GEICO World Bowling Tour Finals Kicks Off Bowling Coveage

An international journey that began in Helsinki, Finland, in January 2011 and ended 10 months later in Las Vegas will kick off the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)’s 2011-12 television season Sunday when the men’s and women’s finals of the inaugural GEICO World Bowling Tour (WBT) Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association airs at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The men’s field will feature reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, a resident of Hartland, MI, who returned to his native Finland to win the Brunswick Ballmaster Open and take a lead in the WBT points race that he never gave up. The World Tenpin Bowling Association’s inaugural World Bowling Tour series included stops in France, Kuwait, Thailand, Korea and Australia, plus the U.S. Open and United States Bowling Congress Masters. 

 

In Sunday’s WBT men’s final, Koivuniemi will meet the winner of a one-game match between No. 2 qualifier Sean Rash of Suburban Chicago (Montgomery, IL), and No. 3 Jason Belmonte of Australia. Rash and Belmonte made news over the summer after a confrontation over distractions Belmonte allegedly made with his plastic water bottle during the PBA’s GEICO Team Shootout series in Chicago.

In the one-hour women’s finals which immediately follows the men’s finals on ESPN, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, a PBA Women’s Series champion and 20-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association title winner, will meet the winner of a match between veteran Swedish star Nina Flack and her Team Sweden teammate, 20-year-old Sandra Andersson.

The winner in each division will receive $10,000. Second place will pay $6,000 and third will receive $4,000.

The GEICO World Bowling Tour Finals are the first shows in an 18-event PBA Tour series that will air on Sundays on ESPN, concluding with the live PBA Tournament of Champions telecast from Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas on April 15. In addition to the ESPN telecasts, the PBA will produce four Xtra Frame Tour events which will be webcast exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel.

Xtra Frame also will air a World Bowling Tour Finals pre-game show starting Wednesday and will immediately follow the ESPN telecast with a post-game show. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Coming in 2012, The Defiant from Roto Grip

On the way to store shelves, the Roto Grip Defiant. 

The 3000-grit Abralon® finished Blue/Purple/Black “MicroBite Solid Reactive” coverstock wraps the “Paragon™” core.  With a Radius of Gyration (RG) of  2.49 in a #15 ball with an RG Differential of .054. 

World Wide Release Date: 1/10/12

Professional Bowling Returns to ESPN

Hammer Adds A Brick

Hammer plans to add a Brick. With an advanced new core design matched with the strongest veneer (GTR Hybrid) ever used on a Hammer ball at this performance level, Hammer touts “the Brick is destined to be a staple in every bowler’s bag.”

The new “Brick Mirror Plane Asymmetric (MPA)” core design is completely asymmetric in shape, a highly unusual feature of the ball. The core is not high mass bias; however the low Radius of Gyration (RG) is not in the geometric center of the ball.

“This core shape was designed for a specific purpose,” explained Ron Hickland, Ball Design Engineering Manager. “The pro shop operator can tweak ball motion by making smaller layout changes when drilling the Brick. Those smaller layout changes will produce bigger performance changes in ball motion for the bowler.”

When you have a core as special as the Brick MPA, you have to make sure you have a coverstock that makes the most of the core’s performance. The Black/Blue/Red “GTR Hybrid” cover does the trick (finished 500/500/1000/2000 Abralon® Sanded). Look for the Hammer Brick just before Christmas on December 20th.

Video of the Roto Grip Shooting Star

The Omen From Columbia 300

Columbia 300 introduced yet another new ball, this time the mid-performance Omen. The Omen, a Purple/Gold/Silver “Bend-It” pearl reactive coverstock finished aggressively (500, 500, 4000, 4000 Abralon®) in order to enhance the Omen’s footprint on the lane, surrounding the “Capsule core with Magnetite”.

Columbia reports “The “Capsule core” was designed to provide great performance and versatility while also being very simple. A simple symmetric shape with great performance characteristics was chosen in order to be very driller and bowler friendly. The low RG Capsule revs up early and the high Differential helps create a large amount of flare for great continuation in the backend.”

The new core, cover and finish process for the Omen makes it one of the best choices in the Columbia 300 lineup for heavier oil conditions. Look for the Omen December 15^th, 2011.

Field/Partners Set for PBA Mark Roth-Marshall Holman Doubles Championships

Ronnie Russell of Marion, IN, who is trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title, secured help Thursday from the hottest player in the PBA World Series of Bowling, selecting Sean Rash of suburban Chicago (Montgomery), IL, as his partner for Sunday’s Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship finals.

