PBA Tour Players Stand Out at US OPEN

With few exceptions, you can ask every player who bowled in the 2012 U.S. Open how difficult the challenge was, and they’ll likely tell you “you have no idea how tough it is until you do it.”

The statistics tell the story of what happened during the 69th U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, NJ:

● Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, was the qualifying leader, averaging 223.89 for the first 18 games.

● The entire field of 394 bowlers averaged a composite 185.16, 38.73 pins-per-game behind Shafer.

● The 46 PBA Tour exempt players in the field as a group averaged 204.10.

● The 205 PBA members – national and regional – as a group averaged 190.21.

● The 189 amateurs in the field averaged 179.69.

● 38 of the 46 PBA exempt players in the event cashed (finished among the top 98).

● Two of the eight women in the field (Missy Parkin and Kelly Kulick) cashed.

● Three of the 189 amateurs (Ron Nelson, Bridgeview, IL; USBC Team USA member John Janawicz, Winter Haven, FL, and Junior Team USA member Marshall Kent, Yakima, WA.) qualified for match play (top 24).

Pete Weber’s dramatic 215-214 victory over Mike Fagan to win a record fifth U.S. Open title Sunday not to mention his nail-biter come-from-behind wins over Ryan Shafer and Jason Belmonte in his preliminary matches – is an “instant classic.” ESPN Classic will re-air the 69th U.S. Open telecast Monday, March 5, at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Other intriguing PBA Tour events that will re-air on ESPN Classic in the weeks ahead include the 2011 PBA World Championship (won by Chris Barnes) on Monday, March 19, at 11:30 p.m. ET and the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions (won by Mika Koivuniemi) on Monday, March 26, at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Weber Wins Fifth US OPEN Title

Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, became the most successful bowler in U.S Open history Sunday, winning the most challenging major title in bowling for a record fifth time at Brunswick Zone-Carolier with a strike on his final ball in the 10th frame to nip top qualifier Mike Fagan of Dallas, 215-214.

Weber, who came into the stepladder finals as the No. 4 qualifier, threw clutch shots in three matches to win, but none was more critical than his strike on his final ball in the title match. Needing at least a nine-count spare and strike to win, Weber threw a perfect pocket shot on his first ball, but left a 10 pin. After converting the spare, he threw an identical shot that carried for a strike.

In winning the title, Weber broke a tie with his late father, Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) legend Dick Weber, and his father’s close friend, the late Don Carter, who each won the forerunner to the U.S. Open – the BPAA All Star – four times.

“Dad, I know you were watching,” Weber said as he looked up after the win. “I know you’re proud, and I’m sorry I broke your record."

“This is my greatest title ever,” Weber said. “To win five U.S. Opens and pass Dick Weber and Don Carter says a lot, but I’ll never say I’m better than them. They paved the way for us to be here. It was an honor and a privilege to join them when I won my fourth U.S. Open, and it’s even more of an honor to be the first one to win five.

“This is the tournament I look forward to ever year,” he added. “I live for the U.S. Open because I know, no matter what, I have a chance to win.”

At age 49 years, 189 days, Weber became the oldest player ever to win the U.S. Open, breaking the record set by 46-year-old Norm Duke last year at Carolier. And he moved into second place on the PBA’s all-time major title-winners list with his ninth title, behind only Earl Anthony’s 10.

“That’s probably the calmest I’ve ever been needing to throw a shot to win,” he added. “Not to toot my own horn, but I think I’m prouder of myself than anyone else. I’ve always wanted to be the one to throw a strike to win.”

In advancing to the title match, Weber threw critical shots in two preliminary matches, coming from behind to defeat Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, 223-191, in the opening match and Australia’s Jason Belmonte, 225-213, in the semifinal contest.

“I threw strikes in the seventh, eighth and ninth in all three games and put pressure on those guys,” Weber said. “The way those guys performed was excellent. My hat’s off to them. They bowled amazing.”

Weber earned $60,000 and an automatic berth in the Round of 36 for the PBA Tournament of Champions in April. Fagan collected $30,500, Belmonte $15,000 and Shafer, who failed to win a title in his 14th television appearance in a major championship, earned $10,000.

Shafer Leads 69th US OPEN after 18 Games

Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, rolled a 234 final game Thursday night to retain the lead in the 69th U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier, but it was 14-year-old Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, TN, who stole the show, earning a spot in Friday’s cashers round and becoming the youngest player ever to cash in a Professional Bowlers Association Tour event.

Not only did he cash, but the 5-foot-5, 105-pound eighth grader picked the most difficult tournament in the sport for his record-setting performance.

Doyle, who cashed in a PBA South Regional event in Canton, GA, two years ago at age 12 (a record for non-national tour events) when he finished 30th, averaged 202 for his 18 qualifying games in the U.S. Open and advanced to Friday’s cashers round in 54th place out of a field of 394 amateur and professional bowlers from 12 countries.

Doyle will be among the top 98 players who will bowl eight more game Friday to determine the top 24 who will advance to match play rounds Friday evening and Saturday. The top four after 24 round robin match games will bowl in the live ESPN-televised stepladder finals Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern. At stake is a $60,000 first prize, a PBA major title and an automatic berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions.

Doyle, who turned 14 on Jan. 13, bowled all three qualifying rounds on the same pair of lanes with PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, NJ, a 14-time PBA Tour champion and one of only six players to ever complete the PBA Triple Crown. Petraglia, who turns 65 on March 3, beat Doyle by seven pins, but he had to out-score the teenager, 219-184, in the final game to do it.

“(Kamron) dumped the last game out of respect,” Petraglia laughed.

