I know I have different looks. Now it's just a matter of good shotmaking and focusing on my own game."

Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte earned the No. 2 seed Thursday with a 3,421 total and was followed by Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, FL (3,404), Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX (3,377) and Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY (3,369). First-round leader Brian Voss of Alpharetta, GA, qualified 23rd with 3,251.

Nolen, the No. 32 seed, will open match play against former Team USA member
Derek Eoff of Arlington, Texas, the No. 36 seed.

For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com. All qualifying and
match-play rounds this week are being broadcast at no charge on pba.com courtesy of the PBA's Xtra Frame live streaming service.

2010 USBC MASTERS
At National Bowling Stadium, Reno, NV
Thursday's results

QUALIFYING ROUND 3
(15 games; Top 63 plus defending champion John Nolen advance)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,498.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,421.
3, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,404.
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,377.
5, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,369.
6, Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,348.
7, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,342.
8, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,316.
9, (tie) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,315.
11, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,314.
12, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,309.
13, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 3,305.
14, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,291.
15, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,282.
16, Andrew Loose, Chicago, 3,280.
17, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 3,278.
18, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,269.
19, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,262.
20, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 3,260.
21, (tie) Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., and Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,255.
23, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 3,251.
24, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 3,249.
25, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,246.
26, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 3,242.
27, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,236.
28, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 3,231.
29, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,226.
30, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,219.
31, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 3,218.
32, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 3,217.
33, (tie) Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich.,3,211.
35, Derek Eoff, Arlington, Texas, 3,209.
36, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 3,195.
37, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,185.
38, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 3,184.
39, Dan Bock, Albert Lea, Minn., 3,183.
40, Jonathan Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,180.
41, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,179.
42, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 3,178.
43, David Langer, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 3,175.
44, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,173.
45, Bob Aleksinski, Hillsboro, Ore., 3,167.
46, Ronnie Horton, Christiansburg, Va., 3,162.
47, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,158.
48, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 3,157.
49, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 3,151.
50, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 3,149.
51, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 3,139.
52, Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 3,120.
53, Erik Vermilyea, Mansfield, Texas, 3,114.
54, Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 3,113.
55, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 3,110.
56, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,107.
57, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,106.
58, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,099.
59, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 3,097.
60, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 3,089.
60, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,089.
62, Paul Bober, Morton Grove, Ill., 3,088.
63, Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 3,068.

DID NOT ADVANCE
64, Rick Bell, Clinton, Utah, 3,044., $1,400
65, Tony Yarbrough, Rogersville, Mo., 3,017., $1,200
66, George Brooks, Loveland, Colo., 3,008., $1,200
67, James Krafft, Eagle River, Alaska, 2,961., $1,200

Loschetter Takes Over the Lead at the USBC Masters

Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, played a part of the lane most of the other players in the field were avoiding Wednesday night as he took the overall lead after 10 games at the 2010 United States Bowling Congress Masters.

Loschetter decided to play the outside part of the lane, while a majority of his competitors chose to play a deep inside line. The decision worked as Loschetter moved into the lead with a total of 2,343, an average of 234.3, at the National Bowling Stadium.

"I had a good look in practice today playing out, so that's where I stayed the whole block," Loschetter said. "I felt like if I played them a little straighter then the transition out there was a little more manageable."

With a big lead, Loschetter is already looking ahead to match play. The top 67 players after Wednesday advanced to a final five-game qualifying block Thursday morning. The top 63 players will then join defending champion John Nolen in the double-elimination match-play bracket starting Thursday afternoon.

"The key is not to focus on what I've done in qualifying," Loschetter said. "I have to keep an open mind in match play. I have a good ball reaction, so it's really all mental at this point."

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, fired 289 in the fourth game Wednesday and sits in second place, 14 pins behind Loschetter. Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, is third, 57 pins back, while two-hander Jason Belmonte of Australia sits in fourth, 58 pins off the pace.

Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, FL, led the first squad of the day but dropped to fifth overall, trailing Loschetter by 75 pins. Allen, who was second after qualifying at last year's Masters, said the real focus is when the tournament reaches match play.

"I qualified second heading into match play last year and then lost my first two matches and was out," Allen said. "Nobody really remembers what you do at this point. It's all about getting to the next round."

Colombia's Andres Gomez fired the tournament's first perfect game, connecting on 12 consecutive strikes in the fourth game Wednesday. Gomez is 13th, 126 pins off the lead.

At the end of 10 games, two players tied for 67th place and had a one-game roll-off for the final spot in Thursday's final five-game block. Daniel Miyamoto of Mililani, Hawaii, defeated George Lambert IV of Canada, 268-215, to advance.

For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com.