Anthony Simonsen Charges into U.S. Open Lead; Two More Rounds of Match Play on Tap for Saturday

by Bill Vint | Saturday, February 22, 5:51 AM

LINCOLN, Neb. - Not long ago, Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, was wondering if it was the right time for him to join the PBA and embark on a full-time bowling journey.

He was only 17 years old and not yet able to drive himself to the tournaments, but he was confident in his abilities.

In the years since, the world has watched him grow up in the spotlight, and he already has enjoyed enough success on the PBA Tour to meet the performance requirements for the PBA Hall of Fame. He'll have to wait until 2034 to reach the 20 years of PBA membership required for election, however, so there's plenty of time to add to his already impressive resume.

This week, the 23-year-old two-hander is looking to become the youngest bowler in history with three major titles, and he's the leader after 40 games of competition at the 2020 U.S. Open.

Simonsen has been among the top four in the standings all week at Sun Valley Lanes, and he took hold of the top spot during the 36-player Cashers' Round on Friday morning.

He carried that momentum into the first round of match play Friday night and won six of his eight matches to maintain the lead with a 9,101 total, which includes 30 bonus pins for each victory.

"I've had past success in this building (at the 2016 World Bowling Youth Championships), and I think that definitely helped me feel more comfortable right from the start this week," Simonsen said. "I'm in a great position right now, but I still need to take it one shot and one game at a time. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself."

Reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia is 126 pins behind Simonsen with an 8,975 total. The 22-time titlist owns a record 11 PBA major titles, with the U.S. Open being the one that has eluded him.

Dick Allen of Columbia, South Carolina, finished the day in third place with an 8,930 total and was followed by Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois (8,874), and Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania (8,815).

Prather and O'Neill won the year's first two majors - the PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA Players Championships, respectively - earlier this month.

Competition at Sun Valley Lanes will resume Saturday at 11 a.m. Eastern with another eight games of match play, followed by the final round at 6 p.m. EST. Five players will advance to the championship round based on their 56-game totals, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play. Saturday’s competition will be covered live by FloBowling.

FOX will have live coverage of the stepladder finals on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. The winner will take home the coveted green jacket and a $30,000 top prize.

In six previous appearances at the U.S. Open, Simonsen has finished in the top eight four times, with a best finish of third at last year's event in Mooresville, North Carolina.He hopes the things he experienced and learned will help him improve his finish in 2020.

"I think I now understand how important it is to stay in the moment and maintain the process, especially since we still have 16 games of match play left, where that may not have been the case a few years ago," Simonsen said. "I think I'm a little more mature and knowledgeable, and I've learned a lot from watching the guys who are out here week in and week out. I've been trying to understand how and why they succeed, so I can apply it to my own routine."

In all, Simonsen owns seven PBA Tour titles - five standard victories and two major titles.

In his breakout win with Conner Pickford at the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman Doubles event in January 2016, Simonsen missed becoming the youngest champion in PBA Tour history by just two days.

A month later, he claimed his place in the record book by winning the United States Bowling Congress Masters to become the youngest bowler in PBA history to win a major (19 years and 39 days).

In 2019, he added a win at the PBA Players Championship, becoming the youngest in history to win two majors.

Ultimately, nearly every time he claims another trophy on the PBA Tour, Simonsen is rewriting the record book, but he has learned not to think about it.

"The U.S. Open is one of the special ones, and I honestly don't know what it would mean to have this one and a third major overall," Simonsen said. "Of course, it would be sweet to be 23 and have three majors, but it's still so far away and way too soon to even be thinking about it. We'll take it one shot at a time and see where it goes."

The week started with 108 competitors, who bowled 24 games of qualifying over three days, on three different oil patterns, before the field was cut to the top 36 for Friday's eight-game Cashers' Round on a fourth oil pattern.

Total pinfall for 32 games determined the 24 players who advanced to the round-robin portion of the event.

The 41-foot oil pattern introduced for the Cashers' Round will be used for the remainder of the event.