Russell, the top qualifier in the PBA Elite Players Championship, earned the right to pick his partner from among the 15 other top qualifiers in the Elite Players field during a special “doubles draft” session Thursday at the special bowling arena that will host the finals at South Point Casino and Hotel. During previous World Series events, Rash had qualified for a record five consecutive ESPN finals.

Selecting second in the draft, conducted by PBA Commissioner Tom Clark and tournament co-namesake Mark Roth, Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, picked PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, for his partner. The other teams are veteran international players Andres Gomez, Colombia, and Martin Larsen, Sweden; long-time friends Mike Fagan, Dallas, TX and Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA; second-year Tour players Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY, and Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, MI; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO, and Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte; Jason Couch, Clermont, FL, and Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, CA; and Dick Allen, Columbia, SC, and Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas.

In addition to splitting a $15,000 first prize, the doubles champions will earn PBA Tour titles and berths in the Round of 36 for the season-ending PBA Tournament of Champions.

The selection of the doubles teams completed the lineup for the World Series of Bowling television finals, all of which will be conducted on a special two-lane installation at South Point. The PBA will publish results after each tape-delayed telecast airs. The PBA Tour’s season on ESPN begins Sunday, Dec. 4, with back-to-back one-hour telecasts of the GEICO World Bowling Tour men’s and women’s finals, starting at 1 p.m. ET.

2011 PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING TV LINEUP

South Point Exhibition Hall A, Las Vegas, Nov. 17-20

(All competition will be taped for delayed telecast on ESPN; results will be published by the PBA after each tape-delayed telecast airs)

  

THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 5:30 p.m. – GEICO World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA: Men’s Stepladder Finals – Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Jason Belmonte, Australia. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 4, 1 p.m. Eastern). 

Women’s Stepladder Finals – Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas; Nina Flack, Sweden; Sandra Andersson, Sweden. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 1 p.m. - Bayer Viper Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Mike Fagan, Dallas; Stuart Williams, England; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 22, 3 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 3 p.m. - Chameleon Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Jason Belmonte, Australia; Osku Palermaa, Finland; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Feb. 12, 3 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 6 p.m. - Scorpion Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Dom Barrett, England; Dave Wodka, Henderson, NV; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Patrick Allen, Baltimore. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Feb. 19, 3 p.m. Eastern).

FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 8 p.m. – GEICO Shark Open Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX; Jason Belmonte, Australia; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Finland's Mika Koivuniemi, now living in Hartland, MI. (ESPN telecast Sunday, March 4, 3 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 10:30 a.m. – PBA World Championship Don Carter Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Stuart Williams, England; Osku Palermaa, Finland; Dom Barrett, England; Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, NY. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 11, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 12:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Billy Hardwick Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches):

Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, MI; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela; Andres Gomez, Colombia; Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, NY. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 3:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Johnny Petraglia Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches):

Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL; Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY; Nathan Bohr, Wichita, KS. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 5:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Mike Aulby Division Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches):

Jason Belmonte, Australia; Brian Kretzer, Dayton, OH; Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, AZ; Mike Fagan, Dallas, TX. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 8, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SATURDAY, NOV. 19, 7:30 p.m. - PBA World Championship Eliminator Finals (four players, three one-game elimination matches): Carter, Hardwick, Petraglia, Aulby winners. (ESPN telecast Sunday, Jan. 15, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 10 a.m. – Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship, Baker format stepladder round one (not televised):

Match One – No. 7 Jason Couch, Clermont, FL/Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, CA. vs. Dick Allen, Columbia, SC/Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, TX. 

Match Two – Winners Match One vs. No. 6 Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO /Jason Belmonte, Australia. 

Match Three – Winners Match Two vs. No. 5 Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, NY/Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, MI. 

Match Four – Winners Match Three vs. No. 4 Mike Fagan, Dallas/Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA.

SUNDAY, NOV. 20, Noon – Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship Baker format stepladder finals: Match Five – Winners Match Four vs. No. 3 Andres Gomez, Colombia/Martin Larsen, Sweden. 

Semifinal Match – Winners Match Five vs. No. 2 Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas/Norm Duke, Clermont, FL. 

Championship – Semifinal Match Winners vs. No. 1 Ronnie Russell, Marion, IN/Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL. (ESPN telecast Sunday, March 25, 2:30 p.m. Eastern).

         SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 3:30 p.m. - Carmen Salvino Classic Eliminator Finals (four players, three elimination matches): Andres Gomez, Colombia; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, TX; Ronnie Russell, Marion, IN; Jason Belmonte, Australia. (ESPN telecast Sunday, April 1, 1 p.m. Eastern).

         SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 5:30 p.m. – Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship Eliminator Finals (four players, three elimination matches): Norm Duke, Clermont, FL; Jason Belmonte, Australia; Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, TX; Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, CA. (ESPN telecast Sunday, April 8, 1 p.m. Eastern).

Hammer Moves To Save Bowling

On December 1, 2011, Hammer, the leading manufacturer of high-performance bowling balls since the late 1970s, will launch a crusade to save competitive bowling.

While scores have skyrocketed, league participation is at its lowest point in 30 years. In the past 10 years, the number of professional bowlers has dropped by 40% and amateur league bowling has dropped by 20%.Hammer’s Save Bowling campaign will awaken bowlers to what’s hurting the sport, like bowling centers that make striking easier by using less oil.

On December 1st, Hammer will unveil a revolutionary system that allows bowlers to compute their true averages based on where they bowl.

The bowling that dominated middle class life in America 30 years ago was a game of skill and hard-earned mastery. This is the game that Hammer will bring back.

Follow the movement at SaveBowling.com.

Latest PBA News

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, will have an opportunity to move into a tie for third place on the all-time PBA titles list  after advancing to the finals of the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship Wednesday at South Point Bowling Center.

Duke, currently tied with fellow hall of famer Mark Roth for fourth place on the PBA career titles list with 34, eliminated Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA; Andres Gomez of Colombia, and Dan MacLelland of Windsor, Ontario, in the Elite Players Eliminator Round to reach the finals. Roth was in the crowd, watching as Duke defeat O’Neill, 484-438, in their two-game finale.

Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, who was eliminated in his final match Wednesday by Mike DeVaney of Murrieta, CA, is third on the PBA titles list with 35, trailing leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and Earl Anthony (43). DeVaney knocked Weber out of the event, 473-425, to win his group’s berth in the finals.

“Bowling in the Elite Players Championship was like bowling three different formats in one, so you can imagine what that can do with your mind,” Duke said about surviving 30 qualifying games just to reach the Eliminator Round. “The physical part of the game is demanding enough, but mentally it’s even more tiring. You start to space out after a while and lose track of the little things like where you’re standing, how fast should I be throwing it, what ball you’re using. The one thing that helps is you’re not alone. I say to myself, look at the rest of the field – they’re going through the same thing.”

Regarding his quest to break his titles tie with Roth and catch Weber, the 47-year-old Duke said, “I look at everything I do now as to how will it round out my career. How much longer do I have? To be tied with Roth and have the chance to tie Weber, how great is that?”

In Wednesday’s Eliminator Round, 16 players were divided into four groups for two-game elimination rounds. After each round, the lowest scoring player was eliminated. In addition to Duke and DeVaney, the other two players advancing to the Elite Players Championship finals were Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas.

Belmonte defeated Mike Fagan of Dallas, 473-407, to qualify for his fifth World Series television final, tying a World Series record for TV appearances set earlier in the event by Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL. Scroggins eliminated Jason Couch of Clermont, FL, 460-417, in their group’s final game.

The 16 Eliminator Round qualifiers will also compose the field for the Lumber Liquidators Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship which will be contested on Sunday as part of a four-day PBA World Series of Bowling television extravaganza at South Point.

Ronnie Russell of Marion, IN, the top qualifier going into the Eliminator Round, was eliminated in the first game in Group A, but he will be the first player to select a doubles partner from among the remaining 15 during a special doubles selection session Thursday afternoon. After Russell selects his partner, the next highest qualifier will select a partner. That process will continue until the field of eight doubles teams has been determined. The doubles competition will be conducted Sunday afternoon as part of the World Series of Bowling’s weekend television package.

                

Beginning Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific, the PBA will produce the first of 14 television shows for delayed telecast on ESPN in a special arena in South Point’s Exhibit Hall A. Admission is free for all of the shows.

PEPSI PBA ELITE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nov. 16

ELIMINATOR ROUND (Two games, lowest scoring player eliminated; group winners advance to ESPN finals)

GROUP A

            Round One: Pete Weber 472, Mike DeVaney 463, Sean Rash 444, Ronnie Russell 378 (Russell eliminated, earned $3,000).

            Round Two: DeVaney 457, Weber 416, Rash 401 (Rash eliminated, earned $3,500).

            Round Three: DeVaney 473, Weber 425 (Weber eliminated, earned $5,000).

GROUP B

            Round One: Jason Couch 441, Mike Scroggins 439, Ryan Ciminelli 436, Wes Malott 410 (Malott eliminated, earned $3,000).

