Pete Weber on ESPN's 30 for 30

The ESPN 30 for 30 Short on Bowling's Bad Boy Pete Weber. Click here to view.

PEPSI To Sponsor Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) today announced a new sponsorship deal making Pepsi the official soft drink of the 2016 PWBA Tour.

As part of the agreement, Pepsi will be the title sponsor of the PWBA Tour stop in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open will take place June 9-12 at Sun Valley Lanes.

“As the official soft drink of bowling and longtime partner for Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America centers, we are excited to partner with Pepsi as part of the growing PWBA Tour,” BPAA President Tom Martino said. “The PWBA Tour also provides a wonderful way to showcase the iconic Pepsi products that are offered in bowling centers and to continue to build our relationship to benefit BPAA members.”

As an official sponsor, Pepsi also will be featured during 2016 PWBA Tour telecasts on CBS Sports Network. The United States Bowling Congress and CBS Sports Network recently reached an agreement to televise 23 major championship bowling events in 2016, including 13 telecasts of the PWBA Tour.

“Seeing Pepsi as an official sponsor of the PWBA Tour gives us a great feeling of pride,” PWBA spokeswoman Kelly Kulick said. “Pepsi has a rich history in bowling and we’re looking forward to our new partnership.”

The stepladder finals of the 2016 Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open will be taped during the PWBA Players Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on June 26, and will air on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, July 12.

Go to PWBA.com for more information about the PWBA Tour and players.

Ryan Ciminelli Rolls 300 in Position Round, Claims Top Rung in Sunday’s Barbasol PBA Players Championship Stepladder Finals

by Bill Vint February 19, 2016 05:58

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, NY, advanced from third to take the lead earlier Friday and fired a 300 in his final game to lock up the top berth in Sunday’s finals of the Barbasol Professional Bowlers Association Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.

Ciminelli, a 29-year-old left-hander and the PBA Tour’s only three-time title winner in 2015 – including the U.S. Open – has won 16 of his 24 matches and tied another, averaging 240.69 to claim the top rung in the stepladder finals by 70 pins over Canadian Graham Fach, who is making his first television final in only his second PBA Tour appearance. Fach, 24, finished with a 14-10 match play record and 11,978 pins in his bid to become the first Canadian ever to win a PBA Tour title.

Australia’s Sam Cooley, also qualifying for his first TV final in third place, struggled early in the final round, but turned his fate around with a 300 game to finish with 11,832 pins, 70 ahead of Sweden’s two-hander Jesper Svensson. Svensson, who turned 21 on Monday, became the youngest player to win the FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions two weeks ago in Shawnee, Okla.

It might not have been the prettiest round among the finalists, but PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, battled his way into the telecast with three exciting victories in his final three matches, slipping past Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y., by 12 pins and DJ Archer of Friendswood, Texas – his position round opponent – by 36 pins.

Duke, who needs to win the Players Championship to join Mike Aulby as only the second player to complete the “Super Slam” of major championships, said, “That’s the hardest telecast I’ve made in recent memory. With three games to go I was 100 pins back and it seemed like I could do nothing but leave 10 pins. I just told myself, hang in there. I just willed myself to bowl three good games.

“This is the fifth major,” the 51-year-old Hall of Famer added. “Don’t think I don’t know it. I just know how hard it is to win out here. I want to win one. I just want to win. I don’t think my story is over yet.”

Ciminelli, as tournament leader, will meet the survivor of three stepladder matches for the title. After finishing second in 2015 PBA Player of the Year balloting to Australia’s Jason Belmonte, Ciminelli said he had a premonition about his final match.

“I had a feeling I was going to bowl 300 because I figured Fach was going to bowl 279 or 280, and I’d need the pins,” Ciminelli said. He doesn’t generally have that kind of confidence.

“Eight months ago, I was looking for a new job in my career training, construction engineering,” Ciminelli said, “but it was like I got a message from God – no, not yet. This is what you’re meant to do."

“As bummed out as I was (about losing in Player of the Year voting last year), and as confident as I look, I fight demons constantly,” he continued. “I keep telling myself I’m not that good. It’s hard for me to keep believing in myself. I’m such a believer in you’re only as good as your last performance, so if I have a bad performance, I tell myself I stink. I just try to make a show. Every tournament is a battle to try to make a show."