“I wasn’t thinking about beating him,” Doyle said matter-of-factly. “I was just trying to beat myself.”

“I have never had a pairing anything like this one, except the other way around,” Petraglia said. “When I bowled my first PBA event in Detroit in 1965, I got to cross with Ray Bluth (a hall of fame and member of the legendary Budweisers team), so this was a nice reversal. I remember in my first tournament, in the first frame, I left the bucket (3-5-6-9). I was so naïve. I knew Bluth, Don Carter and the whole Budweiser team were watching and I figured if I missed that spare, they’d all think I stink. But I made the spare.

“I think (Kamron) is going to be terrific,” Petraglia added. “I remember bowling with (35-time PBA Tour titlist and fellow Triple Crown winner) Pete Weber in a pro-am in St. Louis when he was maybe 15, and I see the same kind of swing, the same fiery attitude, the same attributes Pete had when he was a teenager.

“About the only physical criticism I can make, because he has such a nice natural game, is that Kamron doesn’t look down to see where he’s at when he steps onto the approach. It’s kind of a feel thing with him, but when you’re in an event this difficult, where you stand is magnified so much. He’ll fix that soon. His horizon is high.”

When Doyle was asked if he knew who he was paired with for qualifying, he immediately answered, “Yah, I know who he is. I know all of these guys.”

Doyle said he has been bowling ever since he experienced the game at a birthday party when he was 7. He immediately wanted his own ball and shoes, and said he has practiced an average of 50-60 games a week ever since. “Honest,” he said. “I kinda taught myself. I watched the pros on TV a lot. I got real serious about it when I was about 10.”

Surprisingly, he doesn’t come from a bowling family. His father, Sean Doyle, is a Nashville area orthodontist. Dad may not be a bowler, but Kamron isn’t lacking for mentors.

“Tommy Jones, Bill O’Neill, Chris Barnes, Mika Koivuniemi, Mike Fagan, they impress me the most,” the young Doyle said. “I’ve become good friends with all of them. Tommy Jones actually stayed at our house. He taught me a lot: take your time when you’re bowling bad, he helped with last two steps of my approach, how to stay down and get through the shot, all of that stuff.”

Mentally, he approaches the game like a polished veteran.

“People tell me I have a pretty good mental attitude which keeps me in the game,” he said. “That’s probably why I’m still in the cut. It’s kind of grown with me. I was real bad when I was young. But that’s something people have to learn. If you get mad and frustrated and miss a spare, that costs you 20 pins.”

The right mental approach is especially important in a tournament like the U.S. Open, which is notorious for its difficult scoring conditions.

“This is my first U.S. Open,” Doyle said. “I’ve been wanting to bowl it the last three years. I heard how tough it was from my ball driller, but I didn’t believe him. I do now. You have no idea how tough it is until you do it. It’s brutal. I found out in practice you couldn’t miss by a centimeter. The heads burn up. The ball hooks at your feet. The lanes are snot-tight in back. But the biggest lesson is you have to make your spares.”

After starting the tournament with a 150 game, Doyle has been in plus-200-average territory ever since. While his odds of moving up enough to make the match play finals are remote, he hasn’t thrown in the towel.

“Making the 24 cut would be pretty amazing,” he said. “I’ll have to go huge tomorrow. I’ll have to go 180 over (average more than 220 for eight games), but I can do it if I put my mind to it.”

Whatever money Doyle makes in bowling is deposited into his United States Bowling Congress SMART scholarship account. It was the advent of the SMART scholarship management program by the sport’s National Governing Body seven years ago that allowed bowlers under the age of 18 to compete in professional events without losing their amateur status. To date, Doyle said he has deposited about $22,000 in his SMART account, but he isn’t sure what college he’ll eventually attend, or exactly what he’ll study when the time comes.

“I don’t know what I want to do yet,” he said. “My dad’s an orthodontist, so maybe I’ll follow him. But if I’m good enough I may want to be a professional bowler.”

Shafer, a 25-year PBA Tour veteran who is hoping to end his record streak of 13 television finals in major championships without a title, averaged 233.89 for his 18 games, finishing with 4,030 pins to retain the lead by 10 pins over veteran PBA Regional competitor P.J. Sonday of Luzerne, Pa.

Sonday, whose national tour experience includes five previous U.S. Opens, had 4,020 pins. Sonday has cashed in four U.S. Opens, but has never made it into the match play field. In PBA Regional competition, he won his only title three years ago.

Mike Fagan of Dallas is in third place with 3,923 pins followed by a pair of amateurs - Ron Nelson Jr. of Bridgeview, IL, at 3,919 and John Janawicz of Winter Haven, FL, at 3,893. Defending U.S. Open champion Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, made a big move up the leader board Thursday, finishing 11th with 3,818 pins.

Friday morning’s cashers round and the final three rounds of match play Friday night and Saturday will be webcast live on the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, click on the logo on the home page of pba.com.

