Thursday, June 28, 2012

Kulick Wins 3rd US Open in Reno

Professional sports history was made Wednesday night when Bowling's U.S. Women's Open was held outdoors on Virginia Street under the iconic Reno Arch. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., defeated Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, Calif., 170-160, to win the major title.

Kelly Kulick 2012 USWOPlaying against the wind, dust and the setting desert sun, Kulick won her third career U.S. Women's Open title while overcoming some of the most challenging lane conditions in the history of professional bowling.

"I don't know what it is about this event, but I always gear up for it," said Kulick, who also won the U.S. Women's Open in 2003 and 2010. "To have this type of atmosphere, it brings a lot of attention to our sport, which is much needed. The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, Ebonite and all the sponsors are trying to showcase women's bowling, and I support it."

The five players in the finals, which will be broadcast July 3 at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2, battled challenging lane conditions over the course of the evening under a unique setting in downtown Reno.

"Kelly faced the dual challenge of competing against the best female players from across the globe in the face of playing conditions U.S. women's bowling has never before seen," said Steve Johnson, BPAA executive director. "Great credit goes to the incredible competitors in this year's finals for helping us to do the seemingly impossible - hosting a competition that may have topped last year's U.S. Women's Open at Cowboys Stadium."

Reno sceneAdded Johnson, "Congratulations to the hundreds of players from throughout the world who came to Reno to compete and who have helped drive an incredible resurgence for the popularity of bowling."

With winds gusting between 18-24 mph throughout the finals, the players were forced to deal with adverse conditions throughout the evening. Dust on the lanes drastically affected the scoring pace and forced the bowlers to resort to using plastic balls much of the night.

"It was like bowling in the desert," said Kulick, who entered the finals as the top seed and only had to bowl one match to win the title. "Sitting there and watching what was happening before me really helped give me the advantage of figuring out what I had to do to win."

Despite throwing splits in the eighth and the ninth frame, Kulick entered the 10th frame with a chance to shut out Parkin. Kulick spared in the final frame to lock up the title and knock off the second-seeded Parkin.

In the semifinal match, Parkin took down No. 3 seed Shannon O'Keefe of Arlington, Texas, 150-148, in a match that was back and forth the whole way. Parkin locked up the win when O'Keefe, needing a double, left a pocket 10 pin in the final frame.

O'Keefe advanced to the semifinal by defeating fourth seed Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, 182-165. In the opening match of the five-player stepladder finals, Nation took down Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 166-158.

The U.S. Women's Open was accompanied this week by the inaugural Senior U.S. Women's Open. In Tuesday's finals, Robin Romeo of Newhall, Calif., defeated Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Fla., 225-188, to win the title.

Joining the Brands of Ebonite International as sponsors of the 2012 Bowling's U.S. Women's Open for the second year in a row include: Jani King, the official cleaning company of bowling; and Lipton Naturals, the official tea of the 2012 Bowling's U.S. Women's Open. Additional sponsors include: Brunswick Bowling & Billiards, the official lane provider of Bowling's U.S. Women's Open; Eldorado Resorts, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus Resort Casinos; Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA); Kegel; Dexter; Bowling Music Network; and Turbo Grips.

For more information on the U.S. Women's Open, visit BowlingsUSWomensOpen.com.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

US Women's Open Final Five Set

Professional Bowlers Association Announces Expanded Schedule

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has been super-sized.

The upcoming 55th annual PBA Tour season will be longer. The number of titles up for grabs will be greater. The fields will be larger. Even the length of many TV shows will be increased. 

PBA Commissioner Tom Clark made the announcement Tuesday that the PBA’s historic 2012-13 campaign will run from November's PBA World Series of Bowling IV at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas through December 2013 and include up to 40 opportunities for players to win PBA Tour titles. 

"This season will be big," Clark said. "Every year the greatest players in the world produce unforgettable moments in their quest for PBA titles, but the PBA and its fans wanted more. The stage is now set."

The PBA schedule will include two World Series of Bowling, five major championships, new Winter and Summer Swing open events with multiple titles at stake, and an estimated 15 World Bowling Tour stops that will award PBA Tour titles if won by PBA members and PBA International members.