            Round Two: Scroggins 484, Couch 419, Ciminelli 400 (Ciminelli eliminated, earned $3,500).

            Round Three: Scroggins 460, Couch 417 (Couch eliminated, earned $5,000).

GROUP C

            Round One: Andres Gomez 531, Norm Duke 487, Bill O’Neill 479, Dan MacLelland 445 (MacLelland eliminated, earned $3,000).

            Round Two: O’Neill 495, Duke 458, Gomez 427 (Gomez eliminated, earned $3,500).

            Round Three: Duke 484, O’Neill 438 (O’Neill eliminated, earned $5,000).

GROUP D

            Round One: Mike Fagan 495, Jason Belmonte 482, Martin Larsen 381, Dick Allen 335 (Allen eliminated, earned $3,000).

            Round Two: Belmonte 494, Fagan 411, Larsen 410 (Larsen eliminated, earned $3,500).

            Round Three: Belmonte 473, Fagan 407 (Fagan eliminated, earned $5,000).

Final Qualifying Standings (after 30 games; top 16 advanced to Eliminator Round and to Lumber Liquidators Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship)

1, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7,294.
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 7,150.
3, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7,134.
4, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7,069.
5, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 7,039.
6, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 6,976.
7, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6,942.
8, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 6,917.
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6,903.
10, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 6,896.
11, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 6,889.
12, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 6,863.
13, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6,829.
14, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 6,796.
15, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 6,776.
16, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 6,760.

Did not advance:17 (tie), Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., and Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 6,759, $2,490.
19, Patrick Allen, Baltimore, 6,756, $2,460.
20, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 6,746, $2,440.
21, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 6,745, $2,420.
22, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 6,727, $2,400.
23, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 6,719, $2,390.
24, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 6,717, $2,380.
25, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 6,688, $2,370.
26, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 6,671, $2,360.
27, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 6,655, $2,350.
28, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 6,631, $2,340.
29, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 6,616, $2,330.
30, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 6,605, $2,320.
31, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 6,550, $2,410.
32, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 6,483, $2,300.

Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championships

Ronnie Russell of Marion, IN, with a 24-game total of 5,850 pins, claimed the fourth-round lead in the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship Tuesday by 86 pins over Colombia’s Andres Gomez at South Point Bowling Center. Both players are trying to win their first PBA Tour title.

Russell and Gomez jockeyed for the lead for 12 games before Russell moved in front behind games of 231, 255, 226, 235, 247 and 249 in Tuesday’s fourth round.  Russell maintained a 243.75 average for the first 24 games of Elite Players Championship and overcame Gomez’s 64-pin third-round lead.

“Round to round it seems like we need to move left on the lanes quicker and I’ve been able to stay on top of those changes in conditions with my adjustments and equipment,” Russell said. “There’s more friction on the conditions we’re bowling on now and that’s a situation I’m more comfortable with. I just need to continue to make good shots, not press and finish off each round.”

“I’m doing well on the medium length patterns, which is generally where I have my best success,” Gomez said. “The two finals I’ve made have been on medium patterns and I’m usually confident I can finish in the top 10 whenever we bowl on those conditions.”

Russell and Gomez had previously qualified for the Carmen Salvino Classic finals. Gomez also has qualified for the PBA World Championship finals.

The Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship began with an exclusive field of 49 PBA Tour exempt players. The field has been reduced to the top 32 for a final six-game qualifying round Wednesday morning.

After round five, the top 16 players based on 30 games will advance to the Eliminator Round of 16 Wednesday afternoon where they will compete for four spots in the Elite Players Championship finals. The same 16 players will compose the field for the Lumber Liquidators Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship which will be contested on Sunday as part of a four-day PBA World Series of Bowling television extravaganza at South Point.

Beginning Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific, the PBA will produce the first of 14 television shows for delayed telecast on ESPN in a special arena in South Point’s Exhibition Hall A. Admission is free for all of the shows.

PEPSI PBA ELITE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nov. 15

Round Four (after 24 games; top 32 advance to Round Five)

1, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 5,850.
2, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 5,764.
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,761.
4, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5,688.
5, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 5,679.
6, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5,638.
7, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 5,558.
8, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 5,536.
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,519.
10, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,512.
11, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 5,511.
12, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 5,487.
13, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5,479.
14, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5,475.
15, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 5,452.
16, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 5,451.
17, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 5,446.
18 (tie), Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 5,403.
20, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 5,402.
21, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5,345.
22, Patrick Allen, Baltimore, 5,344.
23, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5,342.
24, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 5,325.
25 (tie), Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., and Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5,324.
27, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5,320.
28, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 5,308.
29, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,297.
30, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 5,295.
31, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 5,294.
32, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 5,266.