69TH U.S. OPEN

Brunswick Zone-Carolier, North Brunswick, N.J., Thursday

THIRD ROUND (after 18 games; top 98 advance to Friday’s cashers round)

1, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,030.
2, P.J. Sonday, Luzerne, Pa., 4,020.
3, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3,923.
4, Ron Nelson Jr., Bridgeview, Ill., 3,919.
5, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 3,893.
6, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,880.
7, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,869.
8, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,850.
9, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,825.
10, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3,824.
11, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,818.
12, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 3,817.
13, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,808.
14, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,792.
15, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,788.
16, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,784.
17, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,782.
18, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,776.
19, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 3,771.
20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,763.
21, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,762.
22, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,753.
23 (tie), Storm DeVincent, Westford, Mass., and Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,749.
25, Dom Barrett, England, 3,747.
26, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,742.
27, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,740.
28, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,734.
29, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 3,733.
30 (tie), Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., and Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,731.
32, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 3,721.
33, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,717.
34, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 3,710.
35, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,708.
36 (tie), Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., and Rusty Thomsen, Morgan, N.J., 3,705.
38, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,694.
39, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,681.
40, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,676.
41, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,674.
42 (tie), Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., and Adam Chase, Seaford, N.Y., 3,672.
44, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,670.
45 (tie), Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,665.
47, David Stouffer, Fort Myers, Fla., 3,659.
48 (tie), Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, and Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 3,653.
50, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,651.
51 (tie), John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., and Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,647.
53, Michael Steil, Wheeling, Ill., 3,641.
54, Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 3,640.
55, Stephen Pavlinko, Sewell, N.J., 3,637.
56, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,636.
57, Juhani Tonteri, Finland, 3,629.
58, Daniel Farish, Louisville, Ky., 3,627.
59, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 3,626.
60, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,623.
61, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 3,620.
62 (tie), Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., and Steve Rogers, Manteno, Ill., 3,607.
64, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3,601.
65, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,600.
66, Paul Pinto, Philadelphia, 3,597.
67, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 3,596.
68, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,595.
69, Brandon Tarabek, Cleveland Hts., Ohio, 3,594.
70, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 3,592.
71, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,591.
72, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,590.
73, Tony Ament, Monroe, N.J., 3,589.
74, Rob Gotterbarn, Garden City South, N.Y., 3,585.
75, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,584.
76, Matt Taylor, Knightdale, N.C., 3,576.
77, James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 3,575.
78, George Branham III, Indianapolis, 3,574.
79, David Kilts, New York, 3,570.
80, Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, N.Y., 3,569.
81, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,568.
82 (tie), Jeremy Boyer, Desloge, Mo.; Mike Dole, Chicago, and Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,567.
85, T.J. Schmidt, Osceola, Ind., 3,566.
86, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,562.
87, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 3,558.
88, Stuart Williams, England, 3,557.
89, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3,556.
90, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,554.
91, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,552.
92, Alex Cavagnaro, Massapequa, N.Y., 3,548.
93, Sean Riccardi, Piscataway, N.J., 3,547.
94, Joe Goldstein Sr., Hayward, Calif., 3,544.
95, Billy Pautz, St. Peter, Minn., 3,538.
96 (tie), Dan Furman, Amsterdam, N.Y., and Kenneth Lane, Rosedale, Md., 3,535.
98, x-John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 3,534.
  x – Wiseman surrendered 98th place to Furey due to an injury.

DID NOT ADVANCE:

99, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 3,534.
100, Sean Rangel, Oskaloosa, Iowa, 3,533.
101, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,529.
102 (tie), Fero Williams, Fairfield, Ohio, and Andrew Burke, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 3,527.
104 (tie), Kasey Normandin, Canada, and Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 3,525.
106, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 3,524.
107, Paul Bober, Morton Grove, Ill., 3,520.
108 (tie), Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., and Alex Aguiar, N. Dartmouth, Mass., 3,519.
110, Duane Kilts, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 3,514.
111, Dale Coleman, High Springs, Fla., 3,513.
112 (tie), Richard Rathjen Jr., Naples, Fla., and Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 3,510.
114, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.V., 3,508.
115, Tommy Dakouvanos, Belford, N.J., 3,506.
116, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 3,505.
117, David Simard, Canada, 3,504.
118, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 3,503.
119 (tie), Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,501.
121 (tie), Jason Freeman, Maple Shade, N.J., and Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 3,500.
123, Jeremy Hunt, Sikeston, Mo., 3,494.
124, James Fielder, Murray, Ky., 3,493.
125, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 3,492.
126, Ken Yokobosky, Fredon, N.J., 3,491.
127, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 3,489.
128, Robert Mockenhaupt, Rutherford, N.J., 3,488.
129, John Briggs, Warwick, N.Y., 3,482.
130, Frankie Calca, Elmont, N.Y., 3,481.
131, Anthony Colosimo, Pembroke Pines, Fla., 3,480.
132, Lanndyn Carnate, Glendale, Ariz., 3,479.
133 (tie), David Canady, Germany; Manuel Otalora, Colombia, and Wayne Porr, Hamburg, PA, 3,472.
136, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 3,471.
137 (tie), Charles Anderson, Sloatsburg, N.Y., and Jimmy Cook, Indianapolis, 3,470.
139, Drew Balta, Swisher, Iowa, 3,468.
140 (tie), Scott Lavy, Troy, Mo., and Michael Markis, Hawley, Pa., 3,467.
142, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,464.
143, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 3,460.
144, Marcelo Suartz, Brazil, 3,459.
145, Matt Gasn, Laurel, Md., 3,457.
146, Brad Kemp, Allentown, Pa., 3,455.
147, Chad Reiffer, Kentwood, Mich., 3,441.
148, Clint Dacy, Fort Worth, Texas, 3,438.
149, Jason Stadtler, Cherry Hill, N.J., 3,436.
150, Chris Lawson, Parker, Colo., 3,435.
151 (tie), Alexander Marx, Toms River, N.J., and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,432.
153, Stephen Hardy, Manchester, N.H., 3,427.
154, Fran Luzzi, Port Jervis, N.Y., 3,426.
155, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,425.
156, Robert Butler Jr., Staten Island, N.Y., 3,424.
157, Corey Husted, Milwaukie, Ore., 3,422.
158, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,421.
159, Scott Santos, Quakertown, Pa., 3,416.
160 (tie), Jason Baker, Sharon Springs, N.Y., and Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 3,414.
162, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,410.
163, Jim Rogers, Brick, N.J., 3,408.
164, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 3,407.
165, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 3,406.
166, Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3,405.
167 (tie), Sean Wilson, Hawthorn Woods, Ill., and Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, NY, 3,404.
169, Chris Kramer, Richlandtown, Pa., 3,401.
170, Aaron Williams, Pennsauken, N.J., 3,400.
171, Chad Hastings, Greenwood, Del., 3,397.
172 (tie), Kevin Brophy, Oakhurst, N.J., and Justin Bychkowski, Newtown, Conn., 3,392.
174, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,391.
175, Eric Vanderford, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3,387.
176, Sean McAuliffe, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,385.
177 (tie), Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, and Eric Cornog, Cherry Hill, N.J., 3,384.
179 (tie), Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., and Ray Struck, Orland Park, Ill., 3,381.
181, Glenn Smith, New York, 3,380.
182, Austin Boulds, Cereal Springs, Ill., 3,379.
183, Chris Deemer, Hamilton, N.J., 3,377.
184 (tie), Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, and PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,374.
186, Gary Faulkner, Memphis, Tenn., 3,373.
187, Russell Wiltsey, Hamilton, N.J., 3,366.
188, Logan Klinge, Dubuque, Iowa, 3,365.
189, Kenny Ryan, Ocean, N.J., 3,361.
190, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 3,346.
191, Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla., 3,341.
192, Michael Ahlquist, Sweden, 3,334.
193, Stephen Dieter, Bowmanstown, Pa., 3,329.
194, Tim West, Easton, Conn., 3,326.
195, John Brown, Dexter, Mo., 3,325.
196, Tyler Armour, Barre, Vt., 3,324.
197, Billy Bertuch III, Yonkers, N.Y., 3,319.
198 (tie), Wayne Bolin, Lumberton, N.C.; Chris Forry, Bridgeport, Conn., and Michael Fontenot, Hampton, Va., 3,316.
201, Michael Cimba, Monroeville, Pa., 3,314.
202 (tie), Tatu Lehtonen, Finland;  Joseph Schuld, Farmingdale, N.J., and Shane Companion, Barre, Vt., 3,313.
205, Chris Thornhill, Salisbury, Md,, 3,310.
206, Michael Favor III, Bayville, N.J., 3,309.
207, Alain Bouchard, Canada, 3,307.
208, Ethan Gray, North East, Md., 3,306.
209, Deric Morris, Warner Robins, Ga., 3,300.
210 (tie), Billy Asbury, Odenton, Md.; Jaime Gonzalez, Colombia, and Ryan Branson, Bordentown, N.J., 3,299.
213, Walter Williams Jr., Lodi, N.J., 3,297.
214, Tim McAuliffe, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,295.
215, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,294.
216, Todd Klinko, Oil City, Pa., 3,293.
217 (tie), Keith Goldberg, Yonkers, N.Y.; Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., and Christopher Blackmore, Fairfax, Va., 3,288.
220, Ron Hurt, Fairfax, Va., 3,287.
221 (tie), Brian Lake, Warren, Mich., and  Anthony Colangelo, Helmetta, N.J., 3,285.
223, Patrick Donohoe Jr., Hampstead, N.H., 3,282.
224, Joshua Berry, Glasgow, Ky., 3,281.
225, David Knight Jr., Folcroft, Pa., 3,280.
226 (tie), Matt Russo, Millstone Township, N.J.;  Vincent Balisky, Elmhurst, N.Y., and Adam Monks, Conway, S.C., 3,273.
229, Toney Nelson, North Branford, Conn., 3,272.
230 (tie), Ryan Friend, Staten Island, N.Y., and Justin Warhol, Sound Beach, N.Y., 3,269.
232 (tie), Frankie Mazzella, Staten Island, N.Y., and Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 3,264.
234 (tie), Justin Sloan, Fair Lawn, N.J., and Edward Bienvenue, Edison, N.J., 3,259.
236, Chris Fisher, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3,258.