Approximately 50 hours of action will be televised nationally during the season. Additionally, the PBA's online bowling channel Xtra Frame plans more than 200 hours of live coverage.

Clark said the 14-month season will also mean a move towards a regular calendar-year PBA season starting in January, 2014. 

Significant highlights from the 2012-13 schedule include:

The United States Bowling Congress Masters will be held at Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, NJ, in February, the PBA Tournament of Champions will be hosted by long-time PBA host Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis in March, and the 70th U.S. Open will be held at a site to be announced in July 2013.

The new PBA Winter Swing will be contested in January at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI, host of WSOB I. In addition to four national titles including a revamped PBA Players Championship, the Winter Swing will introduce a significant new format to be announced.

Ten of the scheduled nationally-televised shows have been increased from 90 minutes to two hours, which means the USBC Masters and PBA Tournament of Champions, among others, will feature five-player stepladder finals instead of four.

All World Series event finals will return to stepladder formats.

The PBA Tournament of Champions will return to a traditional limited-field invitational event.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA)’s World Bowling Tour points list – based on cumulative totals over a span of two years - will determine the finalists for the men's and women's WBT Finals presented by the PBA which will be held at both WSOB IV and WSOB V.

Also to be announced will be the annual PBA Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational.

Future news releases will also detail the full ESPN and Xtra Frame coverage slates. Additional updates will be posted on pba.com. Also follow the PBA on Twitter @pbatour and on its Facebook page Professional Bowlers Association (PBA).  To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com.

2012-13 PBA TOUR SCHEDULE

(Tentative: certain elements subject to change; PBA Tour and PBA International members only are eligible to win PBA Tour titles in World Bowling Tour events. Additional WBT events are expected to be added later.)

Nov. 2-11 - PBA World Series of Bowling IV, South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas  Men’s and Women’s World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA; Cheetah Championship; Viper Championship; Chameleon Championship; Scorpion Championship; PBA World Championship (major). WBT Women’s Final also will be included, but is not a PBA Tour title event. (Open to all PBA members).

Nov. 29-Dec. 1 - Round One's International Japan Cup, Japan (invitational).

Dec. 4-8 - WBT Dubai Open, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (open field).

Dec. 9-15 - WBT Qatar Open, Doha, Qatar (open field). 

Jan. 4-13WBT Brunswick BallMaster Open, Helsinki, Finland (open field). 

Jan. 15-19 - WBT International Bowling Championship, Nagoya, Japan (open field). 

Jan. 19-28 - PBA Winter Swing, Thunderbowl, Allen Park, MI.          Carmen Salvino Classic; Mark Roth Classic; Don Carter Classic; PBA Players Championship (open to all PBA members).

Feb. 18-24 - United States Bowling Congress Masters, Brunswick Zone Carolier, North Brunswick, N.J. (major championship; open field).

March 3-9 - WBT Bahrain Open, Oman, Bahrain (open field).

March 13-17 - WBT Kuwait Open, Kuwait City, Kuwait (open field).

March 15-24 - WBT Brunswick EuroChallenge, St. Maximim, France (open field).

March 26-31 - PBA Tournament of Champions, Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis (major championship; invitational). 

May 20-27 – PBA Summer Swing, site to be announced
Four PBA Tour titles to be announced (open to all PBA members).

July 21-28 - 70th U.S. Open, to be announced (major championship; open field).

Aug. 31-Sept. 4 - WBT Las Vegas International Open, site to be announced, Las Vegas (open field; follows WTBA World Championships).

Sept. 24-30 - WBT Thailand Open, Bangkok, Thailand (open field).

TBA - WBT Vienna Open, Vienna, Austria (open field).

Oct. 21-26 - WBT Australian Masters, Sydney, Australia (open field).

Nov. 1-10, 2013 - PBA World Series of Bowling V, Las Vegas
Men’s and Women’s World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA; four PBA “pattern championships”; PBA World Championship (major). WBT Women’s Final also will be included, but is not a PBA Tour title event. (Open to all PBA members).

Nov. 27-30, 2013 - Round One's International Japan Cup, Japan (invitational).