Did not advance:
33, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 5,240, $2,150.
34, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 5,231, $2,140.
35, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 5,210, $2,130.
36, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 5,201, $2,120.
37, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,200, $2,110.
38, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 5,193, $2,100.
39, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 5,191, $2,090.
40, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 5,190, $2,080.
41, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 5,163, $2,070.
42, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 5,156, $2,060.
43, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 5,150, $2,050.
44, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 5,022, $2,040.
45, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 5,013, $2,030.
46, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 4,978, $2,020.
47, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 4,804, $2,010.
48, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4,717, $2,000.
49, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., withdrew, $2,000.

PBA World Series of Bowling Events Roll On

Live coverage of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Series of Bowling competition on Xtra Frame revs up Monday with qualifying rounds for the Carmen Salvino Classic. The six-game Round of 16, which will decide the four ESPN finalists, will dominate pba.com’s online bowling channel Monday evening, starting at 8 p.m. PT.

Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship six-game qualifying rounds (also airing on Xtra Frame)  are set for 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday. Those 12 games, combined with the first 12 games from the Salvino Classic, will determine the top 32 who will bowl a fifth six-game qualifying round Wednesday at 9 a.m.

After 30 games, things really get interesting. Not only will the Elite Players field be cut to the top 16, but those 16 players also will become the field for the new Lumber Liquidators Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship. Teams will be decided during a draft whereby the top qualifier will be first to select a partner. The No. 2 qualifier will then select his partner and so on until all eight teams are determined.

To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com. Special one-day rates are available exclusively during the WSOB for $3.99. A full-year subscription to Xtra Frame is also available for $64.99.

PBA fans also can follow the action from the World Series of Bowling on PBA's Facebook page and through Twitter.

PBA World Championships Update

An important advantage of finishing among the top four PBA World Championship qualifiers was the right to select the lane condition that will be used for each of the divisional finals Saturday in Exhibition Hall A at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

As the top qualifier in the Don Carter Division, England’s Stuart Williams has selected the Viper pattern for the 10:30 a.m. PT finals. His opponents will be Osku Palermaa, Dom Barrett and Jack Jurek.

For the 12:30 p.m. group, Billy Hardwick Division top qualifier Tom Smallwood has selected the Scorpion pattern. Smallwood’s group includes Ildemaro Ruiz, Andres Gomez and Ryan Shafer.

As the overall qualifying leader, Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, has also selected the Scorpion pattern for the Johnny Petraglia Division finals at 3:30 p.m. Rash’s opponents will be Pete Weber, Ryan Ciminelli and Nathan Bohr.

The Mike Aulby Division final will be contested on the Shark pattern at 5:30 p.m., selected by top qualifier Jason Belmonte. His group includes Brian Kretzer, Josh Blanchard and Mike Fagan.

The winner of each division final will advance to the PBA World Championship finals at 8:30 p.m. The highest seeded player in that field will select the lane conditioning pattern for the final round.

All of the television shows are open to the public at no cost. The World Series television production schedule includes the men’s and women’s World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. PT. Friday’s schedule includes the Bayer Viper Open finals at 1 p.m., Chameleon Open finals at 3 p.m., Scorpion Open finals at 6 p.m. and GEICO Shark Open finals at 8 p.m.

Saturday is PBA World Championship day. The 2011 PBA World Series of Bowling concludes on Sunday with the Lumber Liquidators Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles preliminary round at 10 a.m., doubles finals at noon, Carmen Salvino Classic finals at 3:30 p.m. and the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship at 5:30 p.m.

● The total number of unique participants in the 2011 PBA World Series of Bowling swelled to 316 over the weekend with an influx of 112 PBA Regional and amateur bowlers who came to South Point to bowl in the All Regions South Point Open singles event and the PBA West Region Member/Non-Member Doubles.

● Out of the composite field of 316 bowlers, 119 different individuals (37.65 percent) have cashed in at least one World Series event.

● With his win in Sunday’s PBA West Region Member/Non-Member Doubles with amateur partner Alex Aguiar, PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III has now won every kind of doubles event the PBA has offered. He won the 1992 PBA Doubles Classic with Hugh Miller, the 1993 Merit Mixed Doubles with Aleta Sill, and the 2001 National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles with Rohn Morton.

