PBA Players Span The Globe

Professional Bowlers Association players are spanning the globe during the “off 
season,” some of them helping to create international exposure for the bowling 
product companies they represent, and others gaining more competitive 
experience.

In mid-May, native Finlander Mika Koivuniemi won the 7th Istanbul Open in 
Turkey, defeating Mykhaylo Kalika of Ukraine, 548-424, in the two-game title 
match for a first prize of $10,000 Euros. For the globe-trotting Koivuniemi, it 
was the 12th different country where he has won a title. American two-handed 
player Cassidy Schaub set a tournament record with a six-game qualifying block 
of 1,591. Fellow 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitors Tim Mack,
Brian Voss and Stu Williams of England also bowled in the Istanbul event.

Speaking of Williams, the English star captured his first Asian title a week 
earlier, defeating Hussain Al-Suwaidi of the United Arab Emirates, 245-216, to 
win the 9th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open in Manama. The win for 
Williams, who bowled the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour as a rookie in 2009-10, was 
worth US$20,000.

“Absolutely my year in the PBA helped me,” Williams said. “I have become a lot 
more versatile and I was able to use some of the new tricks I picked up to take 
advantage of the different ways the lanes were breaking down during the finals.”

Mack finished third in Bahrain, Schaub was fourth and former PBA Touring Player 
Patrick Healey Jr., who is now coaching in the Middle East, was fifth.

Sylvia Wins PBA Senior Northern California Classic

Don Sylvia of Reno, NV, defeated J.P. Muller of Gervais, OR, 209-173, to win his third career Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour title in the PBA Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl Wednesday.

Sylvia, who won his last title in the Lake County Indiana Open in Hammond, IN, 
three years ago, earned $8,000 while Muller, a non-titlist bowling in only his 
seventh Senior Tour event, won $4,500 as runner-up.

“I had a couple of bleak years, personally and with injuries,” Sylvia said, “but 
I’m in a good place in my life now. I feel like things are back on track. I have 
a job, my problems with my arm, neck and wrist are finally under control, and I 
have a new lady in my life who has made me believe in myself again. All of the 
planets are in line again.

“I also worked at Harvest Park Bowl for a long time,” he continued. “I’ve always 
had a great feel for this place. I couldn’t ask for a better place to start my 
life over. It all feels like a dream.”

Sylvia was nearly perfect in defeating Kerry Painter of Henderson, NV, 
289-187, in the semifinal round while Muller eliminated Ross Packard of San 
Jose, CA, 235-201.

In other featured matches, Ron Garr of Ridgedale, MO, dispatched top qualifier 
Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, 3-0, in their best-of-five-game Round of 16 
match. Sam Ventura of Syracuse, NY, spoiled Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s Senior 
Tour return to the Northern California area where he spent most of his earlier 
career, 3-2, in the Round of 24. Ventura’s 247-245 decision in their fifth game 
ended Williams’ hopes. Painted ended Dale Traber’s bid to defend his title in 
the Round of 24, 3-2.

The PBA Senior Tour now heads to Las Vegas, Nev., for back-to-back major 
championships. Wayne Webb of Columbus, Ohio, will try for his third consecutive 
Senior U.S. Open title June 6-11 at Suncoast Bowling Center on the north side of 
Las Vegas. The following week, Dale Traber of Cedarburg, WI, will try to 
defend his USBC Senior Masters title across town at South Point Bowling Center, 
June 13-18.

The Senior Tour will then go on hiatus until late summer when it returns to the 
Midwest to wrap up its year with the Senior Lake County Indiana Open at Olympia 
Lanes in Hammond, IN, Aug. 9-12; the Senior Decatur Open at Spare Time Lanes 
in Decatur, IL, Aug. 14-17, and the Senior Jackson Open at Airport Lanes in 
Jackson, MI, Aug. 21-24.

PBA SENIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC
Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif., June 1

Championship match
Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev. ($8,000) def. J.P. Muller, Gervais, Ore. ($4,500), 
209-173.

Semifinal Round (losers earn $3,000)
Sylvia def. Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 289-187.
Muller def. Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif., 235-201.

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
Syvia def. Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 2-0.
Painter def. Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 2-1.
Packard def. Paul Danforth, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2-0.
Muller def. Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 2-0.