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Teen Masters World Series to Debut at the PBA World Series of Bowling IV

The Teen Masters will conduct the first Teen Masters World Series in conjunction with Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Series of Bowling IV in November, and selected PBA Super Regional events will be conducted during the 2012-13 season under a new agreement between Killer ‘B’ Promotions and  the PBA.With preliminary rounds scheduled for Nov. 7-11 at the Red Rock Bowling Center in Las Vegas, the Teen Masters World Series will determine 18 & Under World Champions in both boys and girls divisions. The finalists will then move to South Point for the taping of two 90-minute Teen Masters World Showdown television shows (for boys and girls divisions) on the PBA World Series of Bowling IV arena installation. Telecast details will be announced later.

PBA and Killer ‘B’ Promotions joined forces in 2011-12 to conduct 18 Teen
Masters
qualifiers held in conjunction with selected PBA regional tournaments,
giving youth bowlers an opportunity to compete on PBA lane conditions and rub
elbows with the greats in the game.

The 2012 Teen Masters National Championships will be conducted July 8-12 at Freeway Lanes Wickliffe in Cleveland, Ohio, with the Grand Championship
returning to Grand Central Terminal in New York City Aug. 5-8.

With proposed live webcasts of the Super Regional tournaments on PBA’s online
bowling channel Xtra Frame, the goal will be to bolster the regional tournament experience for competitors, sponsors, spectators and host proprietors.

Each year, the PBA conducts nearly 170 regional tournaments in both regular and senior divisions in seven regions across the U.S., providing players aspiring to compete on the PBA Tour with a proving ground to compete against accomplished PBA stars along with bowlers who may not have Tour aspirations, but want to take their competitive experience to a higher level.

“We are happy to join forces with Killer ‘B’ Promotions to enhance the effort to create an improved competitive environment for our legion of dedicated and loyal regional players and to create world-class bowling competition for youth bowlers who we hope someday will aspire to become PBA members,” PBA Commissioner Tom Clark said. “Joining together we can each do our part in developing competitive opportunities for bowlers of all ages.”

“The Teen Masters World Series continues our successful partnership with PBA to showcase topflight youth bowlers on a national and international stage,” said Killer ‘B’ Promotions principal Gary Beck. “With the long-standing popularity of the PBA regional program, we want to work with PBA to maximize the potential these tournaments have to offer.”

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pete Weber Wins PBA Midwest Region Oak Forest Bowl Cameleon Championship

Info Provided by Jeff Richgels

Pete Weber took another step closer to 50 PBA Regional titles today (Sunday) by winning the PBA Midwest Region Oak Forest Bowl Chameleon Open sponsored By American Family Insurance at Oak Forest Bowl in Oak Forest, Ill.

It was either title 47 or 48 — PBA should be out with a news release this week with that information — but regardless, there's little doubt he will get there.

He might even get there before he turns 50 on Aug. 19 because he shows little sign of slowing down with age — that amazing win at the U.S. Open in February proved that.

Weber led new Madison, WI resident Derek Eoff after the 8-game qualifying 1,841-1,839.

Competing on the Chameleon pattern, the cut to the top 16 in the 68-player field took a score of 1,647 and low to cash of 22nd was 1,619.
Eoff, though, grabbed the top seed after Sunday's 12 games of match play, with Jason Wojnar moving up to second, Weber in third and Tom Hess in fourth.

Weber then ran the stepladder.
 
1 Weber, Pete - St. Ann, Mo.               5127/23 $2500.00 
2 Eoff, Derek - Arlington, Texas            4759/21 $1400.00 
3 Wojnar, Jason - Chicago                   4572/21 $1100.00 
4 Hess, Tom - Urbandale, Iowa             4561/21 $900.00 
5 Guszczo, William - Orland Park, IL       4272/20 $750.00 
6 LaCaze, Anthony - Melrose Park, IL     4222/20 $700.00 
7 Beres, David - Waukesha, WI             4248/20 $690.00 
8 Nelson Jr., Ron (g) - Bridgeview, IL     4195/20 $680.00 
9 Traber, David - Hebron, IL                 4193/20 $670.00 
10 Slavich IV, John - Schaumburg, IL     4217/20 $660.00       