● During the first week of World Series competition, the PBA’s ball drilling staff drilled nearly 650 new bowling balls.

Radical Bowling Introduces a Hybrid

Radical’s Slant Hybrid is a strong asymmetrical core ball featuring the soaker additive which reportedly removes oil from the surface of the ball 54% quicker than balls with out the additive.

Look for the “Booster” core featured in the original Slant and Slant Solid, which is surrounded with a Hybrid coverstock yielding 4-6 boards more ball reaction than the original Radical Slant. The new Slant Hybrid is Purple Pearl and Black solid veneer. Radical’s Phil Cardinale offered “The Slant Hybrid is cleaner through the front than Slant Solid yet more angular down the lane.”


Release date for the new Radical Slant Hybrid is early December.

PBA West Region’s Member/Non-Member Doubles

Reigning Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, and amateur Hyun Bum Kim of South Korea led a field of 16 teams into Sunday’s single-elimination match play finals in the PBA West Region’s Member/Non-Member Doubles at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Kim and Koivuniemi combined for 3,649 pins over eight games to lead Saturday’s qualifying field of 64 teams, taking the top spot by three pins over amateur Adam Ishman of Las Vegas and Dom Barrett of England.

The doubles events is part of the PBA World Series of Bowling, a multi-event festival of bowling that continues through Sunday, Nov. 20, at South Point. Complete qualifying standings are posted on pba.com, the PBA’s official website.

PBA Tour competition resumes Monday with six-game qualifying rounds in the Carmen Salvino Classic.

PBA WEST REGION MEMBER/NON-MEMBER DOUBLES QUALIFYING ROUND

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nov. 12

Final Qualifying Standings (after 8 games; top 16 advance to single elimination match play finals)

1, a-Hyun Bum Kim, South Korea/Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,649.

2, a-Adam Ishman, Las Vegas/Dom Barrett, England, 3,646.

3, a-Jeff Fehr, Cincinnati/Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,589.

4, a-Curtis Woods Jr., Santa Rosa, Calif./Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,565.

5, a-Alex Aguiar, Dartmouth, Mass./Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,544.

6, a-George Gohagan III, Austell, Ga./PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,543.

7, a-Yousif Falah/Fawaz Abdullah, Bahrain, 3,540.

8, a-Paul Moor, England/Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,529.

9, a-Chris Klerk, Chandler, Ariz./Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,500.

10, a-Raul Rosales, El Monte, Calif./Michael Haugen Jr., Cave Creek, Ariz., 3,495.

11, a-Rick Benard, Henderson, Nev./Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,481.

12, a-Greg Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif./Patrick Allen, Baltimore, 3,473.

13, a-Toby Sambueno, Saginaw, Mich./Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3,447.

14, a-Carlos Cottone/Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,411.

15 (tie), a-Terry Leong, Henderson, Nev./Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and a-John Congro/Eric Forkel, Las Vegas, 3,403.

Other Cashers (after 8 games, $800 each)

17, a-Jimmy Dan Mortensen/Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,399.

18, a-Sui Hong Wu, Hong Kong/Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,397.

19, a-Brett Wolfe, Tempe, Ariz./Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,391.

20, a-Joel Ricketts, Hemet, Calif./Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 3,389.

21, a-Andrew Burke, St. Clair Shores, Mich./Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,387.

a – denotes amateur

Malott Wins PBA All Regions South Point Open

Six-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour winner Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX, defeated rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, AZ, 266-214, to win the PBA All Regions South Point Open Saturday at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Malott, the 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year, collected his 14th career PBA Regional title and a $4,000 prize. Blanchard, who has been a PBA member for just over a week, earned $2,200.

Malott defeated Chris Hayden of Las Vegas, 268-228, and Blanchard eliminated Mike Fagan of Dallas, 251-224, in the semifinal round to set up the championship match.

The All Regions South Point Open is the first of two PBA Regional events taking place over the weekend. Qualifying in the PBA West Region’s Member/Non-Member Doubles will take place Saturday afternoon with the top 16 teams advancing to single-elimination match play Sunday morning. PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel will cover the qualifying and match play rounds.

PBA Tour action resumes in the PBA World Series of Bowling with the Carmen Salvino Classic on Monday.

PBA ALL REGIONS SOUTH POINT OPEN

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 12

Championship: Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas ($4,000) def. Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz. ($2,200), 266-214.

Semifinal Round (losers earned $1,200):

Blanchard def. Mike Fagan, Dallas, 251-224.

Malott def. Chris Hayden, Las Vegas, 268-228.

Round of 8 (best of three games, losers earned $1,000 each):

Malott def. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 2-0.