Round of 16 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
Garr def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3-0.
Sylvia def. Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 3-0.
Painter def. Hugh Miller, Seattle, 3-2.
Chamberlain def. Darryl Traber, Waterford, Wis., 3-1.
Packard def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3-2.
Danforth def. Sam Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 3-1.
Muller def. Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 3-2.
Schlegel def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 3-0.

Round of 24 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,150 each)
Garr def. Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 3-1.
Vazquez def. Dave Flemming, Fairborn, Ohio, 3-0.
Painter def. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3-2.
Chamberlain def. Jim Joy, San Pablo, Calif., 3-0.
Packard def. Rodney Garrick, San Francisco, 3-0.
Ventura def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3-2.
Muller def. Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 3-1.
Schlegel def. Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3-1.

Round of 32 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,050 each)
Foley def. Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 3-0.
Vazquez def. Frank Gallo Jr., Newport News, Va., 3-2.
Dale Traber def. Harley Trumbull, New Boston, Mich., 3-1.
Joy def. Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3-1.
Garrick def. Junichi Yajima, Japan, 3-1.
Venture def. Dan Roberts, Brentwood, Calif., 3-0.
Staikoff def. Ed Silva, Manteca, Calif., 3-2.
Profitt def. Koichiro Tamaki, Japan, 3-0.

Mohr Hanging On to Lead at PBA Senior Northern California Open

Reigning PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, still in search of his first title of the 2010 season, held onto a two-pin lead at the end of qualifying Tuesday in the PBA Senior Northern California Classic at Harvest Park Bowl.

Mohr finished the 16 games of qualifying with a 3,624 total, two pins ahead of four-time PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year Tom Baker of King, NC, as the top 32 players headed into Wednesday’s single-elimination match play finals.

“Moving from pair to pair was really tough today,” Mohr said. “The lane 
conditioning pattern played flatter than it did on Monday. From pair to pair, 
there was maybe a five or six-board difference in ball reaction. But I held on, 
so I’ll have a couple of rounds of byes Wednesday, and then we’ll come back to 
match play and see what happens.”

In standard PBA Senior Tour events, the top eight qualifiers earn byes for the first two best-of-

five-game match play rounds while qualifiers nine through 16 get one bye round.
The entire field will bowl another eight-game qualifying round on Tuesday after which the field will
be cut to the top 32 players who will advance to best-of-five match play beginning Wednesday at
8 a.m. Match play continues all day on Wednesday with the Round of 8 and championship rounds
scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific Time. 

PBA SENIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC
Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif., June 1

SECOND ROUND (16 games)

1, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3,624.
2, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,622.
3, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 3,602.
4, Darryl Traber, Waterford, Wis., 3,556.
5, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 3,497.
6, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,475.
7, Paul Danforth, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3,470.
8, Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 3,465.
9, Dave Flemming, Fairborn, Ohio, 3,457.
10, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,442.
11, J.P. Muller, Gervais, Ore, 3,434.
12, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 3,427.
13, Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 3,424.
14, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 3,411.
15, Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif., 3,399.
16, Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 3,386.
17, Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 3,383.
18, Junichi Yajima, Japan, 3,372.
19, Koichiro Tamaki, Japan, 3,371.
20, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3,357.
21, (tie) Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., and Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 3,348.
23, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 3,341.
24, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 3,337.
25, Frank Gallo Jr., Newport News, Va., 3,335.
26, Dan Roberts, Brentwood, Calif., 3,333.
27, Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 3,331.
28, Harley Trumbull, New Boston, Mich., 3,323.
29, Jim Joy, San Pablo, Calif., 3,322.
30, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3,316.
31, Rodney Garrick, San Francisco, 3,314.
32, Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 3,280.