Friday, June 22, 2012

Brunswick Introduces 3 New Balls

Nexxxus Æ’(P+S)

The bronze/graphite pearl Nexxxus f(P+S) is the latest breakthrough in Brunswick’s Addaptive Chemistry as it adds more length, more aggressive snap, and more total hook. The polished Nexxxus f(P+S) makes a significant performance advancement by producing stronger hook motion than its dull predecessors in the Nexus product line. The combination of the Nexus Arrowhead core and our new f(P+S) coverstock produces a great-looking ball with impressive power and performance on the lanes. Available: Worldwide

C-System maxxed-out

The cobalt/teal solid C-System maxxed-out combines the new Ultra Low RG Dual Flip I-Block symmetrical core with our new C-System maxxed-out coverstock to create a strong and controllable hook motion that serves as the perfect complement to the C-System versa-max. The CFT maxxed-out coverstock maximizes the friction additives to strengthen the mid-lane grip and backend reaction for maximum control. Available: Worldwide

  Karma Urethane

The navy solid Karma Urethane is designed for extra smooth and predictable motion on light oil lane conditions. Combining the medium RG light bulb core shape with a retro urethane coverstock allows bowlers to play the traditional “down the boards” line to the pocket. Available: Worldwide


DV8 Hits the Market with 2 New Balls

The red pearl/yellow solid DV8 Marauder features a new symmetric core shape matched with the new Class 4 reactive coverstock resulting in a ball motion that is long and sharp at the breakpoint on medium to light oil lane conditions. This core and coverstock combination produces an outstanding all-purpose ball motion and sets the Marauder as the new benchmark ball in the DV8 product line. RG Min: 2.524, RG Diff: 0.050, RG Asy: 0.001 @ 15 pounds

The black/blue pearl DV8 Hell Raiser Terror features the lower RG version of the Hell Raiser core matched with DV8’s new Class 6 reactive coverstock. This combination results in a ball motion that is extremely angular at the breakpoint with strong hook potential on medium to heavy oil lane conditions. The Hell Raiser Terror is now the most aggressive ball in the DV8 product line. RG Min: 2.480, RG Diff: 0.056, RG Asy: 0.018 @ 15 pounds

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Walter Ray Williams Jr. Wins Second PBA Senior Event

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. made a bid to become the favorite for 2012 Senior Player of the Year honors by winning the PBA Senior Northern California Classic presented by Track Wednesday at Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood CA.

The seven-time PBA Player of the Year became the first two-time winner this
season by defeating Hugh Miller of Seattle, 248-231, in the championship match.

“A lot of my matches today were closer than they looked,” said Williams, who was the 2010 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year. “It wasn’t all smooth sailing because I had a couple of matches that came down to the 10th frame. But I did what I had to do to win.”

Williams, who won the Senior Don Carter Memorial earlier this season, captured his fourth career Senior Tour title to go along with his PBA Tour career-leading 47 titles. He also improved on seventh and 17th-place finishes in his previous two Senior Northern California Classic appearances.

“The first game I bowled in match play I shot 194 and missed the pocket one time so I had to go to another ball to get a better reaction on the backend,” said
Williams, who won a total of four matches Wednesday. “I had one open and don’t think I missed the pocket maybe two or three times all day. I’m just glad I
didn’t waste all my strikes in qualifying.”

Miller was trying to become the seventh different winner of the season and was
coming off a fifth-place finish in the Etonic PBA Senior U.S. Open and
second-place finish in last week’s United States Bowling Congress Senior
Masters.

In the semifinals, Williams defeated Mike Dias of Lafayette, CO, 259-228 and
Miller defeated PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb of Columbus, Ohio, 216-205, to advance to the title match.

The 2012 PBA Senior Tour season takes a six-week break before it resumes with the PBA Senior South Shore Open presented by DV8 at Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., Aug. 6-9, and the season-ending PBA Senior Decatur Open presented by Brunswick Aug. 11-14 at Spare Time Lanes in Decatur, IL.