Hayden def. Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2-0.

Fagan def. David Haynes, Las Vegas, 2-0.

Blanchard def. Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2-1.

Round of 16 (best of five games, losers earned $800):

Malott def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3-2.

Larsen def. John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3-2.

Hayden def. Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3-1.

Warren def. Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3-1.

Haynes def. Brandon Mathews, Santa Maria, Calif., 3-2.

Fagan def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3-2.

Blanchard def. Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3-1.

Sterner def. Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3-0.

Weekend Professional Bowlers Association Action

Former Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) touring player Jason Sterner of McDonough, GA, led a field of 15 players who qualified Friday for berths in the PBA’s Carmen Salvino Classic which got underway today, Monday at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas NV.

In a concurrent event, six-time PBA Tour titlist Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX, led a group of 16 players out of a field of 175 into Saturday’s best-of-five-game single-elimination match play finals in the PBA All Region South Point Open.

 

Both events are part of the PBA World Series of Bowling, a multi-event festival of bowling that continues through Sunday, Nov. 20, at South Point. Complete standings for both events are posted on pba.com, the PBA’s official website.

Saturday’s All Region South Point Open match play competition gets underway at 8 a.m. and continues until a winner is decided. Qualifying in the PBA West Region’s Member/Non-Member Doubles will follow the singles event at 1:30 p.m., with the top 16 doubles teams advancing to best-of-five match play Sunday at 8 a.m.

Saturday’s All Region and Sunday’s Member/Non-Member Doubles match play rounds will be webcast live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com.

PBA Tour competition resumes Monday with six-game qualifying rounds in the Carmen Salvino Classic, a third six-game qualifying round for the top 16 players at 8 p.m.

CARMEN SALVINO CLASSIC TOUR QUALIFYING ROUND

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nov. 11

Final Standings (after 8 games; top 15 advance to PBA Carmen Salvino Classic Round of 64)

1, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,980.
2, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,947.
3, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,943.
4, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,942.
5, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,924.
6, Chris Hayden, Las Vegas, 1,907.
7, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,905.
8, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,895.
9 (tie), Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Andy Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 1,892.
11, Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea, 1,890.
12, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,887.
13, Adam Monks, San Diego, 1,882.
14, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,871.
15, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,869.

PBA ALL REGION SOUTH POINT OPEN

Final Qualifying Standings (after 8 games; top 16 advance to best-of-five-game single elimination match play finals)

1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,983.
2, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,980.
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr, Ocala, FL, 1,958.
4, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,950.
5, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,947.
6, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,943.
7, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,942.
8, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,929.
9, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,924.
10, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,918.
11, Brandon Mathews, Santa Maria, Calif, 1,915, $100.
12, Chris Hayden, Las Vegas, 1,907.
13, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,905.
14, Mike Fagan, Dallas, Texas, 1,899.
15, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,895.
16, Brad Angelo, Lockport, NY, 1,894.

Other Cashers (after 8 games):
17 (tie), Andy Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., and Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,892, $450.
19, Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea, 1,890, $450.
20, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,887, $450.
21, Adam Monks, San Diego, 1,882, $450.
22, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,877, $450.
23, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,871, $450.
24, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,869, $450.
25, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,867, $425.
26, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,866, $425.
27, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,864, $525.
28, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,862, $425.
29, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,859, $425.
30, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,857, $425.
31, Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif., 1,854, $425.
32, Steve Cook, Granite Bay, Calif., 1,853, $425.
33, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,852, $425.
34, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,849, $425.
35, Richard Horsley, Morrisville, N.C., 1,848, $425.
36, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,845, $425.
37, Steven Villanueva, North Las Vegas, NV, 1,844, $400.
38, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,840, $400.
39, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,834, $400.
40, Dom Barrett, England, 1,833, $500.
41, Paul Moor, England, 1,831, $400.
42, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, IN, 1,830, $400.
43, Vayle Floria, Cerritos, Calif, 1,827, $400.
44, Alex Aguiar, Dartmouth, Mass., 1,820, $400.
45, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 1,817, $400.
46, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,806, $400.
47, Stuart Williams, England, 1,805, $400.
48, Michael Caverley, Las Vegas, 1,802, $400.
49 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and Yousif Falah, Bahrain, 1,800, $400.

Hook R is New From MoRich Bowling

MoRich Bowling introduced the Hook R. The Hook R Frosted Cherry “Super-Tac Pearl” reactive coverstock is prepared at an aggressive 400 grit wet sanded finish, with the “Unique” core touting Radius of Gyration (RG) numbers of: 2.494, with the RG Differential of: .057. November 21^st is the world wide release date.