“I’m averaging 240 in this tournament and asking myself, am I good enough to keep doing this? No matter what, I continue to question my ability – but I think that’s what makes me keep wanting to prove myself.”

Ciminelli will get a chance to prove himself during the live Barbasol PBA Players Championship ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Immediately following the Players Championship, ESPN will air the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Friday

Final Match Play Standings (after 48 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to live ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET)

1, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 16-7-1, 12,048.
2, Graham Fach, Ontario, Canada, 14-10, 11,978.
3, Sam Cooley, Australia, 11-11-2, 11,832.
4, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 16-7-1, 11,762.
5, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 14-9-1, 11,634.

Failed to advance:
6, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 12-11-1, 11,622, $8,000.
7, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 12-12, 11,598, $6,500.
8, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 13-10-1, 11,571, $5,500.
9, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 14-10, 11,565, $5,000.
10, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 13-11, 11,485, $4,500.
11, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 13-11, 11,431, $4,000.
12, Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., 13-11, 11,426, $3,700.
13, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 13-11, 11,411, $3,400.
14, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 11-12-1, 11,408, $3,200.
15, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 11-13, 11,389, $3,000.
16, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 12-11-1, 11,352, $2,800.
17, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 11-13, 11,349, $2,700.
18, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 13-11, 11,295, $2,600.
19, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 10-13-1, 11,219, $2,500.
20, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 9-15, 11,133, $2,400.
21, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 9-15, 11,065, $2,300.
22, Dom Barrett, England, 8-16, 11,050, $2,200.
23, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 5-19, 10,981, $2,100.
24, y-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3-2, 10,899, $2,000.
25, xy-Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7-12, 9,818, $1,700.
26, x-Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 0-0-0, 5,637, $1,650.

x-Smallwood replaced Pete Weber, who withdrew due to injury.

y-Pluhowsky replaced Tom Smallwood, who withdrew due to illness.

300 Games: Kyle Troup, Sam Cooley, Ryan Ciminelli.

Canada’s Graham Fach Leads Field into Friday’s Barbasol PBA Players Championship Final Match Play Rounds

by Bill Vint February 18, 2016 06:17

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Little-known Canadian Graham Fach, bowling in his second Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tournament, led the field of 24 finalists into Friday’s final two rounds of match play in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.

Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander who starred at Urbana (Ohio) University a year ago, lost his first three matches in Thursday night’s opening round of match play and momentarily dropped out of the lead. But he rebounded with four wins in his next five matches, rolling games of 269, 267, 245, 278 and 266 to regain first place by 49 pins over Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, NY. Fach had 7,960 pins, Pepe 7,761. Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, NY, was third with 7,895 pins followed by Australia’s Sam Cooley with 7,863 pins. EJ Tackett of Huntington, IN, was fifth, 21 pins behind Cooley.

Among the players who are continuing to chase history are three PBA Hall of Famers: Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, who would become the second player in PBA history to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of major titles with a win in the Players Championship, Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ, who is trying to win back-to-back Players Championships, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, FL, who would improve upon his PBA-record 47 career titles with a win. Duke was in seventh place, Bohn in 10th and Williams 21st heading into Friday’s final two eight-game rounds of match play.

Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., who was trying for a PBA-record 11th major title, withdrew at the end of the third round due to a chronic hip injury. Weber was in ninth place at the time, only 78 pins out of fifth place.

But Fach (pronounced “faw”) remains the story with his consistent performance and unflappable attitude.

“I don’t want to look (at who’s behind me); I just want to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “There were fewer people today, so I had to deal with more transitions. I didn’t score as well today as I did in my first two rounds, but I’m learning to deal with (how the lane conditions change).

“I’m feeling real good; I’m trying not to think about games ahead,” he added. “Every time I think about TV, I kick myself and tell myself to focus. There are still 16 games with bonus pins to go.”

For now, Fach is happy to be finally realizing a lifelong dream.

“I’ve wanted to bowl our here ever since I was a kid,” he said. “I told myself I’d go pro at some point, but every time I thought about it, I found a reason not to. I finally decided to dive in.

