EJ TACKETT is celebrated as the 2023 Professional Bowlers Associaton PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The recent Player of the Year announcement has thrust EJ Tackett into the annals of bowling greatness, marking one of the most mind-blowing seasons in the sport's history! What EJ did this season in 16 tour stops, each one a battleground of intensity at the highest echelon of competition, is hard to fathom. 

Let's dive into the sheer spectacle of EJ's 2023 season: 

Player of the Year Triumph: EJ clinched the PBA Player of the Year title with a jaw-dropping 82.5% of the vote, a whopping 75% higher than any other contender. Even with the phenomenal Anthony Simonsen in the mix, EJ's dominance was undeniable. Also winning Player of the Year in 2016, this was his second Player of the Year award, a feat achieved by only 12 bowling legends in history. 

Points Maestro: EJ didn't just bag the points title; he obliterated records, amassing more points than any player since the inception of the tiered points system on the PBA Tour. He also clinched the Classic Series point championship with two wins during the abbreviated points swing. 

High Average: For the second straight year, Tackett carried the highest average for the PBA Tour season. In a sport where every single pin is critical, EJ averaged over 227, which was two pins better than anyone else on tour. 

Earnings Extraordinaire: EJ wasn't just bowling strikes; he was raking in cash. Leading tour earnings by over $100k, he closed the year at a historic $458,450—the second-highest season total in PBA history and the highest for a player whose highest single check was a cool $100k. 

Major Mic Drop: When the lights shone brightest, EJ outshone them all. At four of the five PBA Tour majors, he stood as the tournament leader. Qualifying? Dominated. EJ was the tournament leader at four of the five PBA Tour Majors. Titles? Two (US Open and World Championship) including a secondplace finish (TOC), and a fifth-place spot (Players Championship). It was major domination at its finest. 

Winning Ways: In just 16 events, EJ clinched victory five times—a feat untouched by any player in the 21st century. Starting strong with wins at the US Open, Shawnee Classic, and Jackson Classic, he didn't ease off the gas pedal, finishing the season with a breathtaking World Series of Bowling, where he had finishes of 1st (World Championship), 1st (Cheetah Championship), 2nd (Scorpion Championship), and 9th (Shark Championship). 

Consistent Brilliance: EJ's not just a flash in the pan. With five top finishes in 16 events, he graced the top three a staggering 10 times. EJ never slipped outside the top 3 for more than two events in a row, a consistency that puts him in a league of his own. To put that into perspective, only eight players cashed as many times in 2023 as EJ Tackett finished in the top 3. 

Legendary Status: In 2023, EJ etched his name in the bowling pantheon. A two-time Player of the Year, the ninth Triple Crown winner in PBA history, the youngest player to 21 titles, and the 13th winningest player of all time (behind Marshall Holman)—Tackett continues to distinguish himself amongst the greatest to ever throw a bowling ball. And did we mention he casually tossed a perfect 300 at the PBA Super Slam semifinal? 

MOTIV is so proud of EJ Tackett and all his accomplishments. We are even more proud to say that every shot that EJ has thrown as a PBA Member on the national tour has been with a MOTIV® bowling ball. Congratulations, EJ, and best of luck in the upcoming 2024 season.

Two-time PBA Tour champion Tom Daugherty will have an opportunity to win his first career major title after earning the top seed for the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship stepladder finals. Daugherty will face EJ Tackett, Jakob Butturff, Chris Via or Kyle Troup in the championship match airing Saturday, Mar. 13 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Broadcast Channel.

Learn More

EJ Tackett signs 10-year contract with MOTIV®

Tackett, a 13-time PBA® Tour champion, has been the face of the MOTIV® brand for seven years. The first seven years of EJ’s career are historic, seeing him win Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, compete on Team USA in international competition and at the Weber Cup, and most recently releasing a bowling ball bearing his ExJ brand logo. 

MOTIV® Staff Manager Brett Spangler said, “It is a huge point of pride for me that every shot EJ Tackett has ever thrown as a PBA Tour member has been as a MOTIV® staff player. I could not be happier than I am right now knowing that he is going to be with us for ten more years.” 