2020 U.S. Open
Sun Valley Lanes, Lincoln, Neb., Friday

Match Play Round One - Standings (after 40 games with won-lost records)

1, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 6-2-0, 9,101.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4-4-0, 8,975.
3, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6-1-1, 8,930.
4, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 5-3-0, 8,874.
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 5-3-0, 8,815.
6, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 4-3-1, 8,792.
7, Zach Wilkins, Canada, 5-3-0, 8,754.
8, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 4-4-0, 8,735.
9, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 2-5-1, 8,723.
10, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 5-3-0, 8,716.
11, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5-2-1, 8,708.
12, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4-4-0, 8,698.
13, Patrick Girard, Canada, 5-3-0, 8,684.
14, Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, 5-3-0, 8,683.
15, Dominic Barrett, England, 5-3-0, 8,657.
16, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 4-4-0, 8,635.
17, Perry Crowell IV (a), Chesterfield, Mich., 4-4-0, 8,597.
18, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 4-4-0, 8,587.
19, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 2-6-0, 8,541.
20, Rhino Page, Spokane, Wash., 1-7-0, 8,518.
21 (tie), Jake Rollins, Glen Rock, N.J., 3-5-0, and Michael Martell, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2-5-1, 8,465.
23, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1-6-1, 8,451.
24, Brad Miller, Raytown, Mo., 2-6-0, 8,430.

Did not advance (after 32 games):
25, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 6,759, $1,700.
26, Matt Ogle, Louisville, Ky., 6,700, $1,600.
27, Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 6,694, $1,525.
28, Matt Russo, Fairview Heights, Ill., 6,693, $1,475.
29, Arturo Quintero, Mexico, 6,677, $1,425.
30, Greg Young Jr., Viera, Fla., 6,672, $1,395.
31, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 6,668, $1,370.
32, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Little Elm, Texas, 6,657, $1,350.
33, Mitch Hupe, Canada, 6,631, $1,330.
34, Patrick Hanrahan, Wichita, Kan., 6,592, $1,320.
35, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 6,585, $1,310.
36, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 6,435, $1,300.

x-Tackett def. Palermaa, 225-204, in a one-game roll-off to break a tie for 24th place at the end of the cashers round.

Simonsen Retains Lead While Belmonte Makes Run in PBA Tournament of Champions After First Round of Match Play

by Jerry Schneider  |  Thursday, February 06, 7:56 PM

FAIRLAWN, Ohio – Despite a 4-4 record, seven-time PBA Tour titlist Anthony Simonsen was able to retain his lead in the PBA Tournament of Champions after the first round of match play at AMF Riviera Lanes Thursday but defending champion and fellow two-hander Jason Belmonte made a run to finish the day in eighth.

After earning top qualifier honors earlier in the day to lead 24 players advancing to match play, Simonsen ended the day with a 5,869 26-game pinfall total including 30 bonus pins for each match win. He won matches with games of 226, 235, 238 and 213 and lost with games of 202, 182, 207 and 235.

“It seemed like the lanes just played difficult in general and adjusting pair to pair was tricky,” said the 23-year-old Simonsen. “I felt like I had the pocket under control but it seemed like if I wasn’t striking I was getting splits which made it hard to keep any momentum going.”

Simonsen became the youngest player to win two majors when he defeated Belmonte 232-212 in the title match of the 2019 PBA Players Championship at age 22. He won the 2016 USBC Masters at age 19 to become the youngest to win a major.

In pursuit of a record fourth Tournament of Champions title, Belmonte narrowly made it into match play taking the 24th and final spot by just one pin earlier in the day. After losing his first two matches with games of 197 and 191, he won the next six matches with games of 232, 214, 255, 222, 242 and 247 posting a 6-2 record and finishing the day with a 5,733 pinfall.

It was reminiscent of 2018, when Belmonte took the last match play spot with a seven-pin cushion and proceeded to make a steady climb through the standings to qualify third for the stepladder finals finishing fourth after losing the second stepladder match to eventual winner Matt O’Grady 229-225.