“I’m getting lots of support – back home in Canada, at school, the Urbana high school bowling team. Not just bowlers, but people I’ve known throughout my life. It’s great,” he said.

The Barbasol PBA Players Championship continues Friday with the final two eight-game match play rounds at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP 
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Thursday

Fourth Round Standings (after 32 games, including match play bonus pins) 1, Graham Fach, Ontario, Canada, 4-4, 7,960.
2, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 5-3, 7,911.
3, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6-2, 7,895.
4, Sam Cooley, Australia, 6-2, 7,863.
5, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5-3, 7,712.
6, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 6-2, 7,688.
7, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 7-1, 7,683.
8, Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., 5-3, 7,619.
9, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 5-3, 7,611.
10, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 6-2, 7,609.
11, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 4-4, 7,596.
12, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 4-4, 7,551.
13, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 4-4, 7,534.
14, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4-4, 7,533.
15, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3-5, 7,510.
16, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4-4, 7,498.
17, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3-5, 7,428.
18, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2-6, 7,414.
19, x-Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3-5, 7,363.
20, Dom Barrett, England, 2-6, 7,344.
21, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 2-6, 7,326.
22, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 4-4, 7,318.
23, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 2-8, 7,310.
24, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 0-8, 7,233.

Failed to advance (after 24 games): 25, x-Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,637.
26, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,488, $1,650.
27, f-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 5,486, $1,600.
28, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5,481, $1,550.
29, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 5,464, $1,500.
30, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 5,459, $1,450.
31, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5,446, $1,400.
32, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 5,444, $1,350.
33, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 5,379, $1,300.
34, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,374, $1,250.
35, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 5,341, $1,200.
36, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 5,333, $1,150.

x-Smallwood replaced Weber, who withdrew due to injury.

f-denotes female

300 Games: Ryan Ciminelli, Norm Duke, Anthony Pepe.

Canadian Rookie Graham Fach Takes Second Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship

by Bill Vint February 17, 2016 05:46

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Graham Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander from Gulph, Ontario, bowling in his second Professional Bowlers Association Tour event, averaged 248.38 to charge into the second round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl Wednesday.

Fach (pronounced “faw”) fired games of 276, 227, 195, 289, 235, 256, 245 and 247 during Wednesday’s second round to finish with 3,974 pins, overtaking first-round leader Sam Cooley of Australia by 56 pins.

Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, NY, advanced from 12th to third place among the 36 players who advanced to Thursday’s cashers round with 3,887 pins. He was followed by PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, with 3,848 pins and 2016 FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions winner Jesper Svensson of Sweden in fifth with a 3,830 total. Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, who is pursuing a fifth different PBA major title, remained in contention in 17th place heading into the cashers round.

Fach, who finished 171st in the field of 417 players in his PBA debut in last week’s United States Bowling Congress Masters, entered the day in second place, 47 pins behind Cooley.

“After the Masters, I was a little upset; I thought I bowled well and didn’t get a check,” Fach said. “Today I felt pretty comfortable the whole day. I’m just trying to stay on the high from day one.”

Fach, a member of Canada’s national bowling team, said, “I’ve bowled some pretty big amateur tournaments that were kinda similar in format, but this is the first time bowling with this caliber of players, this much talent. It makes you want to strike a lot more because you know they’re going to.

“The biggest part for me is, no matter what pair you look at, there’s a big name professional. When you start anything as a rookie, you want to make a good impression. Fortunately, my impression here was better than the Masters, where I was barely in the top half of the field. I got comfortable with my ball motion here, and it let me play to my strength.

“Today just means I’ve proven to myself I can compete with the guys I grew up watching. My goals are to make some money, make the cut to match play, make the show and win a title. I think I’ve met two of them so far.”

The 2015 graduate of Ohio’s Urbana University, where he got his degree in sports management, said he’s well aware no Canadian has ever won a PBA Tour title.

“Yup, I’m aware. Every time Dan MacLelland makes a TV show, the point is made,” Fach said of MacLelland, a Windsor, Ontario native and former Saginaw Valley State All-American who has made nine PBA television shows without winning a title – including a runner-up finish in last week’s Masters. “The fact that he hasn’t won yet indicates how tough this Tour is.”