Failed to advance to match play
*Indicates Super Senior (60 years and older) cashing for $700

33, Chuck Best, Buda, Texas, 3,276, $900.
34, Gregory Waldon, Manhattan, Mont., 3,266, $900.
35, Hirotsugu Kawanishi, Japan, 3,264, $900.
36, Barry Richards, Lodi, Calif., 3,263.
37, (tie) Peter Knopp, Germany, and Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif., 3,260, $700*.
39, Stan Winters, Simi Valley, Calif., 3,253, $700*.
40, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3,251, $700*.
41, Sam Carter, BenLomond, Calif., 3,249.
42, (tie) Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo.; Terry Leong, Las Vegas, and Gary Morgan, Marietta, Ga., 3,247.
45, Bob Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, 3,246.
46, Masato Hanamoto, Japan, 3,243, $700*.
47, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 3,240, $700*.
48, Jim Knoblauch, Waukesha, Wis., 3,236.
49, Scott Hansel, Stockton, Calif., 3,232.
50, Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 3,229.
51, Ty Dawson, Sunnyvale, Calif., 3,227.
52, Gerald Calvin, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 3,214, $700*.
53, Chet Steengrafe, San Martin, Calif., 3,212, $700*.
54, Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3,211.
55, Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 3,209.
56, Dennis Jones, Fremont, Calif., 3,203, $700*.
57, Russ Freeman, Antioch, Ill., 3,201.
58, Fred Cole, Visalia, Calif., 3,195, $700*.
59, Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,186.
60, Bob Puttick, Canada, 3,184.
61, Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 3,179, $700*.
62, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 3,167.
63, (tie) Bill Nichols, Roseville, Calif.; Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., and 
Paul Herrera, San Jose, Calif., 3,156.
66, Dave Bernhardt, Shelby Twp., Mich., 3,149.
67, Larry Galloway, Fresno, Calif., 3,135.
68, Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 3,134.
69, William Shanks, Waipahu, Hawaii, 3,121.
70, Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., 3,110.
71, (tie) Daniel Miner, East Moline, Ill., and Bob Neuerburg, Ceres, Calif., 3,105.
73, Max Shellabarger, Roy, Utah, 3,100.
74, Shannon Starnes, Fort Worth, Texas, 3,094.
75, Rodney Bridgeman, Vallejo, Calif., 3,093.
76, Dave Sill, Cary, Ill., 3,091.
77, Don Lane, San Francisco, 3,090.
78, Wayne Richards, Fernley, Nev., 3,071.
79, Steve Corsaro, Tracy, Calif., 3,064.
80, Dave Schultz, Jackson, Wis., 3,063.
81, Jim Hageman, San Jose, Calif., 3,062.
82, Rodney Tramp, Porterville, Calif., 3,050.
83, Ross Larsen, Riverside, Calif., 3,021.
84, Leo Plaia, New Orleans, 2,991.
85, Lauri Karppala Jr., Folsom, Ca, 2,990.
86, William Keenan Jr., Orlando, Fla., 2,986.
87, Mark McCreary, Livermore, Calif., 2,960.
88, Thomas Goodchild, Fairfield, Calif., 2,937.
89, David Wilson, Reno, Nev, 2,927.
90, Sam Loftus, Stockton, Calif, 2,912.
91, Roger Koplin Jr., Citrus Heights., Calif., 2,911.
92, Robert Maki, Ishpeming, Mich., 2,910.
93, Jerry Stern, Concord, Calif., 2,908.
94, Glenn Masukawa, Henderson, Nev., 2,894.
95, Pete Milkovich, Hercules, Calif., 2,880.
96, Gary Brazell, Atascapero, Calif., 2,864.
97, Van Fenner, Reno, Nev., 2,852.
98, (tie) Bill Likens, Stockton, Calif.; Phil Regan, Alameda, Calif., and John Eberhard, Reno, Nev, 2,831.
101, Kevin Gannon, Lakewood, Calif., 2,797.
102, Andy Anderson, Falls Church, Va., 2,794.
103, Russ Lusch, Morgan Hills, Calif., 2,747.
104, Keith Jones, Brentwood, Calif., 2,700.
105, Paul Plummer, Boise, Idaho, 2,688.
106, Razor Chisolm, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2,555.

Brunswick Adds Three to Pro Staff

Tom Smallwood, Chris Loschetter and Ronnie Russell have joined Brunswick's Pro Staff.  They join other Professional Bowlers Association members Johnny Petraglia, Carmen Salvino, Brad Angelo, Parker Bohn III, and Sean Rash.  

Brunswick's female staffers include: Diandra Asbaty, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, and Stefanie Nation.