“You just have to remember that once qualifying ends you’re not even halfway through the tournament so there’s time to make a move,” said the five-time and reigning PBA Player of the Year. “I started using a urethane ball to start the round but that wasn’t working so we tried some things and a couple different balls. Fortunately, I found one that I felt comfortable with and started striking.”

Belmonte’s win in the 2019 Tournament of Champions was his 10th major title which tied Pete Weber and Earl Anthony for first on the all-time list. He won the PBA World Championship for his 11th major win a few weeks later to take sole possession of first on the all-time majors win list.

Rounding out the top five after Thursday’s first match play round were Andrew Anderson, 5,861 (6-2); Bill O’Neill, 5,850 (6-2); Tom Daugherty, 5,786 (4-4) and Dom Barrett, 5,763 (6-1-1).

After the final two rounds of match play Friday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET, the top five will be determined for Sunday’s stepladder finals which will be televised live at 5 p.m. ET on FOX. The winner will earn a $100,000 first prize and a $1 million bonus will be paid if the winner bowls a 300 game in the title match.

Friday’s match play rounds will be streamed live by FloBowling which is also livestreaming the finals to international subscribers.



PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

(a 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour Tier 1 event)

AMF Riviera Lanes, Fairlawn, Ohio, Thursday

Fourth Round Standings (Includes total pinfall for 26 games including match play bonus pins. All 24 players return for the second round of match play Friday morning at 11 a.m. ET)



1, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 4-4, 5,869.
2, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 6-2, 5,861.
3, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 6-2, 5,850.
4, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 4-4, 5,786.
5, Dom Barrett, England, 6-1-1, 5,763.
6, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 4-4, 5,751.
7, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 5-3, 5,735.
8, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 6-2, 5,733.
9, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 4-4, 5,727.
10, AJ Chapman, Manchester, Iowa, 5-3, 5,721.
11, Stuart Williams, England, 4-4, 5,715.
12, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3-5, 5,705.
13, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 4-4, 5,697.
14, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3-5, 5,696.
15, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 2-6, 5,685.
16, Cristian Azcona, Puerto Rico, 3-5, 5,660.
17, Mitch Hupe, Canada, 4-4, 5,640.
18, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 5-3, 5,627.
19, Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., 5-3, 5,597.
20, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 2-6, 5,564.
21, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 5-3, 5,558.
22, Richard Teece, England, 3-4-1, 5,513.
23, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2-6, 5,465.
24, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 0-8, 5,188.

Third Round Standings (after 18 games. Top 24 players advanced to first round of match play)

1, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 4,011.
2, Cristian Azcona, Puerto Rico, 3,954.
3, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,951.
4, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 3,932.
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,922.
6, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,908.
7, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 3,904.
8, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,898.
9, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,885.
10, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,870.
11, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 3,864.
12, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 3,848.
13, Stuart Williams, England, 3,831.
14, Richard Teece, England, 3,825.
15, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,823.
16, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,822.
17, Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., 3,819.
18, AJ Chapman, Manchester, Iowa, 3,785.
19, Mitch Hupe, Canada, 3,784.
20, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,782.
21, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 3,776.
22, Dom Barrett, England, 3,766.
23, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 3,764.
24, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,753.

Failed to advance:
25, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,752, $2,500.
26, Tom Hess, Granger, Iowa, 3,721.
27, DJ Archer, Spring, Texas, 3,715.
28, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,710.
29, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,696.
30, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 3,692.
31, Darren Tang, Las Vegas, 3,689.
32, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,686.
33, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,674.
34, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,663.
35, BJ Moore, Greensburg, Pa., 3,653.
36, (tie) Matthew Ogle, Louisville, Ky., and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,644.
38, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,624.
39, Rhino Page, Spokane, Wash., 3,616.
40, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,614.
41, Chris Collins, Myrlte Beach, S.C., 3,606.
41, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 3,606.
43, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,591.
44, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,573.
45, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,550.
46, (tie) Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., and Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,535.
48, Jason Sterner, Rochester, N.Y., 3,511.
49, Matt Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 3,502.
50, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 3,495.
51, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,484.
52, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,482.
53, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,481.
54, Anthony Pepe, Long Island City, N.Y., 3,473.
55, Matt O'Grady, Rahway, N.J., 3,466.
56, Ryan Ciminelli, Lancaster, S.C., 3,454.
57, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 3,404.
58, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,338.
59, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 2,714.