Storm Products Introduces the Polar Ice Duo

Storm Introduces two urethane three piece balls in December. The Storm Polar Ice – Blue/Green features a smooth (3500 Abralon) U1S Pearl Urethane unpolished cover and the Storm Polar Ice –Red Pearl/Purple Pearl U1S Pearl Urethane finished to 3500 Abralon and polished. RG: #15 2.69, Diff: .006. World wide release date is December 13, 2011

Lane #1's Hot Pink Panther Pearl

The Lane #1 Pearl Panther in hot pink and black ION Pearl coverstock which wraps the oversized Patented Diamond weightblock. (Radius of Gyration (RG) - 2.460, RG Differential .043).

DV8 Adds "Too Reckless"

DV8 Too Reckless is coming December 1st. The Black/Neon Green Solid Too Reckless covered with “Class 3L Reactive” veneer surrounds the “Reckless” core. Cover is finished with 500 Siaair Micro Pad, Rough Buff, and finally High Gloss Finish. RG: #15/2.573, DIFF: .050.

Track 811A Special Edition Available In December

Track’s intent for the all new 811A Special Edition is to be a stronger version of the 607A SE. Starting with an all new core the “Legion 2 Turbo”, the core started out as a symmetric core shape and then was modified into an asymmetric core to get the specific RG, Differential and mass bias numbers saught. With the Mass Bias being 0.011, it is set up to give the most angular backend reaction for the widest style of bowlers.

As for the all new “SE8 GEN1” coverstock in Black/Red/Blue, (finished 500, 1000, 2000 Abralon ®, and Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish), Track has developed an all new performance pearl additive “Crystalline Mica”. This additive is 15% more responsive off the dry than what was used in the 607A SE. Look for the Track 811A Special Edition December 8th, 2011.

PBA To Scrap "Exempt Tour" Concept

The constantly changing climate in the world of professional sports has prompted the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) to return to a competitive environment that will re-open the doors to its national tour to all aspiring professional bowlers.

Changes in competition rules, announced to the PBA membership at the start of the PBA World Series of Bowling, will mean the end of the “exempt tour” concept the PBA has employed since the 2004-05 season and a return to a “non-exempt” Tour program for the 2012-13 season.

“Over the past few years the definition of an PBA Exempt Tour player has changed fairly dramatically,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “For the current season, the number of exempt players was reduced from an original field of 57 to 49 with only two events (Carmen Salvino Classic and the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship) that fit the traditional Exempt Tour model.

“With the goal of setting the PBA on a new trajectory, following discussions with many players and industry leaders, the PBA is announcing a rules change that eliminates the Exempt Player designation beginning next season. All tournaments during the 2012-13 season will be open to all players – as most of them have been the past two years – with the PBA Tournament of Champions and the new PBA Elite Players Championship being the exceptions.”

While competing to earn Exempt Player status is no longer an incentive, earning a high position in the PBA competition points list during the 2011-12 season will still be extremely important. Competition points will determine which players are eligible for the season-ending Dick Weber PBA Playoffs and will also be a major factor in determining the field for the PBA Elite Players Championship, which will consist of players who have won major titles in the two most recent seasons plus players who rank high on the previous season’s points list to round out an exclusive field of 36.

“We have changed the name of this year's Pepsi PBA Exempt Players Championship – which will be part of the PBA World Series of Bowling currently underway in Las Vegas – to reflect the changes. The event will now be named the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship, launching a new Elite Players Championship tradition,” Clark said, “and every player in the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship will cash.”

In conjunction with the rules changes, the PBA will revive the former Touring 1 and Touring 2 classifications which identified players by the number of events they entered. Those classifications will include specific membership benefits and exposure similar to the Exempt Tour model.

Touring 1 status will be earned by players who bowl 80 percent of the PBA Tour events, including the World Series of Bowling, two additional majors and three Xtra Frame Tour events. Touring 2 status will be earned by those who bowl 60 percent of the Tour schedule including the World Series, one major and one Xtra Frame Tour event. Players also must maintain a minimum average of 190 in PBA Tour competition to retain their eligibility for the following season. 

“We hope the rule change concerning the dissolution of the Exempt Player designation and continued focus on the value of the PBA Tour point list will give more opportunities for players to grow as top PBA players and remove any confusion over what being exempt entails,” Clark concluded. “While elite status may be awarded to fewer players, the rewards for achieving that status will have greater value than it has in the past.”