PBA SENIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY TRACK
Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, CA, Wednesday

Final Results
a-amateur

Championship Match
Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. ($8,000) def. Hugh Miller, Seattle
($4,500), 248-231.

Semifinal Round (losers earn $2,600)
W.R. Williams def. Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 259-228.
Miller def. Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 216-205.

Round of 8 (best of three games, losers eliminated, $1,600 each)
W.R. Williams def. Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif., 2-0.
Dias def. a-Mark McCreary, Livermore, Calif., 2-0.
Miller def. Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 2-0.
Webb def. Lennie Boresch, Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 2-0.

Round of 16 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
W.R. Williams def. a-Dick Baker, Henderson, Nev., 3-1.
Packard def. Chris Keane, New City, N.Y., 3-1.
Dias def. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3-1.
Miller def. Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif., 3-0.
Staikoff def. Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 3-1.
Webb def. Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3-1.
McCreary def. Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 3-2.
Boresch def. a-Sam Carter, BenLomond, Calif., 3-0.

Round of 24 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,100 each)
D. Baker def. Bill Nichols, Roseville, Calif., 3-0.
Packard def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 3-2.
Dias def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3-1.
Gurney def. Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 3-1.
Staikoff def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3-1.
McCordic def. Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 3-1.
Boresch def. Randy Shewmake, Fort Worth, Texas, 3-1.
Kjell def. Ron Winger, Las Vegas, 3-2.

BowlTech to Acquire QubicaAMF

Bowltech International B.V. and QubicaAMF Worldwide, SarL announced today that they have entered into a non-binding letter of intent for Bowltech to acquire QubicaAMF for an undisclosed cash purchase price. The proposed transaction remains subject to due diligence and various other conditions, including full agreement on definitive transaction documentation.

The combination of Bowltech and QubicaAMF will result in the largest bowling products company in the world. In addition to the industry leading line of QubicaAMF products such as BES Scoring, the Conqueror Pro Management Control System and the XLi EDGE pinspotter, the company plans to offer many of the leading brands of products currently sold by Bowltech to its customers in the European market.

In order to complete the transaction, Bowltech has partnered with a Dutch family investment office, Driestar. A Driestar spokesman stated that Driestar makes long term investments in financially sound companies and believes strongly in investing in innovation, people and products. He went on to say that the combination of Bowltech and QubicaAMF is a great opportunity and that his firm is happy to be a part of the potential new venture.

Hans Krol, the owner of Bowltech stated, “I have believed for many years that QubicaAMF and Bowltech represented a perfect marriage of two companies. We have similar beliefs and company cultures and complementary skills in the marketplace. I began talking to QubicaAMF about a potential combination of our two companies almost five years ago. It has taken a long time to reach this point, and we are not quite finished yet, but I am very close to making a dream come true. I have asked John Walker to serve as the CEO of our new combined company. John and I have developed a very close relationship over the past few years and I have full confidence that together with the rest of the management team we will accomplish great things.”

The two parties decided to go forward with an announcement at this time due to the upcoming gathering of many people from the bowling industry in Reno, NV for International Bowl Expo. John Walker, the CEO of QubicaAMF said, “We are very excited about the prospect of joining forces with Bowltech. Hans has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success over the past twenty five years in the bowling industry. He fully understands the business and what is required to succeed. Hans believes in investing in people and products to build the strength of a company for the long term and he is committed to the same high standards of customer service that we try to deliver at QubicaAMF. I look forward to working with Hans and the rest of the team from both QubicaAMF and Bowltech for years to come.”

Mr. Krol also stated that he has asked Pat Ciniello to continue to serve as the President of the new company’s U.S. subsidiary and to join the Board for the new combined company after the transaction closes. “Pat is one of the best businessmen I have ever met and he has been critical to the success of QubicaAMF in the U.S. marketplace. I am very happy that he has accepted my offer to continue working with us in the future. He understands both the bowling product and center operations sides of the business and that will be a great benefit to our future company.”

Mr. Ciniello replied, “I am convinced that combining QubicaAMF and Bowltech is the right thing to do for the future of both companies. Hans and his investment partner, Driestar, are long term investors who will do the right things for the future of both the company and the bowling industry. There are still a few hurdles to clear, but I cannot wait to get started with this new venture.”