Big Start Vaults Bill O’Neill Into FloBowling PBA Wolf Open First Round Lead

by jschneider  |  Monday, October 15, 5:51 PM   from PBA.com

OWASSO, Okla. – Nine-time Go Bowling! PBA Tour winner Bill O’Neill fired a 1,506 six-game pinfall total Monday to take the first round lead in the FloBowling PBA Wolf Open, the first of three events making up the weeklong FloBowling PBA Fall Swing at The Lanes at Coffee Creek.

Bowling on PBA’s 33-foot Wolf lane condition, O’Neill, who makes his home in Langhorne, Pa., bowled games of 298, 278, 236, 207, 252 and 235 to average 251 for the round.

“I wanted to play it safe by starting the round with a ball I was confident would control the lane and get to the pocket consistently,” O’Neill said. “I felt if I can do that, I can make the smaller adjustments necessary to get the pin carry.

“You don’t anticipate starting 290 and 270 but you certainly want to take advantage of a good start like that,” he added. “I was actually more satisfied with the end of the round because in the middle of the fourth game I made a ball change and moved 10 boards left on the approach which gave me the confidence that I was making the right adjustment decisions.

O’Neill, who turns 37 on Oct. 21, teamed with four-time and reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte to win the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship earlier this season for his ninth career title.

“It’s been a pretty good year,” O’Neill said. “I wish I was winning more but I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’m bowling overall. With the way the game has evolved things aren’t as instinctual to me as they used to be. I just keep knocking on the door and hope I can put myself in the best possible position to win.”

O’Neill holds a commanding 76-pin lead over AJ Johnson of Oswego, Ill. who finished the round in second with a 1,430 pinfall total. Markus Jansson of Sweden finished third with 1,421 followed by Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Ill., with 1,391 and 2018 USBC Masters Champion Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., rounding out the top five with 1,387.

The 102-player field returns for the second six-game qualifying round Tuesday that will determine the top five players who will advance to the stepladder finals at 7:30 p.m. CT, which can be seen live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

After Tuesday’s Wolf Open stepladder finals, the Fall Swing continues with Bear Open qualifying Wednesday and Thursday.

Based on the combined 24-game qualifying totals from the Wolf and Bear events, the top 18 players will advance to Tulsa Open match play, consisting of two six-game round robin match play rounds, on Friday and the final six-game round on Saturday morning that will determine the top five players for the Tulsa Open stepladder finals at 12:30 p.m.

The entire Fall Swing is streamed live on Xtra Frame on FloBowling which is providing multi-stream coverage of every lane of competition. For subscription and schedule information visit www.flobowling.com. Lanetalk is providing Fall Swing tournament statistics which can be accessed by visiting the Lanetalk link on the pba.com homepage.

Lanetalk Quick Stats

Kristopher Prather had the best clean frame percentage with 98.33% (only one open); Sean Rash, who qualified ninth after the first round had the highest percentage of pocket hits with 86.57%. Chris Via, who qualified 10th, had the best pocket pin carry percentage with 88% on his pocket hits.

