New Ball From MOTIV

“The MOTIV™ SR2 is engineered to destroy pins” proclaims Motiv. The “Sigma” core produces a low RG (RG of 2.47 in 15#) for easy revs and a high differential (.047 diff) for serious track flare.

The “Reverb™” outer core of the SR2 is a low-density polyester resin with pin piercing hardness and strength. Rather than absorb impact energy, this outer core reverberates energy as it explodes through the pins.

Combine this with “MOTIVat-R” reactive urethane on the cover and Motiv suggests “you have a deadly weapon of destruction in the palm your hand.” The SR2 is sanded to 2000 at the factory and then brought to a luster with Power Gel® Polish. Expect the Motiv SR2 November 1st.

Visionary Bowling Introduces The New Breed Pearl Particle

Visionary Bowling Products announces the New Breed Particle Pearl will begin shipping on October 23rd. This ball utilizes the "Serpentine" core design in combination with new "Leviathan" coverstock. The coverstock contains a non abrasive particle that creates traction in the oil yet still allows the ball to get down the lane without the dreaded burnout.

Factory finished to 2,000 Abralon, the New Breed Particle Pearl covers the same lane conditions as other particle pearls, however, Visionary suggests it can easily be adjusted to create a wide variety of reactions. With surfaces up to 1,000 Abralon, the ball reacts much like a solid particle, and polished it reacts more like a pearl reactive. LOW RG: 2.56” DIFFERENTIAL: .052”

World Series of Bowling

It has been months in the making, but the Professional Bowlers Association’s inaugural World Series of Bowling is about to make its historic debut on ESPN.

Beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Oct. 25, bowling fans across America will see 13 champions crowned over a span of eight weekly PBA World Series of Bowling telecasts.

Over the course of the World Series telecasts, 22 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour players will make television appearances along with five stars of the PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM and two top PBA Senior Tour players.

The series will get underway with an historic event – the inaugural PBA Women’s World Championship – which will reward its winner with the first-ever berth for a woman in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas. In the title match, Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix, AZ will meet Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J. Also at stake is a $15,000 first prize and a women’s major title.

The second event in the opening telecast of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season is the revival of the PBA Senior World Championship, which was last held in 2002 in Las Vegas.

Hugh Miller of Mercer Island, Wash., will meet Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, MI, in another battle for a berth in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Championships as well as a $15,000 payday.

The closing event of the first telecast of the season will be a special PBA Trick Shot Invitational featuring PBA Tour stars Chris Barnes, Parker Bohn III, Norm Duke, Sean Rash and Brian Voss along with Finland’s two-handed sensation, Osku Palermaa.

On Nov. 1, the Motor City Open kicks off a series of seven ESPN telecasts featuring the 2009-10 PBA Tour players.

Following the Motor City Open, a unique “reality-style” telecast of the Cheetah Championship airs Nov. 8.

The Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark Championships for men and women – all conducted during the World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI, in August – will lead up to the first live telecast of the season – the finals of the PBA World Championship at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Dec. 13 from Northrock Lanes in Wichita, KS.

Watch for weekly summaries of upcoming ESPN telecasts on pba.com, and immediately following each telecast, pba.com’s Xtra Frame will feature a post-tournament interview segment with each tournament champion.

PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING TV PREVIEW SUNDAY, OCT. 25, 1 P.M. (E).
PBA Women’s World Championship (Final Match) Championship:
Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, AZ vs. Kelly Kulick, Union, NJ.
Prize Money: $15,000 first, $7,500 second.
PBA Senior World Championship (Final Match) Championship:
Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, MI, vs. Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, WA.
Prize Money: $15,000 first, $7,500 second
PBA Trick Shot Invitational (Head-to-Head Judged Competition)
Competitors: Chris Barnes, Parker Bohn III, Norm Duke, Osku Palermaa, Sean Rash and Brian Voss. Prize Money: $10,000 first

PBA Motor City Open SUNDAY, NOV. 1, 1 P.M. EASTERN
(Five-Player Stepladder Finals) Match One: #4 Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, SC, vs. #5 Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA. Match Two: Winner Match One vs. #3 Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO. Semifinal Match: Winner Match Two vs. #2 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX Championship: Winner Semifinal Match vs. #1 Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, FL. Prize Money: $25,000 first, $13,000 second, $9,000 third, $7,000 fourth, $6,000 fifth.