Emanuele Govoni, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer of QubicaAMF said, “Since Qubica was founded in 1993 my partners and I have always worked to do what was best for our company and the bowling industry. We believe that joining forces with Bowltech in the near future will provide the platform to drive future growth for our company. I look forward to working with Hans and the rest of the team on completing the transaction and moving forward with integrating the two companies.”

The new company will employ over 600 people and will have worldwide headquarters just outside of Richmond, Virginia and European headquarters in Made, The Netherlands. The existing QubicaAMF operations in Bologna, Italy and Lowville, New York will continue to develop and produce the QubicaAMF line of scoring/management control products and pins respectively. Few changes are expected in either location.

QubicaAMF has changed the bowling industry many times in the past, beginning with the first mass produced automatic pinspotter introduced by AMF (a predecessor company to QubicaAMF) in 1946. AMF also created the first automatic scoring system for the industry while Qubica revolutionized the automatic scoring and management control segments of the industry, growing from a small startup company to the international market share leader in only a few years. During conversations both Mr. Krol and Mr. Walker stressed the company’s on-going commitment to investing in new product development as a key to success for both the company and the industry.

Radical Bowling Introduces 2 Balls

 The Radical Bowling Slant HD is a strong asymmetrical core ball and uses the “Soaker” additive in the coverstock. The “Soaker” formulae absorbs oil from the surface 54% faster than balls without the additive. The core is an improved Slant “Booster” core but increased density of the flip block boosts the flare potential (differential). #15 RG of 2.46 and RG Differential of.054.

The Radical Bowling Torrid uses one of the most prolific cores ever developed. “Its performance on the PBA Tour was unprecedented and it was one of the most sought after balls on the market” reports Radical President Phil Cardinale. With an updated coverstock the Torrid is projected to perform like its legendary predecessor in a mid performance price range. #15 RG of 2.46 and RG Differential of.048.


AMF Announces New Bowling Balls

The new Green Mamba from AMF. For the first time AMF is utilizing the Asymmetric SRC technology. It is paired with Green/Ivory F74 coverstock and NEAT (4000 grit) finish. This low RG strong cover combination will be sure to bite through any oily lane condition. Get your FREE Green Mamba jersey with every purchase (just pay S&H). #15 Radius of Gyration (RG) 2.481, RG Differential is .054, Intermediate Diff. is .020.

The Bull Whip is back (in a new Special Edition) and better than ever. The shell has been juiced up to a powerful F73 polished Red/Bronze pearl coverstock to match up to today's lane conditions. You'll find the Bull Whip S.E. to provide good length with a sharp angular backend motion.  #15 RG – 2.529, Diff. - .051.

A classic has been reborn with the Cobra S.E. The ever popular symmetric light bulb core is brought back to life in a high friction F74 reactive coverstock in Black with 4,000 Abralon finish. This unique combo of a low flaring core and strong cover creates an entry angle you will have to see to believe. #15 RG – 2.563, Diff. - .017. Look for the new AMF additions in early July 2012.

900 Global Reveals 3 New Balls for Fall


New in July from 900 Global, The Look, Freight Train and Sure Thing. The great looking Blue/Orange hybrid coverstock of The Look will give you “The Look” on conditions that demand a strong backend reaction. The Look combines a High Rg Asymmetric core with the popular S75 Hybrid Coverstock with soaker additive. "The Look" is finished with a NEAT (4,000 grit) finish. (#15 RG is 2.551, RG Differential is .050 and Intermediate Diff. is .017).

The new Freight Train from 900 Global is designed for heavy oil, and an energy block has been added to the Combustion core.

In addition, the shell strength was increased from the original Train to a new lane grabbing S77 in Black/Gray and finished with the NEAT (1,500 grit) finish. #15 RG is 2.54 and RG Diffferential is .055. For the cost of Freight ($9.95) the new Freight Train also features a 900 Global jersey.