FLOBOWLING PBA WOLF OPEN

The Lanes at Coffee Creek, Owasso, Okla., Monday



FIRST ROUND QUALIFYING RESULTS (after six games)


1, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,506.
2, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,430.
3, Markus Jansson, Sweden, 1,421.
4, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 1,391.
5, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 1,387.
6, Keven Williams, Springfield, Mo., 1,385.
7, (tie) Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, and Rhino Page, Orlando, 1,382.
9, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,381.
10, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 1,366.
11, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,364.
12, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,360.
13, Dom Barrett, England, 1,358.
14, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,357.
15, (tie) AJ Chapman, St Paul, Minn., and EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 1,354.
17, Graham Fach, Canada, 1,347.
18, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 1,345.
19, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,336.
20, (tie) Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., and Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 1,333.
23, Sam Cooley, Australia, 1,319.
24, Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo., 1,313.
25, (tie) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Arturo Quintero, Mexico, 1,312.
27, Stuart Williams, England, 1,311.
28, (tie) Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., and Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 1,310.
30, (tie) Jason Belmonte, Australia, Charlie Brown Jr., Grandville, Mich., Francois Lavoie, Canada, and Matt Sanders, Indianapolis, 1,307.
34, (tie) JR Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., and Michael Tang, San Francisco, 1,306.
36, (tie) Thomas Larsen, Denmark, and Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,305.
38, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 1,302.
39, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,295.
40, Michael Davidson, Versailles, Ohio, 1,292.
41, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,288.
42, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,285.
43, (tie) Pontus Andersson, Sweden, and Ryan Ciminelli, Clarence, N.Y., 1,280.
45, (tie) Richie Teece, England, George Duke, Vidor, Texas, and Francois Louw, South Africa, 1,275.
48, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 1,274.
49, (tie) John Furey, Howell, N.J., and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,265.
51, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,264.
52, (tie) Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., and Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,259.
54, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 1,256.
55, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,250.
56, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,249.
57, (tie)Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., and Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 1,247.
59, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,244.
60, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,238.
61, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,236.
62, (tie) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., and Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,235.
65, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,232.
66, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 1,231.
67, Dakota Vostry, Chicago, Ill., 1,227.
68, (tie) Daniel Fransson, Sweden, and Matt Kuba, Chicago Ridge, IL, 1,225.
70, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 1,224.
71, Jim Pratt, Avondale, Ariz., 1,223.
72, Matt O'Grady, Rahway, N.J., 1,222.
73, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,220.
74, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,219.
75, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 1,217.
76, (tie) Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., and DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,213.
78, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,203.
79, (tie) Kenneth Ryan, Morganville, N.J., and Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,181.
81, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,178.
82, Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 1,174.
83, Zach Doty, Campbellsville, Ky., 1,171.
84, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,169.
85, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,163.
86, Kyle King, Glendale, Ariz., 1,162.
87, (tie) Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., and Nate Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1,143.
89, David Krol, Nixa, Mo., 1,141.
90, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,135.
91, Kenneth Bland Jr., San Antonio, Texas, 1,111.
92, Matt Wozney, Clayton, Del., 1,084.
93, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,077.
94, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 1,058.
95, Russ Oviatt, Chandler, Ariz., 1,055.
96, Stephen Hahn, Sterling, Va., 1,030.
97, Michael Duran, Banning, Calif., 1,024.
98, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,022.
99, James Britton, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1,019.
100, Andrew Silverman, Akron, Ohio, 1,010.
101, James Sitters, Australia, 952.
102, Michael Foster, Tulsa, Okla., 869.

300 games – AJ Johnson, Marshall Kent

Loschetter Wins First PBA National Title at Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open

Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, ended his nine-year quest for a Professional Bowlers Association Tour title when he defeated four-time PBA Tour winner Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, 264-231, to win the Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open at AMF Bowlero. 

The second of five GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil telecasts aired Tuesday on CBS Sports Network. 

Loschetter, 33, who had finished second four times during a PBA Tour career that began in 2003 and included 153 previous events, followed a pair of poor shots in the third and fourth frames with a near-perfect finish to run away from O’Neill for the win. 

Loschetter entered the Wolf Open finals as the top qualifier, claiming that honor in the preliminary rounds at AMF West by two pins over PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL. 

“I’ve put in thousands of hours in this game and to finally win is what matters to me,” Loschetter said. “To say I’m a champion is amazing. I didn’t think for a long time that was ever going to happen. It finally did.” 

Loschetter admitted it was increasingly disappointing to know that O’Neill and Mike Fagan, among others – guys who started their careers about the same time he did – had titles while he was left behind. 