PBA Cheetah Championship SUNDAY, NOV. 8, 1 P.M. EASTERN (“Reality Style” Match Play Finals) Semifinal Match One: Ryan Ciminelli, Rochester, NY, vs. Derek Sapp, Keokuk, IA Semifinal Match Two: Stevie Weber, Chalmette, LA, vs. Norm Duke, Clermont, FL. Championship: Winners of Match One and Match Two Prize Money: $25,000 first, $13,000 second, third $7,000 each.

PBA Viper Championship SUNDAY, NOV. 15, 1 P.M. EASTERN (Match Play Finals) Women’s Championship: Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, TX, vs. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, NY. Semifinal Match One: Steve Jaros, Yorkville, IL, vs. Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, FL. Semifinal Match Two: Ryan Ciminelli, Rochester, NY, vs. Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, AZ. Championship: Winner Match One vs. Winner Match Two Prize Money: $25,000 first, $13,000 second, third $7,000 each.

PBA Chameleon Championship SUNDAY, NOV. 22, 1 P.M. EASTERN (Match Play Finals) Women’s Championship: Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, AZ vs. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, TX Semifinal Match One: Sean Rash, Wichita, KS, vs. Ronnie Russell, Camby, IN. Semifinal Match Two: Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA, vs. Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela. Championship: Winner Match One vs. Winner Match Two Prize Money: $25,000 first, $13,000 second, third $7,000 each.

PBA Scorpion Championship SUNDAY, NOV. 29, 1 P.M. EASTERN (Match Play Finals) Women’s Championship: Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, NY, vs. Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, AZ. Semifinal Match One: Sean Rash, Wichita, KS, vs. Mike DeVaney, San Diego, CA. Semifinal Match Two: Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, MI, vs. Jason Belmonte, Australia. Championship: Winner Match One vs. Winner Match Two Prize Money: $25,000 first, $13,000 second, third $7,000 each.

PBA Shark Championship SUNDAY, DEC. 6, 1 P.M. EASTERN (Match Play Finals) Women’s Championship: Kelly Kulick, Union, NJ, vs. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, TX. Semifinal Match One: Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, NY, vs. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, TX. Semifinal Match Two: Jason Couch, Clermont, FL, vs. Michael Fagan, Patchogue, NY. Championship: Winner Match One vs. Winner Match Two Prize Money: $25,000 first, $13,000 second, third $7,000 each.

PBA World Championship SUNDAY, DEC. 13, 1 P.M. EASTERN (Live Match Play Finals) Semifinal Match One: Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA, vs. Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, MI. Semifinal Match Two: Wes Malott, Pflugerville, TX, vs. Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, FL. Championship: Winner Match One vs. Winner Match Two Prize Money: $50,000 first, $25,000 second, third $11,500 each.

Mohr, Voss and Graybeal Receive PBA Senior Honors

Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour’s only three-time winner in 2009, has been selected as PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year by a panel of veteran bowling writers and his fellow competitors.

Brian Voss of Alpharetta, GA, has been elected as the PBA Senior Tour’s 2009 Rookie of the Year and veteran Senior Tour competitor Larry Graybeal of Elizabethton, TN, is the winner of the second PBA Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award.

Mohr, a 53-year-old second-year Senior Tour member, won the PBA Jackson (MI) Senior Open and PBA Dayton (Ohio) Senior Open, kicking off the 2009 season with his first two titles in back-to-back weeks. He won his third title in the Senior Dick Weber Open in Lansing, MI, where he defeated four-time defending Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker, 232-175, in the title match.

In 12 Senior Tour events, Mohr cashed in all 12, advanced to match play 11 times and he had five top-five finishes. He was runner-up in the Senior Tour earnings race to Wayne Webb by only $250 with his $41,600 total, and he led the full-time touring seniors in average at 223.14.

“I don’t know if it’s a surprise to get the news, but it’s still a shock,” Mohr said. “You hope things will turn out this way, but you never know. After my first year, I realized I could be competitive, but it’s a major step to win a title and then to win more than once is surreal. To go on to win Player of the Year is beyond anything a guy living in Alaska could ever imagine.

“I think it would be easy to accept this, say it has been a great year, and move on,” he added. “But I’m looking for ways to get better. Tom Baker won this honor four years in a row. I’m going to try to get better if I have any hope of doing something like that. And with Walter Ray (Williams Jr.) coming out on the Senior Tour, even for a few events, we’ll all have our work cut out for us next year.”

