PBA World Series Of Bowling Chameleon Open Finalists

International twin-grip players Jason Belmonte of 
Australia and Osku Palermaa of Finland took the top two spots after qualifying 
in the Professional Bowlers Association Chameleon Open Sunday at South Point 
Bowling Center.

Belmonte and Palermaa, the only players to have won a PBA Tour title using a 
two-handed delivery, will advance to the Chameleon Open televised finals which 
will be taped by ESPN at 3 p.m. on Nov. 18.

After 14 games of qualifying in the second tournament of the PBA World Series of 
Bowling, Belmonte, whose PBA title came in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long 
Island Open, led with a 3,308 pinfall total (236.2 average).  Palermaa, who won 
last season's GEICO Shark Championship, finished second with 3,292.

“I was bowling scared yesterday, like I was afraid to make errors which caused 
more errors,” said Belmonte of his disappointing 75th place performance in 
Saturday's Bayer Viper Open. “I was too cautious and I had to make sure to come 
out more aggressive today.

“Today was a new day and generally I had more confidence.  Any time I got into a 
lull or I was cruising I just kept reminding myself not to bowl scared—just grab 
the ball and get it. This is a huge confidence builder for the rest of the 
tournament.”

Also advancing to the Chameleon TV finals were four-time PBA Tour champion Sean 
Rash in third, with a 3,267 total, and Ildemaro Ruiz of Venezuela in fourth with 
3,183 pins.  It will be the second consecutive TV finals for both players who 
also qualified for the Bayer Viper Open finals.

With Rash and Belmonte in the Chameleon finals, a re-match is possible from 
their emotional “bottlegate” confrontation during the GEICO PBA Team Shootout in 
June in Chicago. Both players will also go head-to-head in the World Bowling 
Tour finals which is also part of the World Series of Bowling lineup.

The Chameleon Open is the second leg in the PBA World Championship. In addition 
to competing for a spot in the Chameleon Open finals, all World Series of 
Bowling competitors will bowl two more eight-game qualifying rounds in the PBA’s 
Scorpion and Shark tournaments over the next two days to qualify for the 
eight-game PBA World Championship cashers round.

The top 16 players after 40 games will then advance to the World Championship 
ESPN-taped divisional finals scheduled for Nov. 19 starting at 10:30 a.m.

PBA CHAMELEON OPEN
South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Sunday
(After 14 games; top 4 advance to ESPN finals)

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,308.
2, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,292.
3, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,267.
4, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,183.

DID NOT ADVANCE (after 14 games)
5, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,172, $2,500.
6, John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 3,164, $2,400.
7, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,162, $2,300.
8, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,160, $2,200.
9, Antonio Medina, Louisville, Ky., 3,122, $$2,150.
10, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,121, $2,100.
11, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,113, $2,050.
12, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,108, $2,000.
13, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3,098, $1,950.
14, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,065, $1,900.
15, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 3,044, $1,850.
16, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 2,970, $1,800.