“Bill’s an amazing bowler,” Loschetter said. “I got to see him and Fagan and all the guys coming up with me win, and it’s been very hard. I’ve been very happy for them because they’re great guys in addition to being great bowlers. But it’s been very hard to watch."

“I had a lot of people telling me to get that first win,” he added. “They mean well and I appreciated it, but it’s hard to keep hearing. I had to deal with all of those thoughts going through my head. I woke up at 7 this morning and I was thinking all of the crazy things that could happen. I had to let it go. I didn’t know if I could, but I did. Finally. I finally have a title. It’s my lifelong dream.” 

Along with his first title, Loschetter qualified for the PBA Tournament of Champions for the first time and he secured a berth in the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, the concluding event of the Summer Swing. 

O’Neill, who entered the finals as the No. 5 qualifier, nipped PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, 222-221, in the opening match. He then spoiled the PBA television debut of 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, IN, 234-204, and used a string of six consecutive strikes to rally past Duke in the semifinal match, 233-206. 

The Wolf Open was contested on a 32-foot lane conditioning pattern – the shortest in the PBA’s series of eight animal patterns. The finals of the Lucas Oil Bear Open, the third event in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing series, will air next Tuesday, June 25, at 7 p.m. ET. 

The preliminary rounds of the Bear Open were contested on a flat 40-foot lane condition pattern – similar to the demanding pattern used in the U.S. Open – at AMF Bowlero. 

Advancing to the Bear Open finals were top qualifier Jason Belmonte, Australia; Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas; Loschetter; Dan MacLelland of Canada, and Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa. 

To find CBS Sports Network in your home market, visit: http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. 

LUCAS OIL WOLF OPEN AMF Bowlero, Wauwatosa, WI
Final Standings: 1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, $8,000. 2, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, PA, $5,000. 3, Norm Duke, Clermont, FL, $4,000. 4, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, IN, $3,000. 5, Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO, $2,000. 

PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Jack Link’s, Lucas Oil, MOTIV, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com>.

Chris Loschetter Top Seed in Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open, NIps Norm Duke by Two Pins

Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour (PBA) title after nine years, held off PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke by two pins to earn the top stepladder berth for the June 1 Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open finals at AMF West Friday night.

Loschetter, who has finished second four times in his career, led the tournament from the second game, fighting off challenges all day Friday and clinging to the No. 1 position when Duke left a solid 8 pin in the 10th frame of his final game.

Loschetter celebrated his 33rd birthday by finishing the Wolf Open, the second of four tournaments in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil with a 26-game total of 6,617 pins, including match play bonus pins, and a feeling that it’s finally time to win his first PBA Tour title.

“I’m definitely due,” he said. “I feel like I deserve a title more than anybody out here. I’ve worked hard. I deserve it. I hope this time it happens. I’ve had some horrible breaks on TV, but I think the time has come.”

Loschetter will meet the winner of a stepladder field that includes Duke in second place; 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, IN, in third place with 6,554 pins; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, in fourth place with a 6,477 total, and Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, in fifth with 6,436 pins.

As relieved as Loschetter was to hold onto the lead, Duke was stunned over his bad break.

“That ball could have struck,” he said of the 8 pin that stood on a solid pocket hit. “Unbelievable. That was the third solid 8 pin I left in the last three games. They cost me 70 pins.

“Mentally I’m exhausted,” he continued. “Physically I’m fine except my right thumb wants to fall off. I’m a little frustrated, but I’ll tell you what, a lot of other guys are frustrated, too.”

Missing the top position for the Wolf Open stepladder finals means there can’t be a showdown match for the title between Duke and Weber, each of whom owns 37 PBA Tour titles, tied for third best in PBA history behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and Earl Anthony (43). But the two hall of famers could meet in the semifinal match.

“We haven’t bowled each other on TV in a long time,” Duke said, “but Pete and I have had some barn burners over the years. Pete’s one of the best that ever lived. We’re dear friends. We’re both aware of where we are in our careers, and to be mentioned in the same breath with him is really special.”