Voss, who bowled in only six events, didn’t win a title, but he finished second in the Senior Dayton Open, second to Webb in the Senior U.S. Open, and tied for fifth in the USBC Senior Masters. Voss was granted a “Golden Umbrella” exemption to rejoin the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour in August, and missed the final five Senior Tour events.

During his limited action, he was the only player to out-average Mohr (223.99) and he earned $22,200 – eighth best among the seniors.

“It’s always nice to win something, to be recognized. I would have preferred to be Player of the Year, but it suggests I’m still competitive,” the 24-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist said.

“My first Senior Tour event was a rude awakening (he failed to cash). I didn’t bowl practice. I had no idea what lanes were like. It turned out they were pretty easy, and I have all of the excuses in the world why I wasn’t ready. “But I adapted,” the 53-year-old Voss continued. “I finished second the next week in Dayton, and I did well in the majors. It was good competition and it was really nice to see some of my old friends.”

Voss, a PBA and USBC Hall of Famer, will be a full-time member of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour for the 2009-10 season, so his participation in Senior Tour events is unknown. “We’ll see what my schedule is. I’ll bowl a few,” he said.

Graybeal, who turned 70 on Sept. 7, bowled in his 100th PBA Senior Tour event in the PBA Senior World Championship in Allen Park, MI, in August. The 26-year PBA member won his only PBA title – a senior regional event – in Gastonia, NC, in November 2006.

“I was kinda surprised, but I’m really honored to have an award with that man’s name (Dick Weber) on it,” Graybeal said. The former textile printing supervisor fought and beat colon cancer in 2001, which proved to be a turning point in his life.

“I decided after that I was going to do what I wanted to do with my life. I’m still at it, still trying to win,” he grinned. He acknowledged he’s a consistent Super Senior casher – the 60-and-older group who don’t cash in the regular prize list, “but that’s not what I’m shooting at. “I try to be a nice guy,” Graybeal continued. “It’s not always the easiest thing to do when you’re a competitor. I guess you’d call it losing gracefully.”

Graybeal’s selection by his peers was the perfect choice, according to PBA Senior Tour Tournament Director Corey Kistner and PBA Regional and Senior Tours Director John Weber, the son of the award’s namesake. “I’m really happy to see a guy like Larry win this award,” Kistner said. “He’s the epitome of what the sportsmanship award represents. He’s definitely deserving.”

“On behalf of the Weber family as well as the PBA, I’m really happy the players voted for someone as congenial as Larry Graybeal. All of the players look up to him. He’s just a pleasure to be around. I couldn’t be happier.”

Williams Turns 50, Senior Tour and More Records Await

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. spent a relaxing day at home Tuesday, contemplating if not celebrating his 50th birthday.

In addition to his record 45 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titles and more than $4 million in career earnings heading into the PBA’s World Series of Bowling, Oct. 6 marked the day Walter Ray Williams Jr. became eligible to begin compiling a new set of records as a PBA Senior Tour competitor.

“Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to do this day for a long time,” he dead-panned.
“I’m just happy to be up and around.”

At age 50, Williams remains a remarkably physically-fit athlete. He plays golf at near-scratch level. He’s still a world-class horseshoe player. And he remains at the top of his chosen sport – bowling – with no end in sight.

“Amazingly, I didn’t expect to be doing this well this late in my career, but I’m still bowling fairly consistently and giving the kids something to shoot at,” he said. “Right now I’m exempt (to compete on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour) and that’s my main focus, but I’ll bowl most of the PBA Senior Tour events I’m available for, if my schedule allows. I might bowl a few regionals if I can, too.

“It’s funny,” he added. “Last weekend there was a senior regional about 50 miles away from me, but I wasn’t 50 yet…” It’s hard to imagine what Williams has left to conquer as he enters the 2009-10 season, but there are a couple of items on his wish list.

“If they don’t happen, it’s not a big deal, but winning the Tournament of Champions would be a nice addition to my portfolio,” he said. The Tournament of Champions is the only major title Williams is missing. A TOC victory would mean completion of the PBA Triple Crown (U.S. Open and PBA Championship), Grand Slam (add the USBC Masters) and Super Slam (add the PBA Touring Players Championship).

“I don’t expect it, and if it never happens, oh, well. The other is bowling a 300 on TV. I don’t expect that either, but I hope to get a few opportunities. “I’ve had a few chances at 300s on TV, but I either threw a bad shot or got a bad break.