Ron Mohr First Round Leader at PBA Senior Northern Californai Classic

Reigning PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, 

averaged 234 to take the first round lead in the PBA Senior Northern California

Classic at Harvest Park Bowl Monday.

Mohr, who is trying for his fourth career title and first of 2010, rolled games 
of 215, 274, 233, 241, 249, 257, 216 and 190 for an eight-game total of 1,875 
pins and a nine-pin lead over Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, MI.

Darryl Traber of Waterford, WI, was third with 1,864 pins followed by Ken 
Croucher of Grants Pass, OR, at 1,832; Ted Staikoff of Black Hawk, SD, at 
1,801, and Senior Tour rookie Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, at 1,776.

Defending champion Dale Traber of Cedarburg, WI, was in 30th place after the 
first eight games.

“It seems like I have a lot of confidence here,” Mohr said. “I made a good guess 
on a ball. I drilled one to get a little stronger reaction on the back end and 
it turned out to be perfect.”

Mohr bowled well in qualifying during the first three Senior Tour events of the 
season, but he had had his problems in match play thus far.

“I can’t make any excuses,” he said. “I just haven’t executed shots when I 
needed them, but last week I bowled in back-to-back regionals in Sun City and 
Flagstaff, AZ, and I won both of them, so hopefully I’m past that match play 
hurdle.”

Sullins, who is trying for his first Senior Tour title since winning the PBA 
Senior World Championship in Detroit last Labor Day weekend, said he made a 

key ball change after his third game, but his success was a matter of “keeping my 
tempo nice and easy, and letting the ball roll.”

It hasn’t been easy, he said, because just before the first tournament of the 
year in Dayton, OH, he tripped over a “Welcome” mat “and almost broke my right 
ankle. It’s still bothering me, but you can’t stop,” he said. “You just wrap it 
up and bowl.”

The entire field will bowl another eight-game qualifying round on Tuesday after 
which the field will be cut to the top 32 players who will advance to 
best-of-five match play beginning Wednesday at 8 a.m. Match play continues all 
day on Wednesday with the Round of 8 and championship rounds scheduled for 5 
p.m. Pacific Time.

PBA SENIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC
Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, CA, May 31