237 (tie), Kerry Painter, Henderson, NV; John Conroy, Mahopac, NY, and Noel Pabilonia, Jersey City, NJ, 3,257.
240, Diante Fields, Mount Royal, N.J., 3,253.
241, Shane Holbert, Clifton Heights., Pa., 3,252.
242, George Kruse, Clifton, N.J., 3,246.
243, Joel Larche, Canada, 3,244.
244, Gregory Krumnow, Vickery, Ohio, 3,243.
245, Eric Page Sr., Templeton, Mass., 3,240.
246, Jason Wilt, San Diego, 3,238.
247, Michael Santonastaso, Lebanon, N.J., 3,235.
248, Frank Gray Jr., North East, Md., 3,224.
249 (tie), Chris Knappenberger, Slatington, Pa., and Lawrence King, Billerica, Mass., 3,223.
251, Melissa Kammerer, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,222.
252 (tie), Kirk Trahan, Houma, LA; Terry Krawec, Canada, & Chris Tomlinson, Franklin, TN 3,218.
255 (tie), David Carroll, Carbondale, Pa., and Joe Krajkovich, North Brunswick, N.J., 3,217.
257 (tie), Richard Horsley, Morrisville, N.C., and Kevin Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3,214.
259 (tie), Devin Golden, Bethlehem, Pa., and Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 3,213.
261, Cory Nichols, Hudson Falls, N.Y., 3,212.
262 (tie), Michael Dutkiewicz, Nicholson, Pa., and Mike Deckelman, Milford, Del., 3,210.
264, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 3,206.
265, Corey Kistner, Decatur, Ill., 3,205.
266, Mark McNear, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 3,198.
267, Michael Healy, Yonkers, N.Y., 3,196.
268 (tie), Greg Rottengen, Washington, N.J., and Jose Marte, Elmwood Park, N.J., 3,191.
270, Nicolas Forestier, France, 3,189.
271 (tie), Nicole Toto, Piscataway, N.J., and Dave Martorella, Meriden, Conn., 3,185.
273, Chico Santiago, Tuckahoe, N.Y., 3,184.
274, Steven Maruffi, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3,183.
275, Eddie Torres, Port Ewen, NY, 3,182.
276 (tie), Paul Lemond, Jasper, Ind., and Chris Blaison, Newburgh, N.Y., 3,181.
278, Jack Pieraccini, Pittsfield, Mass., 3,180.
279 (tie), Daniel Gassera, Port Charlotte, Fla., and Rob Sperling, Livingston, N.J., 3,178.
281, Robert Fusik III, Hamilton, N.J., 3,172.
282, Michelle Arrington, Philadelphia, 3,170.
283, Taylor Swartz, Windsor, N.Y., 3,167.
284, Tim Panek, Randolph, N.J., 3,166.
285, Ron Glick, Morganville, N.J., 3,165.
286, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 3,163.
287, Daniel Dunleavy, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,159.
288 (tie), Greg Stahora, West Hazelton, Pa., and Raymond Johnston Jr., Leonardtown, Md.,3,157.
290, Philip Karl, Jackson, Ohio, 3,156.
291, David Rosengarten, Gardendale, Ala., 3,153.
292, Frank Bellavia Jr., Niagara Falls, N.Y., 3,151.
293, Keith DeCambra, Quincy, Mass., 3,148.
294, Cedric Anthor, France, 3,142.
295, Sylvain Brisson, Canada, 3,137.
296, Bernard Vandermeersch, France, 3,133.
297 (tie), Brian DiCicco, Agawam, Mass., and Douglas Tonucci, Waldorf, Md., 3,127.
299, Joseph Auger, Newburgh, N.Y., 3,126.
300, Stephen Habel, Dubuque, Iowa, 3,124.
301, Cyril Assie, France, 3,122.
302, Jimmy Clark, Corinna, Maine, 3,120.
303, Brian Sulzbach, Levittown, N.Y., 3,118.
304, Thomas McLane, Lusby, Md., 3,116.
305, Leon Platt, Summerville, S.C., 3,115.
306, Art Swain Jr., Philadelphia, 3,111.
307, Bryan Eaton, Wyoming, Mich., 3,107.
308, Kevin Cartier, Beverly, N.J., 3,106.
309, Larry Del Vecchio, Chalfont, Pa., 3,103.
310 (tie), Richard Page II, Hillsborough, N.J., and Brian Crater, Hudson, Mich., 3,100.
312, Marty Kirsten Jr., Greentown, Pa., 3,098.
313, Thomas Grunwald, Astoria, N.Y., 3,096.
314, Gary Smalling, Johnson City, Tenn., 3,091.
315, Jason Phillips, Greenwood, Ind., 3,089.
316 (tie), Michael Ciardulli Jr., Valley Stream, N.Y., and Scott Salem, Oradell, N.J., 3,088.
318 (tie), Gregory Matera, Staten Island, N.Y., and Pierre-Luc Larouche, Canada, 3,085.
320, Christopher Lee, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3,082.
321, Jim Dilyard, Burbank, Ohio, 3,081.
322, Charles Harris, Macungie, Pa., 3,078.
323, Robert Wade, Winter Springs, Fla., 3,075.
324, Maverick Mackovic, Oak Ridge, N.C., 3,070.
325 (tie), Yves Crouzat, France, and David Perry, Fairfield, Maine, 3,066.
327, Richard Ayers, Union, N.J., 3,064.
328, Gaetano Sereno, Ridgewood, N.Y., 3,062.
329 (tie), Mike Carmean, Georgetown, Del., and John Touhey, Miamisburg, Ohio, 3,061.
331, Ryan Funk, Midlothian, Ill., 3,059.
332, Ken Karamichael, Somerset, N.J., 3,058.
333, Jonathan Sellers, Stratford, Conn., 3,054.
334, Al Giolat, Florissant, Mo., 3,052.
335, Brandon Robertson, Clinton, Conn., 3,048.
336, Michael McCord, Bayonne, N.J., 3,042.
337, Bradley Branam, Bloomington, Ind., 3,035.
338, Mark Cornelius, Peru, Ind., 3,034.
339, Andrew Wojcik, Doylestown, Pa., 3,032.
340 (tie), Sun Kim, Flushing, N.Y., and Michael Robey, Morrisville, Pa., 3,030.
342, Ralph Ehrlich, N.Massapequa, N.Y., 3,026.
343, Chris Boyd, Brick, N.J., 3,025.
344, Jerry Bohlman, Milton, Fla., 3,011.
345, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 2,998.
346, Michael LoBianco, Brick, N.J., 2,994.
347, Chris Helton, Fountain, Colo., 2,990.
348, Joaquim Fernandes, France, 2,986.
349 (tie), Michael Sucena, Philadelphia, and Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 2,979.
351, David Zeitz, Philadelphia, 2,976.
352, M. Humphrey, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 2,974.
353, Robert Brownie, Richmond, Va., 2,971.
354, Chris Liotta, Dix Hills, N.Y., 2,966.
355, Shaun English, Lebanon, Pa., 2,963.
356, Matt Vancil, Dexter, Mo., 2,955.
357, Brandon Boyer, Hudson Falls, N.Y., 2,952.
358, Steven Landry, Oakville, Conn., 2,944.
359, Joel Eyssen, Manville, N.J., 2,941.
360, Emmanuel Rigas, Trenton, N.J., 2,929.
361, Kevin Dziuba, Howell, N.J., 2,925.
362, Jean Marie Gaudin, France, 2,918.
363, Jason Lowery, Baltimore, 2,917.
364, Joseph Truchan Jr., Ringwood, N.J., 2,915.
365, Sylvie LaLancette, Canada, 2,905.
366, Amanda Warren, Naperville, Ill., 2,904.
367, Jonathan Glattstein, North Bergen, N.J., 2,860.
368, Anssi Valtonen, Finland, 2,845.
369, Domenico Curra, Mahopac, N.Y., 2,843.
370, Greg Eskow, Syosset, N.Y., 2,836.
371, Steve Wilstein, Boston, 2,808.
372, Chris Riolo, Springfield, N.J., 2,780.
373, Beau Geier, Watertown, S.D., 2,774.
374, Thomas VanGorden, Hamilton, N.J., 2,772.
375, Giovanny Jimenez, Plainsboro, N.J., 2,755.
376, Christopher Gillette, Scotia, N.Y., 2,753.
377, Michael Shaw, Maple Shade, N.J., 2,735.
378, J. Marc Rougelin, France, 2,714.
379, Minh-Duc Le, France, 2,710.
380, Mike Gossman, Emmaus, Pa., 2,705.
381, Shane Cunningham, Claryville, N.Y., 2,693.
382, Joseph Gentile, Huntington Station, N.Y., 2,607.
383, Kevin Junice, Old Bridge, N.J., 2,518.
384, Roy Cadoo Jr., Matawan, N.J., 2,454.
385, Aaron Knoll, Plainview, N.Y., 2,441.

