Beginning with the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling in suburban Detroit
last August, and continuing through the conclusion of the 2009-10 season in
April, the PBA recorded 2,252,773 unique visitors, beginning with a 58 percent
increase in traffic in August compared to the same period in 2008.
PBA.com’s biggest single day was Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 – the day Kelly Kulick
made sports history by winning the PBA Tournament of Champions. Kulick’s victory
led to 50,647 unique visits that day.
Other major gains were recorded for January, February and March – including a
significant spike during the USBC Masters when pba.com offered its
subscriber-based Xtra Frame video streaming content on a “free preview” basis.
More than 30,000 unique visitors watched all or part of the Masters. Additional
high-traffic days were Sunday, Feb. 28, when Bill O’Neill won the Lumber
Liquidators U.S. Open, and Sunday, March 28, when amateur Brian Zeisig won the
GEICO Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship.
Individually, seven-time PBA Player of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr. is
pba.com’s “most sought after” player with 23,575 page views. Chris Barnes is
second with 15,816 followed by Pete Weber (15,436), Kulick (14,898), Norm Duke
(11,896), Parker Bohn III (9,173), Patrick Allen (9,062), Jason Belmonte
(8,970), Wes Malott (8,723) and Tommy Jones (7,938).
“The PBA has made a number of additions and improvements to pba.com to inform,
entertain and educate PBA fans,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark. “The
site was re-designed to provide an attractive new design that’s easy on the eye
and easy to navigate. It includes video and written content, interactivity and
use of photography to capitalize on the great action the players provided for us
during this past season.
"One of the most significant advances has been the re-introduction of Xtra Frame
as essentially the PBA Network,” Clark added. “Xtra Frame provided its
subscribers with insight into the PBA that was not available anywhere else. It
included exclusive event coverage, interviews, bowling equipment discussion and
explanations, instructional tips and a great deal more. The dramatic changes to
Xtra Frame resulted in 120 percent growth in subscribers since August of 2009.”
Clark noted, however, that pba.com will continue to expand features for the
bowling public. PBA.com already includes live scoring while tournaments are
underway, player bios including complete year-by-year career histories for
exempt players, several weekly blogs, a discussion forum and built-in comment
features for fans, "In The News" links to PBA in the media, tournament
information, free videos plus Xtra Frame.
More is on the planning board, Clark said. The PBA IT staff is currently
restoring the archive of PBA Tour statistics and results dating back to the
formation of the PBA; improving integration of social networking and search
functions; working on an all-new design, customer interface and video delivery
system for Xtra Frame, and upgrading on-line access to PBA records and
statistics which will be updated as they change.
“PBA.com is an integral part of the PBA’s international communications network,”
Clark said. “PBA fans around the world, young and old, male and female, have
made pba.com what it is today.”
The international bowling community makes up about 16.5 percent of pba.com’s
audience, Clark noted.
"The clock is ticking on the new Time Bomb and it's ready to explode," says Lane #1's Kevin Fox. "With our all new “Hour Glass” inverted diamond core, and our explosive "Pure Explosion" coverstock (in Camouflage Green/Brown), the Time Bomb is loaded with power." 15# RG: 2.571, Differential: .055.Using the same ball and playing the right lane from an extreme outside angle and the left lane much farther inside, Williams defeated reigning Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle, River, Alaska, 198-181, to also win his third career Senior Tour title. “I’m comfortable playing anywhere on the lane even in a one-game match, from the gutter to the sixth or seventh arrow,” said the 52-year-old Williams. “I wasn’t getting one good reaction on the championship pair so I practiced hitting the two- or three-board on the right lane and the third arrow on the left. My goal in practice is to focus on finding that one area of the lane that will get me to the pocket.” Williams, of Beaumont, Texas, advanced to the championship match by defeating fellow Hall of Famer Dave Ferraro of Kingston, N.Y., in the semi-final 221-188. The demanding Senior U.S. Open lane conditions and format were well-suited for Williams who bowled two 300 games, the only perfect games of the tournament. “If I could design a tournament for the way I bowl, this would be it so I had a lot of confidence,” said Williams who earned $15,000 for the win. “I like a longer format and I don’t mind playing different areas of the lane.” Williams, who finished third in last year's Senior U.S. Open, also owns seven
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titles including the 1985 and 1988 PBA
Tournament of Champions. Williams impressed a lot people with the way he played the championship pair,
especially Mohr.
“All I can say is that I’m very impressed—he did a phenomenal job,” Mohr said.
Mohr’s second-place finish broke a match play drought where he had not won a
match in the first four tournaments of the season.