First Round Results (8 games)
1, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 1,875.
2, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 1,866.
3, Darryl Traber, Waterford, Wis., 1,864.
4, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,832.
5, Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 1,801.
6, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,776.
7, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 1,765.
8, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,764.
9, Larry Galloway, Fresno, Calif., 1,753.
10, Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,743.
11, Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 1,735.
12, Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 1,722.
13, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,719.
14, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 1,715.
15, Dave Flemming, Fairborn, Ohio, 1,704.
16, Dennis Jones, Fremont, Calif., 1,700.
17, Gary Morgan, Marietta, Ga., 1,696.
18, Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif., 1,692.
19, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 1,689.
20, (tie) Jim Knoblauch, Waukesha, Wis., and Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 1,688.
22, (tie) Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, and Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 1,687.
24, Jim Joy, San Pablo, Calif., 1,686.
25, Koichiro Tamaki, Japan, 1,685.
26, Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 1,684.
27, (tie) Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Barry Richards, Lodi, Calif., 1,683.
29, Terry Leong, Las Vegas, 1,681.
30, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 1,675.
31, Junichi Yajima, Japan, 1,673.
32, Harley Trumbull, New Boston, Mich., 1,672.
33, J.P. Muller, Gervais, Ore, 1,663.
34, Paul Danforth, Laguna Hills, Calif., 1,655.
35, Stan Winters, Simi Valley, Calif., 1,654.
36, Ty Dawson, Sunnyvale, Calif., 1,653.
37, Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif., 1,649.
38, Bob Puttick, Canada, 1,647.
39, (tie) Hirotsugu Kawanishi, Japan, and Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 1,643.
41, Fred Cole, Visalia, Calif., 1,636.
42, (tie) Kerry Painter, Henderson, NV; Don Lane, San Francisco, & Bob Kelly, Dayton, OH, 1,634.
45, Gregory Waldon, Manhattan, Mont., 1,632.
46, Rodney Bridgeman, Vallejo, Calif., 1,630.
47, Jim Hageman, San Jose, Calif, 1,628.
48, Frank Gallo Jr., Newport News, Va., 1,626.
49, Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 1,622.
50, Masato Hanamoto, Japan, 1,617.
51, (tie) Rodney Garrick, San Francisco, and Scott Hansel, Stockton, Calif., 1,616.
53, Dan Roberts, Brentwood, Calif., 1,612.
54, (tie) Edward Silva, Manteca, CA, and Chet Steengrafe, San Martin, CA, 1,610.
56, Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 1,603.
57, Chuck Best, Buda, Texas, 1,602.
58, (tie) Gerald Calvin, Thousand Oaks, CA, & Shannon Starnes, Fort Worth, TX, 1,597.
60, Peter Knopp, Germany, 1,593.
61, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 1,587.
62, Sam Carter, BenLomond, Calif., 1,586.
63, Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 1,585.
64, (tie) Dave Bernhardt, Shelby Twp., Mich., and Mike Dias, Lafayette, CO., 1,571.
66, (tie) Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., and Paul Herrera, San Jose, Calif., 1,570.
68, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 1,561.
69, Russ Freeman, Antioch, Ill., 1,559.
70, Dave Sill, Cary, Ill., 1,555.
71, Bob Neuerburg, Ceres, Calif., 1,553.
72, Daniel Miner, East Moline, Ill., 1,550.
73, Rohn Morton, Vancouver, Wash., 1,546.
74, Mark McCreary, Livermore, Calif., 1,533.
75, Roger Koplin Jr., Citrus Heights., Calif., 1,532.
76, Robert Maki, Ishpeming, Mich., 1,525.
77, William Shanks, Waipahu, Hawaii, 1,517.
78, (tie) Bill Nichols, Roseville, Calif., and Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,510.
80, Leo Plaia, New Orleans, 1,508.
81, Kevin Gannon, Lakewood, Calif., 1,502.
82, Thomas Goodchild, Fairfield, Calif., 1,496.
83, Rodney Tramp, Porterville, Calif, 1,490.
84, (tie) Steve Corsaro, Tracy, Calif., and Max Shellabarger, Roy, Utah, 1,485.
86, David Wilson, Reno, Nev, 1,479.
87, (tie) Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., and Russ Lusch, Morgan Hills, Calif., 1,475.
89, William Keenan Jr., Orlando, Fla., 1,473.
90, John Eberhard, Reno, Nev, 1,468.
91, Dave Schultz, Jackson, Wis., 1,466.
92, Jerry Stern, Concord, Calif., 1,439.
93, Ross Larsen, Riverside, Calif., 1,436.
94, Sam Loftus, Stockton, Calif, 1,435.
95, Wayne Richards, Fernley, Nev., 1,434.
96, Gary Brazell, Atascapero, Calif., 1,421.
97, Phil Regan, Alameda, Calif., 1,417.
98, Glenn Masukawa, Henderson, Nev., 1,406.
99, Pete Milkovich, Hercules, Calif., 1,400.
100, Van Fenner, Reno, Nev., 1,396.
101, Keith Jones, Brentwood, Calif., 1,352.
102, Lauri Karppala Jr., Folsom, Ca, 1,343.
103, Andy Anderson, Falls Church, Va., 1,337.
104, Paul Plummer, Boise, Idaho, 1,334.
105, Razor Chisolm, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,294.

Riga Kalfas Tops the Field at Regional Players Championships

Riga Kalfas of Florence, KY, revived his game just in time to win the

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Regional Players Championship at

Thunderbowl Lanes Monday.

Kalfas, a 42-year-old truck driver by day and bowling pro shop operator by 
night, defeated Chris Collins of Savannah, GA, 236-216, to complete a 
near-perfect day and claim the $7,500 first prize along with a guaranteed berth 
in the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions, a record $1 million event with a 
$250,000 first prize.

Coming into the Detroit area event, however, Kalfas was on the brink of giving 
up the game.

“Three weeks ago, I was bowling so bad, I didn’t plan on bowling anything,” the 
former PBA Touring Player said. “I felt like the game had passed me by. To win 
this title is unbelievable. I can’t describe how it feels. I’m numb.”

After qualifying fifth in the field of 172 non-exempt PBA members to advance to 
Monday’s single-elimination match play finals, Kalfas lost first game of day, 
254-252, to Bo Goergen of Midland, MI, but he didn’t lose again, winning nine 
consecutive games for the victory. His closest call was a 210-209 squeeker 
against Tommy Gollick of Oberlin, PA, in the semifinal round.