This latest contract guarantees that Tackett will be on staff with
MOTIV® through at least the 2030 season. When asked what a ten-year contract with MOTIV® meant to him, EJ responded, “the people at MOTIV® are like family to me. Ten years means I don’t have to worry about anything but going out there and winning for another decade. I love throwing the best balls in the world and representing such amazing people.” 

“EJ’s magazine cover says, ‘I’m the guy, you come get me’. We just responded with ‘Ok, we would love to, here is a contract for ten years…now let’s go set the bowling world on fire together!’”, commented Scott Wilbur, President of MOTIV® Bowling. “Truly it was an easy decision to make. He is a premier athlete, our true friend, and part of the corporate family here at MOTIV®”. 

BARRETT BATTLES TO OCTOBER IBMA BOWLER OF THE MONTH

      

Dom Barrett, Colchester, England, has been named the October 2018 Kegel Bowler of the Month by the International Bowling Media Association.

 

Barrett defeated Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Arizona, 207-206, for the 2018 U.S. Open title, his second major and seventh PBA title.  

           

After finishing the qualifying round in third place, Barrett maintained that position before dropping to fourth after the round robin match play.

 

The television stepladder finals began as the fourth-seed Barrett downed the fifth-seed Marshall Kent, Yakima, Washington, 258-203. Barrett outstruck the third-seed E.J. Tackett, Bluffton, Indiana, 264-248 in the semifinal, setting up the title match with the top seed Butturff.

 

The Arizona left-hander led the U.S. Open by over 600 pins going into the television finals for the second straight year. Butturff was defeated by Rhino Page, 256-222, in the 2017 U.S. Open title match

 

Barrett's U. S. Open crown is also his second PBA title this season, following the season-opening DHC Japan Invitational.      

 

Others obtaining votes in close voting this month were Liz Johnson, winner, 20th SamHo Korea Cup 2018, Stuart Williams, winner, PBA Tulsa Open, Anthony Simonsen, winner, FloBowling PBA Wolf Open, E.J. Tackett, winner, PBA Bear Open

 (Photos Courtesy of USBC)

BUTTURFF EARNS TOP SEED AT U.S. OPEN FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

WICHITA, Kan. – Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Arizona, once again finds himself one win away from his first major title after earning the top seed for the stepladder finals of the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year on Tuesday.

Butturff will be joined in the stepladder at Northrock Lanes by Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois; EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana; Dom Barrett of England; and Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington.

CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of Wednesday’s stepladder finals starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. The champion will take home the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket.

Butturff shined in match play on Monday and Tuesday, averaging more than 243 and posting a 19-5 record to finish with a 13,452 total, including bonus pins, to lead Prather (12,900) by 552 pins. Prather had led for every round heading into Tuesday’s competition.

“I’m speechless,” said Butturff, who is a four-time champion on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. “Kris had bowled so well, and I knew I had a lot of work to do. I worked as hard as I could to repeat shots and keep it going, and now I only have one more game to go.”

Butturff displayed a similar performance leading to the top seed at the 2017 event in Liverpool, New York. He posted a 20-4 match-play record to lead the field by 617 pins but fell in the title match to Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, 256-222.

Page advanced to match play at Northrock Lanes this week and finished his title defense in 13th place with a 12,056 total.

The 24-year-old left-hander now finds himself in elite company, joining PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Earl Anthony as the only bowlers since 1971 to earn the top seed for the stepladder finals in back-to-back years.

Anthony led by 578 pins in 1979 and 551 pins in 1980 but was unable to come away with the title either year.

Last year’s stepladder at Flamingo Bowl featured three left-handers, as Page and Graham Fach of Canada joined Butturff on the left side. This year, he’ll have the left side of the lane to himself and knows he can take advantage of it.

“Last year was a learning experience,” said Butturff, who has won two titles this season. “This week, when I’ve been the only left-hander on the lane, I’ve performed much better. So, now I need to make sure I’m able to go out there and make the best shots I possibly can.”