“Obviously I’m disappointed I didn't win but I’m encouraged with how I bowled
overall here,” Mohr said. “I won some big matches to get this far. Hopefully
I’ve turned the corner for the rest of the season.”
In the opening match, Ferraro defeated amateur and former touring player Don
Moser of Murrieta, Calif., who was also competing in his first Senior Tour
event, 194-177.
The U.S. Open format is one of the most demanding in the sport. To get to the
championship round a bowler must advance through four qualifying rounds and
three-match play rounds for a total of 51 games.
The Senior Tour moves across town for the second major of the season, the USBC
Senior Masters at South Point Bowling Center June 13-18.
2010 PBA SENIOR U.S. OPEN
Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Friday
Final Standings
1, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas 419 (two games) $15,000.
2, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska 181 (one game) $8,500.
3, Dave Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y. 382 (two games) $7,000.
4, Don Moser, Murrieta, Calif. 177 (one game) $5,000.
Stepladder Results
Match One – Ferraro def. Moser, 194-177; Semifinal match – Williams def. Ferraro, 221-188;
Championship – Williams def. Mohr, 198-181.
SEVENTH ROUND (51 games)
(Includes match play record, total pins and money earned. Top four advance to championship round)
1, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 18-6, 11,742.
2, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 16-8, 11,704.
3, Dave Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 16-8, 11,687.
4, Don Moser, Murrieta, Calif., 11-11-2, 11,376.
5, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 13-10-1, 11,364, $4,000.
6, Bob Handley, Winter Park, Fla., 16-8, 11,353, $3,400.
7, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 9-13-2, 11,351, $3,100.
8, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 13-11, 11,232, $2,800.
9, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 11-11-2, 11,220, $2,500.
10, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 13-10-1, 11,206, $2,300.
11, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 14-10, 11,199, $2,200.
12, Koichiro Tamaki, Japan, 16-8, 11,157, $2,100.
13, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 9-15, 11,155, $2,000.
14, Dennis Psaropoulos, Lake Worth, Fla., 15-8-1, 11,122, $1,900.
15, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 12-12, 11,115, $1,850.
16, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 14-8-2, 11,062, $1,800.
17, Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 12-12, 10,988, $1,750.
18, Nick Morgan, Sacramento, Calif., 9-14-1, 10,949, $1,700.
19, Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 8-16, 10,687, $1,650.
20, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 11-13, 10,664, $1,600.
21, Russ Freeman, Antioch, Ill., 7-17, 10,606, $1,575.
22, Bill Spigner, Vernon Hills, Ill., 8-16, 10,597, $1,550.
23, Rick Pollard, Versailles, Ind., 7-17, 10,468, $1,525.
24, Jorge Gutierrez, Las Cruces, N.M., 4-20, 10,086, $1,500.
300 Games - Mark Williams (2)
In addition to gripping tape, shoe brushes and rosin bags, Lumber Liquidators
PBA Tour stars gearing up for the GEICO Team Shootout at Six Flags Great
Adventure in Jackson, N.J., June 11-12, will accessorize with sun screen,
Bermuda shorts and sunglasses for bowling in the great outdoors.
The first “Manufacturers’ Cup” competition will feature all-star teams
representing Brunswick, Ebonite International, 900 Global and Storm Products in
a round-robin series of Baker team matches. The summer series, bowled outdoors
on specially-constructed lanes, will air on ESPN on June 27 (starting at 2:30
p.m. Eastern), July 3 (3 p.m.), July 4 (2 p.m.) and July 11 (1:30 p.m.). Mike
Jakubowski, better known to pba.com’s Xtra Frame fans as Mike J. Laneside, will
call the action along with color analyst Randy Pedersen. Rob Stone, the PBA
Tour’s regularly-scheduled announcer, is on assignment covering FIFA World Cup
soccer.
Teams will include: Brad Angelo, Parker Bohn III, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Johnny
Petraglia and Sean Rash bowling for Brunswick; Chris Barnes, Jason Couch, Mike
Fagan, Tommy Jones, Bill O’Neill and Mike Scroggins bowling for Ebonite
International; Michael Haugen Jr., Steve Jaros, Robert Smith, Brian Voss and
Walter Ray Williams Jr., bowling for 900 Global, and Jason Belmonte, Norm Duke,
Brian Kretzer, Wes Malott, Rhino Page and Pete Weber bowling for Storm.
Dorin-Ballard, Couch, Williams and Duke will conclude the week by participating
in a “Walk in the Park” on Sunday, June 13, at Six Flags to raise money to
benefit Cure Kids Cancer and Children’s Miracle Network. If you would like to
make a tax-deductible contribution on behalf of your favorite PBA star, there’s
still time. Visit walkintheparks.org and click the "Support A Walker" button.