The PBA Players Championship continues with an eight-game qualifying round for A Squad Wednesday night. After 16 games, the top 36 players will advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday to determine the 24 players who will advance to round-robin match play beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday. The final two match play rounds begin at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday

Final Second Round Standings (after 16 games, top 36 advance to cashers’ round)

1, Graham Fach, Ontario, Canada, 3,974.
2, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,918.
3, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,887.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,848.
5, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,830.
6, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,829.
7, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 3,818.
8, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,806.
9, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,804.
10, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,783.
11 (tie), Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,781.
13, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,777.
14, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 3,757.
15 (tie), Osku Palermaa, Finland, and Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,755.
17, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,747.
18, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 3,735.
19, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,731.
20, Dom Barrett, England, 3,727.
21, f-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,722.
22, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 3,716.
23, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,714.
24, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,710.
25, Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., 3,706.
26, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,681.
27, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,674.
28, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,658.
29, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 3,656.
30 (tie), Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., and Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,654.
32, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 3,644.
33 (tie), Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., and John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,642.
35 (tie), Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., and Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 3,636.

Failed to advance:
37, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,629.
38, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,616.
39, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,611.
40, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,610.
41, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,609.
42, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,607.
43, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 3,602.
44 (tie), Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,594.
46, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,593.
47, f-Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,587.
48 (tie), Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, and Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,581.
50, Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 3,576.
51, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 3,572.
52, David Simard, Quebec, Canada, 3,569.
53, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 3,568.
54, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,565.
55, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,554.
56, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,549.
57, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3,545.
58, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3,539.
59, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 3,536.
60, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,529.
61, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,527.
62, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 3,525.
63, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,523.
64, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 3,520.
65 (tie), Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., and Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,517.
67, Mike Eaton Jr., Cincinnati, 3,516.
68, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,515.
69, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,514.
70, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 3,508.
71, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 3,489.
72, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,488.
73, Jaime Gonzalez, Colombia, 3,472.
74, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 3,471.
75, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,470.
76, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 3,463.
77, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,459.
78, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,456.
79, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,452.
80, Anthony Kennard, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3,439.
81, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,425.
82, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 3,422.
83, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 3,418.
84, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 3,405.
85 (tie), Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., and Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 3,404.
87, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 3,403.
88, Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 3,395.
89, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,381.
90, f-Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,378.
91, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 3,372.
92, f-Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 3,364.
93, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3,363.
94, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3,340.
95, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3,329.
96, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 3,328.
97, Chris Colella, Templeton, Mass., 3,324.
98, Stuart Williams, England, 3,323.
99, Brad Miller, Maryland Hts, Mo., 3,318.
100, f-Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam, N.Y., 3,317.
101, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 3,315.
102, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,306.
103, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 3,300.
104, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 3,297.
105, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 3,291.
106, f-Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,277.
107, Sean Johnson, Moundsville, W.V., 3,254.
108, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,248.
109, Frankie Mazzella, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,230.
110, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 3,229.
111, Terrance Bright, Atlanta, 3,201.
112, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3,192.
113, Brandon Dye, Columbus, 3,136.
114, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 3,081.
115, Mark Nance Sr., Grove City, Ohio, 3,054.
116, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 2,985.
117, Frank Bellavia Jr., Niagara Falls, N.Y., 2,980.
118, James Owens, Vernon, N.Y., 2,802.
119, Larry Helton, Bolingbrook, Ill., 2,722.
120, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., withdrew.

f-denotes female

300 Games: Tom Hess, Kyle Troup, DJ Archer, David Haynes.

Canadian Rookie Graham Fach Takes Early Second Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship

by Bill Vint February 17, 2016 05:46

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Graham Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander from Gulph, Ontario, bowling in his second Professional Bowlers Association Tour event, averaged 248.38 to charge into the early second round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl Wednesday.

Fach (pronounced “faw”) fired games of 276, 227, 195, 289, 235, 256, 245 and 247 during Wednesday’s second round to finish with 3,974 pins to overtake first-round leader Sam Cooley of Australia by 56 pins. PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., was third among the B Squad players. Squad A, the second half of the 122-player field, bowled its second eight-game round later Wednesday.

Fach, who finished 171st in the field of 417 players in his PBA debut in last week’s United States Bowling Congress Masters, entered the day in second place, 47 pins behind Cooley.