Tackett earned the No. 3 seed with a 12,644 total, while Barrett (12,402) and Kent (12,363) will face off in the opening match of Wednesday’s stepladder finals.

Prather is in search of his first career PBA Tour title, while Tackett is looking to add a third major, the Triple Crown and another PBA Player of the Year award to his mantle.

Tackett captured the PBA World Championship in 2016 and PBA Tournament of Champions in 2017, and a win Wednesday would make him the seventh player in PBA history to complete the Triple Crown. His victory at the World Championship also helped him claim player of the year.

Tackett’s the only player on tour this season to win three titles, and a fourth win would put him as the front-runner for the 2018 award.

Barrett has six career titles, including the 2013 World Championship. He advanced to the stepladder finals at the 2015 U.S. Open but lost to top-seed Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, New York, in the title match, 236-223.

Kent was the top seed at the 2016 U.S. Open but fell to Canada’s Francois Lavoie in the championship match, 228-194. Kent has four career PBA Tour titles and is looking for his first major.

All competitors bowled 24 qualifying games over three days to determine the 36 players advancing to a cashers’ round. After eight additional games, the field was cut to the top 24 players for round-robin match play.

The five finalists were determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.

The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the USBC and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.

Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals was broadcast live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

Belmonte Advances to Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship Finals for Second WSOB IX Animal Pattern Telecast Appearance

by JSchneider  |  Thursday, November 16, 8:36 PM

RENO, Nev. – Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte won his best-of-three Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Go Bowling! Round-of-8 match at the National Bowling Stadium Thursday to make his second consecutive GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX animal pattern ESPN finals telecast.

Bowling on the 42-foot PBA Scorpion lane oil pattern, the three-time PBA Player of the Year also made his 18th career WSOB telecast by beating rookie Raymond Lussier of Canada, 2-0 (235-189, 276-237).

Belmonte, a 15-time Tour winner that includes eight majors, qualified for the Cheetah Championship finals earlier Thursday with a 2-1 Round-of-8 win over Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y.

Belmonte, who also qualified second for the PBA World Championship finals earlier in WSOB IX, added to his PBA major win total earlier this season with wins in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship and USBC Masters.

The Scorpion Championship finals will be taped Saturday by ESPN at 6 p.m. PT at the National Bowling Stadium and live streamed on ESPN3. The Finals will air on ESPN Dec. 24 at 2 p.m. ET.

In addition to being part of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Reno Resorts Properties, the Scorpion Championship is also part of the 2017-18 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule.

Defending PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., made his first WSOB IX finals appearance by beating Arturo Quintero of Mexico 2-1 (220-157, 188-247, 205-176). Tackett, an eight-time Tour winner will be trying for his third win of the season.

Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio, made his second consecutive WSOB Scorpion Championship finals appearance by beating Matt McNiel of Minneapolis, Minn., 2-1 (199-205, 279-237, 223-196). In 2016 Novak finished fourth in the Scorpion Championship.

Rounding out the Scorpion Championship finals telecast will be Shawn Maldonado of Houston who swept England’s Dom Barrett 2-0 (234-232, 225-206).

All animal pattern championship ESPN finals telecasts (Chameleon, Shark, Cheetah, and Scorpion) will use a format where the four finalists simultaneously bowl one game on the same pair of lanes with the top two scorers advancing to a head-to-head final match.

EJ Tackett Converts Break into Second Career PBA Tour Title in PBA Xtra Frame Storm Open

by bvint | Sunday, April 24, 2:59 PM

CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. – EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., broke up a 7-9 split, converting the break into a string of three strikes that proved to be the difference in winning his second career PBA Tour title Sunday in the PBA Xtra Frame Storm Open at Liberty Lanes.

Tackett, the 2013 PBA Rookie of the Year, defeated top qualifier Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 217-210, to win the $10,000 first prize after eliminating PBA Regional veteran Steven Taylor of Deer Creek, Ill., in the semifinal match.