Performance at the right price is how 900 Global describes the Sure Thing. The low RG core (RG of 2.494 in #15) and S57 Hybrid Navy Blue/Oyster coverstock finished at 2,000 Abralon will cut through any medium heavy oil condition. Polish the cover for more length and angle down the lane.

MOTIV's New 2Cruel

The new 2Cruel™ from MOTIV. The new Sinister™ asymmetric core has a higher RG to provide length, and differentials that produce strong track flare. From MOTIV "This weapon is then armored with a new Whiplash™ Hybrid Reactive cover to generate a backend reaction that is absolutely devastating." Release July 18th.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

PBA Regional Round-up


In back-to-back one-day PBA Midwest/Central Regional events hosted by Poplar Creek Bowl in Hoffman Estates, IL, Larry Zacharias of Bolingbrook, IL, topped Mike Mineman of O’Fallon, IL, 190-169, to win Saturday’s Viper Senior Open sponsored by Allstate Insurance, but Mineman avenged his loss in Sunday’s Cheetah Senior Open sponsored by Allstate Insurance, defeating Randy Robertson of Evansville, Ind., 258-205, for the title. Both winners collected $1,200.

On the June 8-10 PBA Regional schedule is the joint Southwest/Midwest Region Wichita (KS) Open at Thunderbird Lanes, and the PBA East Region Dominick DiCicco Memorial Open at Brunswick Zone Turnersville (NJ).

The June 15-17 weekend includes the PBA South Region Reality Check Classic at Brunswick Harbor Lanes in Melbourne, FL; the PBA East Region Howell Lanes Open presented by Brunswick in Howell, NJ, and a pair of “animal pattern” championship events: the PBA Central Region J.D. Producing Inc./Triway Lanes Cheetah Open presented by Hammer in Wooster, Ohio, and the PBA West/Northwest Wine Country Scorpion Open presented by Columbia 300 at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif.

For complete PBA Regional schedule and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tours” under the Schedules tab.

PBA GEICO Summer Shootout on ESPN/ESPN2

ESPN’s coverage of the PBA GEICO Summer Shootout from 10pin bowling lounge in Chicago has been modified. The series of 15 30-minute shows will debut with four back-to-back shows on Saturday, July 7, at 2 p.m., followed by five consecutive shows on Saturday, July 14, starting at noon. All times are Eastern. The final six half-hour shows will air on Sunday, July 15, starting at 1 p.m.

ESPN2 will re-air the entire series starting with the first five shows on Sunday, July 8, at 1:30 p.m. Two shows will re-air on Saturday, July 21, at 4 p.m., and Saturday, July 28, at 3 p.m. Re-airs continue with five back-to-back shows on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 1 p.m. and two shows on Sunday, Aug. 5, starting at 3 p.m.

Current Race for Senior Player Feautures a Bunch of Jr.s

Heading into the Etonic PBA Senior U.S. Open at the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas June 3-8, the all-time leader in PBA Tour titles, Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., holds a slim two-point lead in the 2012 PBA Senior Player of the Year race over “rookie” Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, PA.

After the first four tournaments of the season, Williams had 20 points in a Senior Tour race which awards 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1 points for first through fifth place finishes in standard events. The 47-time PBA Tour title winner earned 16 points for his third career Senior Tour win in the Senior Don Carter Memorial and two points each for fourth-place finishes in The Sun Bowl in the Villages and the Senior Mooresville Classic. Learn had 18 points, fellow “rookie” Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, WI, and PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, NJ, had 16 each, and Ron Profitt of Brookville, Ohio was fifth with 12.

During the first of two major championships, stakes will rise for the Senior U.S. Open where top-five point values increase to 24, 12, 8, 4 and 2 points. The same elevated points will apply to the USBC Senior Masters June 10-15 at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

The Senior U.S. Open will be covered extensively by PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, Monday-Friday, June 4-8, concluding with the four-player stepladder finals Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. Pacific). To enroll as an Xtra Frame subscriber, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Reigning PBA Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, will attempt to become the third two-time winner of the Senior U.S. Open, joining Wayne Webb (2008 and ‘09) and Tom Baker (2005 and ’06) as multiple winners. Mohr also finished second in the 2010 Senior U.S. Open.