“After the Masters, I was a little upset; I thought I bowled well and didn’t get a check,” Fach said. “Today I felt pretty comfortable the whole day. I’m just trying to stay on the high from day one.”

Fach, a member of Canada’s national bowling team, said, “I’ve bowled some pretty big amateur tournaments that were kinda similar in format, but this is the first time with this caliber of players, this much talent. It makes you want to strike a lot more because you know they’re going to.

“The biggest part for me is, no matter what pair you look at, there’s a big name professional. When you start anything as a rookie, you want to make a good impression. Fortunately, my impression here was better than the Masters, where I was barely in the top half of the field. I got comfortable with my ball motion, and it let me play to my strength and I didn’t have to worry about that.

“Today just means I’ve proven to myself I can compete with the guys I grew up watching. My goals are to make some money, make the cut to match play, make the show and win a title. I think I’ve two of them so far.”

The 2015 graduate of Ohio’s Urbana University, where he got his degree in sports management, said he’s well aware no Canadian has ever won a PBA Tour title.

“Yup, I’m aware. Every time Dan MacLelland has made a show, the point is made,” Fach said of the Windsor, Ontario native and former Saginaw Valley State All-American who has made nine PBA television shows without winning a title. “The fact that he hasn’t won yet indicates how tough this Tour is.”

The PBA Players Championship continues with an eight-game qualifying round for A Squad Wednesday night. After 16 games, the top 36 players will advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday to determine the 24 players who will advance to round-robin match play beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday. The final two match play rounds begin at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday

Early Second Round Standings (top 25 after 16 games, B Squad only; A Squad bowls its second round at 4 p.m. ET)

1, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,974.
2, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,918.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,848.
4, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,830.
5, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,806.
6, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,804.
7, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3,781.
7, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,781.
9, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,777.
10, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,755.
11, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 3,735.
12, Dom Barrett, England, 3,727.
13, f-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,722.
14, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,710.
15, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,681.
16, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,654.
17, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,642.
18 (tie), Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., and Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 3,636.
20, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,629.
21, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,616.
22, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,611.
23, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,610.
24, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,607.
25, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,581.

f-denotes female

300 Games: Tom Ness, Kyle Troup.

Australia’s Sam Cooley Takes First Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship over HOF Trio

by Bill Vint February 16, 2016 06:05

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sam Cooley, a 25-year-old Australian who made his Professional Bowlers Association debut in the PBA Fall Classic in Las Vegas in October, out-scored a little-known Canadian, a ranking international star and a trio of PBA Hall of Famers to take the first round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship Tuesday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.

Cooley, who has yet to qualify for a PBA stepladder finals, averaged 256.38 Tuesday behind games of 257, 300, 279, 209, 236, 266, 226 and 278 for an eight-game total of 2,051 pins to take a 47-pin lead over 35-time titlist Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J. and Canadian Graham Fach, who shared second place with 2,004 pins. England’s Dom Barrett, a four-time PBA Tour winner including the 2012 PBA World Championship, was fourth with 1,999 pins, just ahead of 37-time PBA Tour champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo. (1,983 pins); and 38-time winner Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla. (1,953 pins).

Cooley, a member of Australia’s national team, admitted he has been a little star-struck bowling with and against the PBA greats in his limited career, but “now I’m watching these guys a little, and it’s a matter of ‘wow, Pete’s bowling a good game…and now it’s my turn to bowl.’ I’m not dwelling on it.

“It’s good to be ahead of them, but tomorrow’s a new day. In my previous tournaments I’ve had really good starts and I tend to get carried away with things. I’m learning that each day is its own tournament. You have to take each day on its own. You can start good, catch a bad pair of lanes and it plays on my mind. I have to learn to focus on not worrying about scores, but making good shots all of the time.”

Among the early leaders, Weber is the only player who has previously won the PBA Players Championship (1992). With the tournament returning to major championship status this year, Weber, 53, has a chance to win an 11th career major and break his tie with Earl Anthony for the all-time PBA record.

Duke, 51, has a chance to add the only title he needs to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of PBA major titles. He has already won the U.S. Open, PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA World Championship and United States Bowling Congress Masters. A fifth different major in the PBA Players Championship would match a feat only fellow hall of famer Mike Aulby has accomplished.