Tackett, a two-time member of Junior Team USA, will be making his first television appearance in the Wolf Open finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT. O’Neill is trying for his fifth PBA Tour title.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing now moves to AMF Bowlero in nearby Wauwatosa for the Lucas Oil Bear Open. Following a day off on Saturday, players will bowl practice and pro-am events Sunday followed by two five-game qualifying rounds on Monday. The top 24 will then advance to two eight-game match play rounds on Tuesday.
 

The Bear Open is the final qualifying leg leading into the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open which will be held Wednesday and Thursday, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events. O’Neill leads the Milwaukee Open qualifying field after 20 games.

Stepladder finals for all four PBA Tour events, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA WOLF OPEN

AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 24

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to Wolf Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 8-7-1, 6,617.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 12-4, 6,615.
3, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 11-5, 6,554.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 11-5, 6,477.
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8-8, 6,436.
6, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 9-7, 6,391, $1,800.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 11-5, 6,345, $1,700.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 11-4-1, 6,319, $1,600.
9, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 9-7, 6,314, $1,550.
10, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 8-7-1, 6,301, $1,500.
11, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 8-8, 6,264, $1,450.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5-10-1, 6,216, $1,400.
13, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 10-6, 6,175, $1,350.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-9-1, 6,170, $1,300.
15, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8-8, 6,145, $1,250.
16, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 7-8-1, 6,112, $1,200.
17, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7-9, 6,068, $1,150.
18, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7-9, 6,013, $1,100.
19, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 5-11, 6,001, $1,050.
20, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 7-9, 5,988, $1,000.
21, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 8-8, 5,940, $950.
22, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7-9-0, 5,761, $900.
23, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 4-12, 5,736, $850.
24, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2-14, 5,384, $800.

Rash Top Average in the PBA World Series of Bowling IV

Reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, came into the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IV as the highest averaging player on PBA “animal patterns” in three previous WSOB (224.54 for 162 games), more than two pins ahead of Chris Barnes, and he easily retained his No. 1 ranking in that category.

After another 32 games and 7,662 pins on the Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion patterns – a 239.44 average which earned him the No. 1 seed for the PBA World Championship match play finals – Rash improved his four-year animal pattern average to 226.99.

Some other WSOB IV notes:

● Through the four animal pattern events, Australia’s Jason Belmonte has taken the lead in “most World Series” television finals with 12 after qualifying for the Chameleon and Scorpion finals. Rash is second with 11 after qualifying for the Viper finals. Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, is third, qualifying for his eighth ESPN final in the Cheetah. All three have a chance to add to their totals if they can fill any of the five stepladder berths in the PBA World Championship.

● Speaking of Belmonte, Rash and O’Neill – they are the only three players who have qualified for at least one television final in all four World Series.

● For the five WSOB tournaments, 76 players in the 240-player field – 31.6 percent – cashed in at least one event. Tommy Jones, Dan MacLelland and Stuart Williams were the only players to get a check in all five.

 

 

The Professional Bowler's League Will Draft Friday

 

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, won the No. 1 pick in the first PBA League Draft Lottery Friday among the eight Franchise Players who will draft teammates for the inaugural PBA League.

The PBA League makes its debut in suburban Detroit in January. The first PBA League Draft will be held Friday at 10 a.m. PT at South Point Bowling Center and will be webcast live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.

The lottery to determine draft order involved the top eight players from 2011-12 PBA Tour points. Those eight will select four additional players (plus a supplemental player) to fill out their teams for the PBA League. As of the deadline Friday, 141 PBA members declared themselves eligible for the draft.

Based on the lottery, Duke, who finished sixth in points last season, will get the first pick next Friday. He’ll be followed, in draft order, by:

2) Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO (fourth in 2011-12 points);

3) Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, PA (seventh in 2011-12 points);

4) Jason Belmonte, Australia (second in 2011-12 points);

5) Mike Fagan, Dallas, TX (third in 2011-12 points);

6) Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL (first in 2011-12 points);

7) Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX (eighth in 2011-12 points);

8) Osku Palermaa, Finland (fifth in 2011-12 points).