Shafer Knocking on The Door of a PBA Major AGAIN

Ryan Shafer, the ultimate bridesmaid in professional bowling major championship tournaments, is once again poised to grasp the title he covets most.

Shafer, a 45-year-old 25-year veteran of Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) competition, is the early second round leader in the 69th U.S. Open Wednesday after averaging 225.17 through the first 12 qualifying games at Brunswick Zone-Carolier.

On the freshly-oiled lane condition Wednesday morning, the Horseheads, NY, resident rolled games of 236, 188, 250, 255, 255 and 229 to finish with 2,702 pins and a 37-pin cushion over co-runners-up Mike Fagan of Dallas and Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio. Amateur Ron Nelson Jr. of Bridgeview, IL, was fourth with 2,654 pins. First round leader Dan MacLelland of Canada, who led Shafer by 140 pins going into Wednesday’s round, dropped to fifth place with a 2,651 total.

Defending champion Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, was in 33rd place among the early finishers with 2,478 pins.

The final one-third of the field of 394 players completed their second round Wednesday evening.

Shafer’s goal is to end a PBA-record string of 13 television finals in major championships without a title. He has finished second in majors five times, including the PBA World Championship earlier this season, and he has three additional top five finishes in majors when fewer than five players advanced to the TV finals.

In the U.S. Open alone, he has six top five finishes.

While Shafer has made at least one television appearance for 15 consecutive years, and has won four standard PBA Tour titles, he has never won a major.

He also realizes the only way he can end the streak is to continue putting himself into position to win one.

“This tournament is too long to worry about Sunday,” Shafer said. “You can’t think ahead.”

“Ahead” is the four-player stepladder finals which will be contested live on ESPN Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern. There also is a $60,000 carrot dangling in front of the winner, but there are still 14 qualifying games plus another 24 games of match play on the sport’s most demanding bowling conditions to get through. Shafer just hopes to be one of the final four.

“I love this tournament,” he said. “It can be frustrating at time, but house knowledge helps a lot. We’ve bowled a lot of tournaments here (at Brunswick Zone-Carolier) and I remember characteristics of the center that help. There are certain sections of the house where I know I can’t use the same ball on both lanes. You’re taking a chance when you do that, but I know I’ll shoot 160 if I don’t do it.

“You don’t expect to bowl that well on the fresh condition,” he said. “But I got a good night’s sleep and came in feeling good. I had one bad game, but for the most part, everything went as planned and I carried the pocket. That was the big thing.”

The entire field will bowl six more qualifying games Thursday. The top 98 players after 18 games will then advance to the eight-game cashers’ round Friday morning. After a total of 27 games, the top 24 will advance to three eight-game round robin match play rounds Friday evening and Saturday to decide the four stepladder finalists. 

All preliminary rounds leading up to Sunday’s ESPN finals are being webcast live on the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, click on the logo on the home page of pba.com.

69TH U.S. OPEN

Brunswick Zone-Carolier, North Brunswick, NJ, Wednesday

EARLY SECOND ROUND (top 64 after 12 games; one-third of the field had yet to complete the second round)

1, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,702.
2 (tie), Mike Fagan, Dallas, and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,665.
4, Ron Nelson Jr., Bridgeview, Ill., 2,654.
5, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,651.
6, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,620.
7, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,607.
8, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 2,591.
9, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,589.
10, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,580.
11, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 2,566.
12 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 2,560.
14, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,555.
15, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 2,554.
16, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 2,553.
17, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,541.
18, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 2,537.
19, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,529.
20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,527.
21, Rusty Thomsen, Morgan, N.J., 2,526.
22 (tie), Daniel Farish, Louisville, Ky., and Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 2,518.
24, Adam Chase, Seaford, N.Y., 2,510.
25, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,498.
26 (tie), Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., and John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,494.
28, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,489.
29, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 2,486.
30, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,482.
31, David Stouffer, Fort Myers, Fla., 2,480.
32, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 2,479.
33, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,478.
34, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 2,477.
35, Michael Steil, Wheeling, Ill., 2,470.
36, Brandon Tarabek, Cleveland Hts., Ohio, 2,459.
37, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 2,458.
38 (tie), Rob Gotterbarn, Garden City South, N.Y., and Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 2,457.
40, Dom Barrett, England, 2,456.
41, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,455.
42, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,450.
43, T.J. Schmidt, Osceola, Ind., 2,449.
44, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,446.
45, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,445.
46, Stephen Pavlinko, Sewell, N.J., 2,441.
47, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 2,433.
48, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 2,431.
49, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 2,428.
50 (tie), Andrew Burke, St. Clair Shores, Mich., and Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2,427.
52, Anthony Colosimo, Pembroke Pines, Fla., 2,417.
53, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2,412.
54 (tie), Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn.; Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio; Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, and Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 2,411.
58, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 2,408.
59 (tie), Alex Aguiar, N. Dartmouth, Mass., and Kenneth Lane, Rosedale, Md., 2,406.
61, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,401.
62, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 2,400.
63, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,396.
64, John Briggs, Warwick, N.Y., 2,395.

PBA World Championships Sunday

Last Leg of the PBA World Championship Field Decided Sunday

Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, leads the field of four players in Sunday’s Mike Aulby Division finals, the fourth and final elimination round leading into the PBA World Championship finals. The Aulby round will air in high-definition on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

 

The Aulby Division winner will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa; Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, and Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, in the World Championship finals on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. At stake will be a $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

All competition will be conducted on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino.

Belmonte, 28, hasn’t won a title since his first PBA Tour victory in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic propelled him to 2009-09 PBA Rookie of the Year honors. During the 40-game qualifying portion of the PBA World Championship, he finished third behind Rash and Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, averaging 226.18 for five rounds on five different lane conditions. He will be joined in the Aulby elimination round by Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio; rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, AZ, and Mike Fagan of Dallas, TX.

Kretzer won his only PBA Tour title in the 2010 Go RVing Match Play Championship. Fagan is a two-time title winner. His most recent victory was in the 2010 One A Day Dick Weber Open. Blanchard, a former Wichita State University star, joined the PBA in October and won a PBA West Region Non-Champions tournament in Reno, NV, in his first appearance as a member. Sunday’s telecast will be his PBA Tour television debut.

In the Aulby eliminator event, all four players will bowl a one-game match with the lowest scoring player eliminated. The three survivors will bowl a second game, again with the low man knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game to determine who will advance to the World Championship finals.

The four World Championship divisional finals have been named for PBA superstars who excelled in the event during their careers. Palermaa won the Don Carter Division berth, Shafer the Billy Hardwick Division title and Rash topped the Johnny Petraglia Division. The championship trophy is named in honor of Anthony, the only player ever to win the event six times.

A preview of the Aulby Division finals will be webcast on pba.com’s Xtra Frame beginning Wednesday, and a post-game show will be presented on Xtra Frame immediately following Sunday’s ESPN finals.

Shafer Wins Hardwick Division of PBA World Chapionships

Four-time Professional Bowlers Association title winner Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, earned another chance to win his first major title on Jan. 15 after advancing to the finals of the PBA World Championship in the Billy Hardwick Division finals that aired Sunday on ESPN.

Shafer, who has made a PBA-record 12 championship round appearances in major tournaments without a title, defeated Andres Gomez of Colombia, 191-177, to win the second of four PBA World Championship elimination rounds at South Point Hotel Exhibition Hall. The divisional finals consist of three one-game rounds, starting with four players, and eliminating the lowest-scoring player after each game.

Shafer will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa, winner of the Don Carter Division, and the winners of the Johnny Petraglia and Mike Aulby Division finals in the World Championship finals on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA World Championship offers a $50,000 first prize and the first major title of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season.

Shafer, who is celebrating his 25th season as a PBA Tour competitor, established command in the opening game, recovering from a missed split conversion in the second frame to reel off nine consecutive strikes for a 267 game. Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, making his PBA television debut, was second with a 258 followed by Gomez with a 222. The group’s top qualifier, 2009 PBA World Champion Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, was eliminated with a 194 game after failing to convert 4-7-9 and 4-9 splits in the sixth and eighth frames, respectively.

Gomez led the group in game two, starting with five strikes on his way to a 219. Shafer was next with a 207 and Ruiz was eliminated after posting a 180.

Shafer jumped out to a 29-pin lead after four frames in the final game, but failed to convert the 3-6-10 in the fifth frame and the 3-6-7-10 split in the ninth. While Gomez had his own problems as the lane conditions deteriorated, he still had a chance to win after Shafer opened in the ninth frame. Needing two strikes and eight pins in the 10th frame to lock Shafer out, he left the 2-8-10 split.

Needing only seven pins to clinch the win, Shafer struck on his next shot. “

I threw that shot in the ninth frame as good as I could possibly throw it,” Shafer said, “but I just didn’t move far enough right. “I thought I had blown another one. I’ve had some bad breaks in majors when I bowled pretty good and guys I bowled against bowled better, but I’ve blown a few, too. You just don’t want to make that your history, your reputation.

“I usually don’t get excited and show up my opponent,” Shafer said of his emotional display after his 10th frame strike, “but that one meant a lot to me. Andres is a great guy, and he made a great shot in the 10th, too. I know he can make a great shot when he needs to make one, but it just didn’t work. I definitely got a second life, but I got to the finals and now we’ll see what happens next.”