“I was throwing the ball good until toward the end,” he said, “but by the grace 
of God, I held on. I don’t know how.”

The Regional Players Championship is one of two major championships for PBA 
regional competitors, and a win means a paid entry into the Tournament of 
Champions. “I’ll probably bowl that one,” Kalfas said with a relieved laugh. 
“Hopefully this win will loosen up my arm swing a bit.”

The top three qualifiers – No. 1 Jonathan Van Hees of Charlestown, RI; No. 2 
Matt White of Warren, PA, and No. 3 Don Hogue of Akron, OH, were eliminated 
in the opening best-of-five-game match play round. No. 24 seed Chris Hibbitts II 
of Fort Worth, TX, eliminated Van Hees, 3-1; No. 23 Richard Kidd of El Paso, 
IL, ousted White, 3-2, and No. 22 Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, OH, swept Hogue, 
3-0.

PROFESSIONAL BOWLERS TOUR
REGIONAL PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Monday

CHAMPIONSHIP
Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky., ($7,500) def. Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga., 
($4,000), 236-216.

SEMIFINAL ROUND (losers eliminated and earned $2,200)
Kalfas def. Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 210-209.
Collins def. Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, Ohio, 233-153.

ROUND OF 8 (best of 3 games, losers eliminated and earned $1,450)
Gollick def. Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas, 2-1.
Kalfas def. Jeff Hicks, Allen Park, Mich., 2-0.
Zakrajsek def. Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2-1.
Collins def. Troy Stus, South Lyon, Mich., 2-1.

ROUND OF 16 (best of 3 games, losers eliminated and earned $950)
Hibbitts def. Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 2-1.
Gollick def. Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 2-1.
Kalfas def. Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2-0.
Hicks def. Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2-1.
Buss def. Craig Hanson, Orlando, Fla., 2-1.
Zakrajsek def. Michael Gaither, Grain Valley, Mo., 2-1.
Collins def. Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2-0.
Stus def. Richard Kidd, El Paso, Ill., 2-0.

ROUND OF 32 (best of 5 games, losers eliminated and earned $750)
Hibbitts def. Jonathan Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3-1.
Schaub def. JR Raymond, Belleville, Ill., 3-1.
Gollick def. Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas, 3-1.
Poli def. Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 3-1.
Kalfas def. Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., 3-1.
Valenta def. Matt Smallin, Minot, N.D., 3-2.
Sterner def. Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3-2.
Hicks def. Greg Strahora, West Hazelton, Pa., 3-1.
Buss def. Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 3-1.
Hanson def. Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 3-0.
Zakrajsek def. Donald Hogue, Akron, Ohio, 3-0.
Gaither def. Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 3-2.
Himmler def. Tim Behrendt, St. Louis, 3-1.
Collins def. Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 3-2.
Stus def. John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 3-1.
Kidd def. Matt White, Warren, Pa., 3-2.

USBC Creates Scholarship Corporation

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has created a new corporation dedicated to the management, protection and promotion of youth bowling scholarships.

All funds in the USBC SMART (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) program have been transferred to the new entity called SMART Bowling Scholarship Funding Corporation.  This new corporation is financially and legally independent of USBC, but will continue to use the SMART name. All scholarships previously earned through SMART remain in place with all benefits and eligibility protection for recipients continuing.

“Bowling scholarships can be a fantastic way to attract young people to our sport,” USBC President Jeff Bojé said.  “We believe creating an independent corporation supervised by board members with bowling expertise and a financial background will build a new level of trust in SMART and lead to greater attention and growth of youth scholarships.”

The SMART Bowling Scholarship Funding Corporation has three directors on the board: Wally Hall, Pasadena MD, Steve Moehrle, St. Louis, MO. and Sandy Hansell, Southfield, MI. A primary objective for the board will be to use SMART for the nationwide promotion of youth bowling and to strengthen the entire bowling industry.

The SMART program continues to be the only bowling scholarship management program providing full protection of a student-athlete’s eligibility status. Administrative services will continue to be provided by USBC. Scholarship recipients and providers should notice no change in operational procedures related to the program.