“They say winning your second title is the toughest,” said Tackett, who won his first PBA Tour title in the 2015 PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open. “But I’ve been close and I’ve been bowling well. Maybe this will lead to something more."

“I really didn’t think I could bowl enough to beat Ryan; I thought it would take 250 to win,” Tackett said. “I got fortunate that he didn’t bowl a good game because that’s really uncharacteristic of how he’s been bowling.”

Ciminelli’s closing string of four strikes forced Tackett to mark in the 10th frame on the lane that was giving him difficulty.

“I liked the first shot,” he said, despite leaving a 4 pin. “I guess, being in the situation, I probably threw it a little hard, but the result was good. I was a little nervous on that (4 pin) spare, just because I’d missed one in match play earlier – against Ryan, actually.”

Taylor’s “Cinderella” bid for his first PBA Tour title, in only his second PBA Tour event after bowling in 103 regionals, came to an end with a 205-200 loss to Tackett in the semifinal match. Tackett threw one double and converted six single-pin spares, but Taylor threw one too many splits.

Taylor, an 11-year PBA Midwest Region competitor with three regional titles, rallied from an early 29-pin deficit with a string of six strikes to eliminate Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., 237-209, in the first stepladder match. The 40-year-old right-hander then watched 14-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Allen of Mount Kisco, N.Y., start with five strikes, rolling into an early 33-pin lead, before throwing eight strikes in his last nine attempts for a 246-212 victory. Allen left a pocket 7-10 in the seventh frame and then saw his titles hopes disappear when he left and failed to convert the 3-7-9 split in the ninth frame.

The PBA Xtra Frame Storm Open is the second of 10 Xtra Frame events that will pay the PBA member with the highest points total at the conclusion of the series a $10,000 bonus. Tackett said his plan is to bowl the entire Xtra Frame series."

The series rewards good bowling, it rewards consistency on different patterns,” Tackett said. “They’re not just handing out titles and with a $10,000 bonus at the end, it’s worth going after.”

The PBA Xtra Frame Tour resumes June 25-26 with live coverage of the PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open from Lubbock, Texas. Fans can subscribe to Xtra Frame by clicking on the Xtra Frame logo on the pba.com homepage.

PBA XTRA FRAME STORM OPEN
Liberty Lanes, Carpentersville, Ill., Sunday

Final Standings
1, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., $10,000.
2, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., $5,000.
3, Steve Taylor, Deer Creek, Ill., $2,500.
4, Patrick Allen, Mount Kisco, N.Y., $2,000.
5, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $1,500.

Stepladder Results
Match One – Taylor def. Rash, 237-209.
Match Two – Taylor def. Allen, 246-212.
Semifinal Match – Tackett def. Taylor, 205-200.
Championship – Tackett def. Ciminelli, 217-210.

Final Match Play Standings (after 20 games, including match play bonus pins)
1, Ciminelli, 7-5, 5,256.
2, Tackett, 9-3, 5,192.
3, Allen, 7-4-1, 5,095.
4, Taylor, 8-4, 4,991.
5, Rash, 7-4-1, 4,979.
6, Aaron Lorincz, Saginaw, Mich., 6-6, 4,903, $1,100.
7, Scott Weber, LaSalle, Ill., 5-7, 4,883, $1,000.
8, Jordan Klassen, Canada, 7-5, 4,877, $900.
9, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, Texas, 5-6-1, 4,852, $875.
10, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 5-7, 4,804, $850.
11, n-Brian Traber, Waterford, Wis., 6-5-1, 4,791, $825.
12, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 6-6, 4,785, $800.
13, Blake Demore, Springfield, Mo., 3-9, 4,702, $780.
14, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 4-8, 4,693, $770.
15, n-Derek Roseberry, Louisville, Ky., 6-6, 4,668, $760.
16, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3-9, 5,494, $750.

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.

Yuya Katoh Round 1 Japan Cup Champion

Japan Professional Bowlers Association journeyman Yuya Katoh pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Round1 Japan Cup history, defeating countryman Kazuaki Watanabe, 243-235, in the title match to become the first Japanese player in 25 years to win the popular international event.