The Hardwick finals were conducted on the PBA’s Scorpion lane condition, selected by Smallwood as the highest qualifier in the Hardwick field.

The Johnny Petraglia Division finalists will be the next group to bowl, on New Year’s Day at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. Sean Rash of suburban Chicago (Montgomery), IL, who led all World Championship qualifiers by 296 pins, has selected the Scorpion pattern as the lane condition for this elimination round.

Other Petraglia Division players will be PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO; left-hander Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, NY, and Nathan Bohr of Wichita, KS.

Weber, who has won 35 PBA Tour titles including eight majors, has won more titles and more majors than the rest of the 15 World Championship finalists combined (17 titles, two majors). Bohr, the only non-titlist in the group, will make his PBA television debut.

The Petraglia Division finals air on Sunday, New Year’s Day, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Mike Aulby Division finals, completing the preliminary elimination rounds, will air on Jan. 8, also at 1 p.m. ET. Special pre-game shows will be webcast beginning on the Wednesday preceding the ESPN finals on pba.com’s Xtra Frame and a post-game Xtra Frame interview with the winners will immediately follow the Sunday telecasts.

Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, who won his only Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) title in the 2009 PBA World Championship, heads the field of four players who will do battle in the Billy Hardwick Division finals of the PBA World Championship Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in high-definition on ESPN.

The Hardwick Division is the second of four eliminator rounds that will trim the PBA World Championship field of 16 finalists down to four for a Sunday, Jan. 15, battle for the $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

All World Championship competition will be conducted on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino.

Smallwood, 34, became an instant hero among America’s blue-collar work force when he defeated former PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott for the 2009 PBA World Championship. Smallwood, who had lost his job with General Motors, had decided to pursue his dream to become a professional bowler and stunned the bowling world with his upset victory in Wichita, KS. Last season, he won $100,000 as runner-up to Mika Kovuniemi in the PBA Tournament of Champions. 

Now Smallwood is back in position to try for another major title as the top qualifier in the Hardwick Division. He earned his place in the Hardwick group as the No. 2 qualifier over 40 games of World Championship qualifying on five different lane conditions, averaging 226.63 to finish 296 pins behind leader Sean Rash. As top qualifier in his group, Smallwood has selected the PBA’s Scorpion lane conditioning pattern for Sunday’s event when he will face Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, Colombia’s Andres Gomez and 25-year PBA Tour veteran Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, in a battle for a berth in the World Championship finals.

Both South American players are trying for their first PBA Tour titles. Ruiz, who is making his PBA television debut, qualified for the elimination rounds in seventh place. Gomez was 10th and Shafer tied for 14th. No international player has ever won the PBA World Championship.

In Sunday’s eliminator round, all four players will bowl a one-game match. The player with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three survivors will bowl another game, with the low man knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game, with the survivor advancing to the World Championship finals.

The four World Championship divisional finals have been named for PBA superstars who excelled in the event during their careers. Finland’s Osku Palermaa has already won the Don Carter Division berth. The Johnny Petraglia and Mike Aulby Division finals, which will air on ESPN on Jan. 1 and Jan. 8, respectively, will complete the divisional elimination rounds. The championship trophy is named in honor of Anthony, the only player ever to win the event six times.

Second Bracket For PBA World Championships on Sunday



Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, who won his only Professional Bowlers Association title in the 2009 PBA World Championship, heads the field of four players who will do battle in the Billy Hardwick Division finals of the PBA World Championship Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in high-definition on ESPN.

The Hardwick Division is the second of four eliminator rounds that will trim the PBA World Championship field of 16 finalists down to four for a Sunday, Jan. 15, battle for the $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

All World Championship competition will be conducted on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV.

Smallwood, 34, became an instant hero among America’s blue-collar work force when he defeated former PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott for the 2009 PBA World Championship. Smallwood, who had lost his job with General Motors, had decided to pursue his dream to become a professional bowler and stunned the bowling world with his upset victory in Wichita, KS. Last season, he won $100,000 as runner-up to Mika Kovuniemi in the PBA Tournament of Champions.

Now Smallwood is back in position to try for another major title as the top qualifier in the Hardwick Division. He earned his place in the Hardwick group as the No. 2 qualifier over 40 games of World Championship qualifying on five different lane conditions, averaging 226.63 to finish 296 pins behind leader Sean Rash. As top qualifier in his group, Smallwood has selected the PBA’s Scorpion lane conditioning pattern for Sunday’s event when he will face Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, Colombia’s Andres Gomez and 25-year PBA Tour veteran Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, in a battle for a berth in the World Championship finals.

Both South American players are trying for their first PBA Tour titles. Ruiz, who is making his PBA television debut, qualified for the elimination rounds in seventh place. Gomez was 10th and Shafer tied for 14th. No international player has ever won the PBA World Championship.

In Sunday’s eliminator round, all four players will bowl a one-game match. The player with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three survivors will bowl another game, with the low man knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game, with the survivor advancing to the World Championship finals.

The four World Championship divisional finals have been named for PBA superstars who excelled in the event during their careers. Finland’s Osku Palermaa won the Don Carter Division berth. The Johnny Petraglia and Mike Aulby Division finals, which will air on ESPN on Jan. 1 and Jan. 8, respectively, will complete the divisional elimination rounds. The championship trophy is named in honor of Anthony, the only player ever to win the event six times.

A special preview of the Hardwick Division finals will be webcast on pba.com’s Xtra Frame beginning Wednesday, and a post-game show will be presented on Xtra Frame Sunday immediately following the ESPN finals.