People make a big deal about bowling 300 games, but bowling one on TV would be kinda special,” he said. “And it would be nice to throw one at someone else. I’ve certainly had enough of them (four) thrown at me.”

Williams has remained remarkably fit across the years. He has his occasional sore knee and sore wrist problems – functions of age, but otherwise he more than holds his own against “the kids.”

“Physically, I’ve kept my weight under control,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. About five years ago my wife (Paige) decided to get serious about her weight and I decided that was a pretty good idea for me as well. I started eating less, drinking water rather than soda, things like that. I don’t work out a lot, but I get exercise with golf and horseshoes. I probably do a real workout once a week or so, but it’s more diet for me than anything. I love to eat like everyone, but if I kept going the way I was going a few years, I was going to be way too heavy.

“I feel good,” Williams continued. “My biggest problem during the off season is that I don’t work at my game a lot. I’ve been doing some exhibitions, and I’ve bowled a couple of regionals. I’m going to bowl a couple more because I want to get ready for the (QubicaAMF) World Cup in Malaysia.

For me, tournament play is the best practice in the world.”

Another adjustment to Williams’ physical and mental well-being has been fatherhood. At age 47, he and Paige adopted their daughter, Rebecca, who is now 3. “Oh, yes, Rebecca counts as exercise,” he laughed. “Life is good.”

Williams is the top qualifier and will compete for his 46th career title in the finals of the PBA Motor City Open which will air on ESPN on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. Eastern.

BWAA Selects O'Neill Bowler of the Month

Bill O'Neill of Southampton, Pa. has been named Kegel Bowler of the Month by the Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) for September.

The two-time Collegiate Player of the Year won his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) title, the PBA Chameleon Championship over Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 205-192, and then continued his hot hand in the Pan American Bowling Confederation (PABCON) Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Competing as a Team USA member for the first time, O'Neill took home four out of a possible six gold medals in Men's Team, Men's Trios, Men's All-Events, and Men's Singles. He broke an eight-year-old record in the Men's Singles event averaging 245, and won the Men's All-Events by over 300 pins.

In very close voting this month, other nominees capturing votes were Kelly Kulick, PBA Women's World Championship and Women's Series Shark Championship winner, and Shannon Pulhowsky, PBA Women's Series Chameleon Championship winner, PBA World Championship runner up, PABCON Women's Team Gold Medalist, PABCON Women's Trio's Gold Medalist.

PBA Online Features

This Week on PBA.com’s Xtra Frame

Monday, Oct. 5 – World Series of Bowling (WSOB) Feature: Andrew Cain
PBA Tour player and pba.com blogger Andrew Cain was given a camera to record his experiences during the World Series of Bowling. Watch what he captured after spending the month in a rented house in Detroit with fellow players Stuart Williams, Martin Larsen, Paul Moor and Michael Haugen Jr.

Tuesday, Oct. 6 – 2002 PBA World Championship Formerly named the PBA National Championship, watch finalists Doug Kent, Lonnie Waliczek, Rick Steelsmith and Brian Voss battle it out for what was, at the time, the biggest payday in PBA history ($120,000).

Wednesday, Oct. 7 – WSOB Spotlight: Brunswick, featuring Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Sean Rash, Parker Bohn III, Leslie Bohn and Diandra Asbaty
In the third of nine weekly Product Spotlight features, watch the extended family of Brunswick staffers demonstrate the manufacturer’s latest lineup of equipment. Other manufacturers part of Xtra Frame’s WSOB Spotlight series in addition to Brunswick are Storm, Ebonite, AMF, Roto Grip, 900 Global, Hammer, Track and Columbia.

Thursday, Oct. 8 – 2003 PBA Miller High Life Open
A pair of high-scoring semifinals highlighted this event. Finalists include Brian Himmler, Parker Bohn III, Mika Koivuniemi and Mike Scroggins.

Friday, Oct. 9 – The Bowling Show (Now Free on PBA.com) The Bowling Show is back to its regular time with all-new stories. The Team USA-Team Europe battle in the Weber Cup is the subject of this week’s show.

Xtra Frame is PBA’s official online video subscription service. Bowling fans can subscribe to Xtra Frame on pba.com for $64.99 per year or $7.99 per month. To check out the Xtra Frame programming schedule for the upcoming weeks click on pba.com/xtraframe.