 

The finals of the 27th Round1 Japan Cup, which included 16 PBA members who qualified based upon a year-long competition points race plus special invitees and additional Japan, Korean and PBA players, were televised live in Japan and aired Sunday on ESPN.

 

Katoh, a 10-year Japan PBA Tour veteran who had never won a title, became only the third Japanese player to win his country’s most prestigious title title after Watanabe failed to convert a 10 pin in the ninth frame. Katoh’s strike on his first ball in the 10th sealed the win. The only previous Japanese title winners were Ken Taniguchi, who defeated fellow JPBA member Kiyoshi Nakarai to win the inaugural Japan Cup in 1985, and Takeo Sakai, who defeated PBA star Wayne Webb to claim the 1988 title.

 

Katoh, a married father of two who works as a teaching pro in a Japanese bowling center, was aware of his country’s 25-year title drought, but didn’t want to think about it.

 

“I didn’t concentrate on anything other than thinking ‘one shot at a time,’” he said. “I knew it had been a long time since a JPBA bowler won, but I didn’t want to think about that.”

 

He also used the same philosophy to avoid the increasing pressure in the final frames.

 

“I knew if I watched the other bowler, I’d get nervous so I just closed my eyes and went through my routine,” he said. “I didn’t pay attention to anything else around me - not how long it’d been since a JPBA player had won, not going for my first title and not how the other bowler was doing. I only thought about my game.

 

“I’m very happy. This is a huge tournament to win for my first title,” he beamed. “I’m just very happy.”

 

The three JPBA players dominated the eight-player finals field. Katoh, who will make his American debut when he bowls in the United States Bowling Congress Masters in February in North Brunswick, NJ, advanced to the title match by eliminating Finland’s Osku Palermaa in his first match, 258-226, and defeating countryman Shinichi Horie in the semifinal round, 236-195.

 

Watanabe eliminated Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 278-239, in the Round of 8 and ended any PBA hopes for a title when he ousted PBA rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, IN, 249-190, in his semifinal round match.

 

In the other two Round of 8 matches, Horie struck on his last five shots to slip past reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, 225-224, while Tackett eliminated two-time Japan Cup winner Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, 226-224, when Jones left the 2-8-10 on his fill ball in the 10th frame after Tackett missed a 10 pin in his 10th frame to give Jones a chance to win.

 

PBA coverage on ESPN continues next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with three hours of coverage of three important aspects of PBA competition involving regional, senior and youth bowlers. The telecast will include the PBA Regional Players Invitational Finals, the PBA50 Tour Finals (the final two events in PBA World Series of Bowling V from South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas), and the Teen Masters Grand Championship finals.

 

The RPI Finals will feature six PBA Regional Tour qualifiers: Brian LeClair, Athens, NY, representing the East Region; Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, FL, South Region; Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, Central Region; Dave Beres, Waukesha, WI, Midwest Region; Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, Southwest Region, and Ben Laughlin, Chandler, AZ, West/Northwest Region.

 

The PBA50 Tour Finals includes three PBA Hall of Famers who qualified based on 2013 PBA50 Tour competition points. Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, will bowl in the opening match against Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli with the winner facing Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL.

 

The Teen Masters Grand Championship finals will feature outstanding youth bowlers including defending grand champion Greg Young of Viera, FL., and defending girls’ champion Ashley Dunn of Palmdale, CA, in a battle for a $64,000 scholarship package.

 

ROUND1 JAPAN CUP

Round1 Minami Suna, Tokyo, Japan

 

Championship:

Yuya Katoh, Japan ($57,250) def. Kazuaki Watanabe, Japan ($30,525), 243-235.

 

Semifinal Round (losers earned $14,300):

Katoh def. Shinichi Horie, Japan, 236-195.

Watanabe def. EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 249-190.

 

Round of 8 (losers earned $7,250):

Horie def. Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 225-224.

Katoh def. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 258-226.

Tackett def. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 226-224.

Watanabe def. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 278-239.

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>.