PBA Detroit Open Win #35 For Norm Duke



Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Norm Duke won the PBA Detroit Open presented by Track Sunday for his first win of the 2011-12 season and the 35th of his career.

Duke, of Clermont, FL, defeated reigning PBA Player of the Year and No. 1 seed Finland native Mika Koivuniemi, 266-217, in the championship match at Thunderbowl Lanes to win the $10,000 first prize which pushed his career earnings over the $3 million mark. 

Koivuniemi, who now makes his home in Hartland, MI, was trying for his 10th career Tour title. Duke joins fellow Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber as the only players to earn more than $3 million and his 35 wins also moved him into fourth on the all-time career list for titles won.

Williams is PBA’s all-time career titles leader with 47 followed by Earl Anthony with 43 and Weber with 36. Williams holds the all-time career earnings mark with $4.35 million followed by Weber with $3.52 million.

“At this point in my career I feel just blessed to be able to compete,” said the 47-year-old Duke. “It’s just so hard to win out here that at this point in my career I’m just blessed — that’s all I can say. I’m jealous of what the young guys can do so it makes it all the more special.”

Duke, the No. 2 seed, soundly defeated 2009 PBA World Championship winner Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, in the semi-final match 288-178 to advance to the championship match.

Duke attributed his success to reducing the amount of practice he took before each match. “Usually, everyone wants as much practice as they can get but for me that’s not always the case,” Duke said. “Sometimes you need the practice but other times you have to know when to get out of there.

“The guys with the big rev rates will just burn up the lane and I didn’t want to add to that. Fortunately, I was able to play outside on the lane where I like to play. I had to make a one-board adjustment in the first game but even in the championship match I had to make a three and a half board adjustment.”

In the opening stepladder match, Smallwood, who was trying for his second career title, defeated three-time Tour titlist Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, 245-214, to advance to the semifinal against Duke.

The Detroit Open was the third PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. 

The next stop for the PBA Tour will be the Dick Weber Playoffs from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, IN March 30-April 1 which will also be streamed live on Xtra Frame.

PBA DETROIT OPEN PRESENTED BY TRACK
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Sunday

FINAL STANDINGS:
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., two games, 554 pins, $10,000.
2, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, one game, 217 pins, $5,000.
3, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., two games, 423 pins, $3,200.
4, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., one game, 214 pins, $2,500.

PLAYOFF RESULTS: Match One – Smallwood def. O’Neill, 245-214. Semifinal match – Duke def. Smallwood, 288-178. Championship match – Duke def. Koivuniemi, 266-217.

MATCH PLAY RESULTS After 22 games, including match play records and total pinfall including bonus pins. Top four advanced to stepladder finals.

1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 10-3, 5,629.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 11-2, 5,598.
3, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 10-3, 5,499.
4, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 9-4, 5,484.
5, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7-6, 5,373, $2,300.
6, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 5-7-1, 5,372, $2,000.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 10-3, 5,299, $1,900.
8, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 6-6-1, 5,296, $1,800.
9, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 7-6, 5,264, $1,750.
10, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 8-5, 5,241, $1,700.
11, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 6-7, 5,227, $1,750.
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5-8, 5,209, $1,600.
13, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4-9, 5,201, $1,550.
14, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7-6, 5,200, $1,500.
15, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4-9, 5,195, $1,450.
16, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 7-6, 5,147, $1,400.
17, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 8-5, 5,121, $1,350.
18, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 5-8, 5,117, $1,300.
19, Corey Miller, Grand Blanc, Mich., 6-7, 5,067, $1,275.
20, Troy Stus, South Lyon, Mich., 5-8, 5,023, $1,250.
21, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 4-9, 5,015, $1,225.
22, Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala., 4-9, 4,956, $1,200.
23, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 5-8, 4,940, $1,275.
24, Justin O'Hara, Westland, Mich., 2-11, 4,613, $1,150.