Scott Newell of Deland, FL, defeated Michael Clark Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio, 227-180, to win the Professional Bowlers Association Regional (PBA) Players Championship-East at Thunderbowl Lanes Monday.
The win earned Newell $6,000, an “elite” berth in the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions and his third career title as a PBA regional competitor.
Newell entered the 32-player single-elimination match play finals as the No. 27 qualifier. He slipped past Nathan Bohr of Wichita, KS, 4-3, in the best-of-seven-game opening round; swept Jim Tomek Jr. of Camp Hill, PA, 3-0, in the best-of-five Round of 16, and then defeated Chicago’s Jason Wojnar, 2-0, in the best-of-three Round of 8 to reach the semifinal round where he eliminated Jeff Hicks of Allen Park, MI, 189-159, in a one-game match.
Newell, 28, hopes his Regional Players Championship is a turning point in an up-and-down career. In 2010, he had a streak of eight consecutive PBA South Region tournaments where he finished in the top 10, but over the next 16 regional and national tournaments, he didn’t finish in the top 10 once.
“I’ve made a lot of changes to my game,” he said. “I’ve really worked hard at it, mostly through competition because I need to see the result in competition to know if what I’m doing is actually working. I’ve been bowling real well in non-PBA events recently, so I felt good coming into this event.
“I kind of knew that one of these days there was going to be a breakthrough, and hopefully things will go well from here.”
Newell has aspirations of succeeding on the PBA National Tour, but he also knows what he’s up against.
“Bowling on the national tour is so much different,” he said. “Those guys are so good, and what they do to the lane conditions is amazing. But you either figure it out or you go home, and I’m not ready to go home yet.”
PROFESSIONAL BOWLERS ASSOCIATION REGIONAL PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP-EAST
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Monday
CHAMPIONSHIP Scott Newell, Deland, Fla. ($6,000) def. Michael Clark Jr., Cleveland, Ohio ($3,000), 227-180.
SEMIFINAL ROUND (best of 3 games, losers eliminated and earn $2,000)
Clark def. John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 245-233.
Newell def. Jeff Hicks, Allen Park, Mich., 189-159.
ROUND OF 8 (best of 3 games, losers eliminated and earn $1,400 each)
Clark def. Mike Steil, Wheeling, Ill., 2-0.
Szczerbinski def. Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2-1.
Hicks def. Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 2-1.
Newell def. Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 2-0.
ROUND OF 16 (best of 5 games, losers eliminated and earn $1,000 each)
Steil def. Dustin Baker, Melbourne, Ky., 3-1.
Clark def. Larry Verble, Mason, Mich., 3-0.
Buss def. Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3-1.
Szczerbinski def. Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 3-2.
Newell def. Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 3-0.
Wojnar def. Steven Taylor, Deer Creek, Ill., 3-0.
LeMond def. Greg Stahora, West Hazelton, Pa., 3-1.
Hicks def. Adam Voth, Danville, Ky., 3-1.
ROUND OF 32 (best of 7 games, losers eliminated and earn $750 each)
Baker def. Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich., 4-3.
Steil def. Paul Pinto, Philadelphia, 4-0.
Verble def. Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 4-3.
Clark def. Floyd Raymond, Saginaw, Mich., 4-2.
Buss def. Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 4-1.
Sterner def. Kip Roberts, Glenallen, Va., 4-3.
Waliczek def. Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 4-3.
Szczerbinski def. Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 4-0.
Newell def. Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 4-3.
Tomek def. Chad Maas, Waukesha, Wis., 4-1.
Wojnar def. Dave Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 4-2.
Taylor def. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 4-1.
Stahora def. Mason Brantley, Detroit, 4-3.
LeMond def. Aaron Williams, Pennsauken, N.J., 4-0.
Hicks def. Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 4-1.
Voth def. Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 4-2.
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