But Weber, who hobbled into the bowling center after an acupuncture treatment for a lingering hip injury, and Duke, who has been battling a chronic pinched nerve issue in his neck, need to stay healthy.

“I trained really well coming into this swing (of three consecutive major championships),” Duke said. “I was strong, I was ready, but I tweaked my neck a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been trying to get myself healthy to make good shots. I figure if I can keep my health together, I like my chances. I still feel like I’m very good, but I have to stay healthy.”

The PBA Players Championship continues with second eight-game qualifying round for all players Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. The top 36 players after 16 games will then advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday. Based on 24-game pinfall totals, the top 24 players will advance to eight-game round-robin match play rounds at 5 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Immediately following Sunday’s live Barbasol PBA Players Championship finals at 3 p.m. ET, ESPN will air the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The WBT finals will feature three men (England’s Dom Barrett, Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Mike Fagan of Berkley, Calif.) and three women (Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J.; Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y.) in stepladder finals which will be contested using an experimental World Bowling scoring system.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday

First Round Standings (after 8 games)

1, Sam Cooley, Australia, 2,051.
2 (tie), Graham Fach, Ontario, Canada, and Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,004.
4, Dom Barrett, England, 1,999.
5, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,983.
6, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,953.
7, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,944.
8, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 1,939.
9, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,927.
10 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 1,926.
12, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,920.
13, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 1,905.
14, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,896.
15, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,893.
16, Mike Eaton Jr., Cincinnati, 1,892.
17, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 1,884.
18, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,883.
19 (tie), Jason Belmonte, Australia; Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; f-Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 1,881.
23, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,877.
24, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,874.
25, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,871.
26, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,867.
27, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,863.
28, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,856.
29, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,852.
30, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,850.
31, Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 1,847.
32, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 1,845.
33, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,844.
34, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,842.
35, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,841.
36, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,840.
37, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,835.
38 (tie), Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., and Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,829.
40, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,828.
41, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 1,825.
42, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 1,824.
43, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 1,823.
44, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,822.
45, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,820.
46, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 1,819.
47, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,812.
48, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,807.
49, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 1,804.
50 (tie), Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 1,799.
52, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,798.
53, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,796.
54, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 1,795.
55, David Simard, Quebec, Canada, 1,793.
56, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,783.
57, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,780.
58, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,777.
59, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,776.
60, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,774.
61, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,771.
62, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,765.
63, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,762.
64 (tie), Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., and David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,754.
66, f-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 1,751.
67, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,750.
68, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,749.
69, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,745.
70, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,744.
71, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,739.
72 (tie), Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C.; Manuel Otalora, Colombia, and Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,735.
75, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,728.
76, Jaime Gonzalez, Colombia, 1,724.
77 (tie), Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., and Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,720.
79, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,712.
80, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 1,705.
81, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,700.
82, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,699.
83, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,694.
84, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 1,693.
85, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,691.
86, f-Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam, N.Y., 1,683.
87, f-Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,682.
88 (tie), Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., and Sean Johnson, Moundsville, W.V., 1,675.
90, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 1,672.
91 (tie), Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., and Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 1,668.
93, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 1,663.
94, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,661.
95, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 1,660.
96, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 1,658.
97, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 1,656.
98, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,652.
99, Brandon Dye, Columbus, 1,650.
100, Stuart Williams, England, 1,649.
101, Terrance Bright, Atlanta, 1,645.
102, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,639.
103, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 1,638.
104, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,626.
105 (tie), f-Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., and Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,616.
107, f-Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,614.
108, Anthony Kennard, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,608.
109, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,597.
110, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 1,587.
111, Frankie Mazzella, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,565.
112, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 1,551.
113, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 1,544.
114, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 1,535.
115, Chris Colella, Templeton, Mass., 1,525.
116, Brad Miller, Maryland Hts, Mo., 1,512.
117, Mark Nance Sr., Grove City, Ohio, 1,495.
118, Frank Bellavia Jr., Niagara Falls, N.Y., 1,467.
119, James Owens, Vernon, N.Y., 1,413.
120, Larry Helton, Bolingbrook, Ill., 1,396.

300 Games: Stuart Williams, Anthony Pepe, Sam Cooley, Andres Gomez