DID NOT ADVANCE (after 8 games)
17, (TIE) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,826, and Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla., 1,826, $1,275.
19, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,825, $1,200.
20, (TIE) Stuart Williams, England, 1,824, and Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,824, $1,135.
22, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,822, $1,100.
23, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,817, $1,090.
24, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,816, $1,080.
25, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,814, $1,070.
26, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 1,812, $1,060.
27, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,810, $1,050.
28, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,804, $1,040.
29, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,799, $1,030.
30, Dom Barrett, England, 1,797, $1,020.
31, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,795, $1,010.
32, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,794, $1,000.
33, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 1,791.
34, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,785.
35, Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 1,784.
36, Chuck Tillson, Rohnert Park, Calif., 1,781.
37, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,773.
38, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,771.
39, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 1,770.
40, (TIE) Ray Eddy III, Saginaw, Mich., and Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 1,769.
42, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,768.
43, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,766.
44, Fawaz Abdullah, Bahrain, 1,765.
45, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,762.
46, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,761.
47, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 1,760.
48, Juhani Tonteri, Finland, 1,758.
49, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,757.
50, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,756.
51, Paola Gomez, Colombia, 1,754.
52, (TIE) Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., and Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,753.
54, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 1,751.
55, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,750.
56, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,749.
57, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,747.
58, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,746.
59, Mathias Arup, Sweden, 1,744.
60, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,741.
61, (TIE) John DeBenedetta Jr., Las Vegas, and Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,737.
63, (TIE) Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., and Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,734.
65, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,731.
66, (TIE) Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., and PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,728.
68, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,727.
69, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 1,726.
70, (TIE) Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,722.
73, Richard Horsley, Morrisville, N.C., 1,717.
74, (TIE) Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., and D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 1,715.
76, Siu Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 1,711.
77, Billy Rogers, Dallas, 1,709.
78, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 1,707.
79, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,705.
80, (TIE) Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., and Jong Soo Park, South Korea, 1,704.
82, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,703.
83, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,702.
84, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,700.
85, Patrick Allen, Baltimore, 1,696.
86, (TIE) Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, and Chris Hayden, Las Vegas, 1,692.
88, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,690.
89, Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 1,684.
90, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,682.
91, Andy Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 1,680.
92, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 1,679.
93, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,675.
94, (TIE) Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., and Paul Moor, England, 1,674.
96, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 1,671.
97, Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif., 1,665.
98, Matthew Thornton, Montgomery, Ill., 1,663.
99, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,660.
100, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,655.
101, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,652.
102, James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 1,650.
103, Zack Hattori, Las Vegas, 1,649.
104, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,646.
105, (TIE) Isaac Amkie Amkie, Mexico, 1,645 and Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,645.
107, Joshua McBride, Wichita, Kan., 1,644.
108, Jaime Gonzalez, Colombia, 1,639.
109, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,638.
110, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,636.
111, (TIE) Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., and Floyd Raymond, Gaylord, Mich., 1,635.
113, (TIE) Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., and Hameed Taqi, Bahrain, 1,633.
115, (TIE) Clara Guerrero, Colombia, Martin Paulsson, Sweden, and Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,631.
118, Robert Piroozshad, Ranch Santa Margarita, Calif., 1,629.
119, Tony Campagna Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn., 1,628.
120, (TIE) John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., and Mike Armstrong Jr., Tucson, Ariz., 1,627.
122, Daniel Falconi, Mexico, 1,625.
123, Kasey Normandin, Canada, 1,622.
124, (TIE) Hyun Bum Kim, South Korea, and Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 1,621.
126, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,620.
127, Carlos Cottone, Venezuela, 1,615.
128, (TIE) Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea, and Ji-Hyun Cha, South Korea, 1,613.
130, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,611.
131, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,603.
132, (TIE) Jimmy Mortensen, Denmark, and Jeff Toyne, Columbia, S.C., 1,602.
134, Rikke Holm Agerbo, Denmark, 1,600.
135, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,599.
136, Kyung-Shin Park, South Korea, 1,598.
137, Erik Andersin, Sweden, 1,597.
138, Will Wells, New Zealand, 1,596.
139, (TIE) Ricky Schissler, Henderson, Colo., and Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.V., 1,594.
141, Yousif Falah, Bahrain, 1,592.
142, Adrian Anderson, Roseburg, Ore., 1,589.
143, Carl Labayan, Long Beach, Calif., 1,588.
144, Mahd Assad, Bahrain, 1,587.
145, (TIE) Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, and Jim Horan, Oakley, Calif., 1,586.
147, Krzysztof Olesinski, Poland, 1,582.
148, Bubba Harrison, Citrus Heights, Calif., 1,580.
149, Kurt Bogner, Longview, Wash., 1,579.
150, (TIE) Alan Mojado, Pala, Calif., and Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,577.
152, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,575.
153, Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 1,566.
154, Howard Partell, Las Vegas, 1,563.
155, Santiago Garcia, Colombia, 1,558.
156, Mohammed Al Swawoosh, Bahrain, 1,557.
157, Robert McBride, Plano, Texas, 1,555.
158, (TIE) Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., Masoud Saberi, Bahrain, and Adam Miller, Charlotte, N.C., 1,552.
161, Jerry Johnson Jr., Las Vegas, 1,550.
162, Jaime Monroy, Colombia, 1,548.
163, Andre Eubanks, Los Angeles, 1,544.
164, Billy Rohde, Marietta, Ga., 1,541.
165, (TIE) Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and William Guszczo, Orland Park, Il., 1,532.
167, Jimmy Smith, Puyallup, Wash., 1,525.
168, (TIE) Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, and Michael Ciardulli Jr., Valley Stream, N.Y., 1,522.
170, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,521.
171, Mark Fennell, Seattle, 1,520.
172, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,517.
173, Kenneth Bland Jr., Germany, 1,515.
174, Darrell Gilbert Jr., Valparaiso, Ind., 1,506.
175, Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, 1,502.
176, Eric Malone, Brewster, N.Y., 1,501.
177, Toni Palermaa, Finland, 1,485.
178, (TIE) Sean Mamlok, San Jose, Calif., and Jason Miller, Portland, Ore., 1,479.
180, Adam Monks, San Diego, 1,476.
181, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,475.
182, Steve Cook, Granite Bay, Calif., 1,470.
183, David Peterson, Plano, Texas, 1,462.
184, (TIE) Frank Boyer, Lebanon, Pa. and Jorge Tello, Colombia, 1,446.
186, Miroslaw Pajak, Poland, 1,444.
187, Chad Lusche, Arvada, Colo., 1,442.
188, Travis Thomas, Lumberton, N.C., 1,434.
189, Rachel Vaughn, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1,430.
190, Chuck Galaviz, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1,422.
191, Kevin Prior, Allen, Texas, 1,416.
192, Brett Cooper, Fort Worth, Texas, 1,413.
193, Chris Helton, Fountain, Colo., 1,405.
194, Rickey Smith, Gulf Breeze, Fla., 1,394.
195, Don Mathey, Turlock, Calif., 1,391.
196, Sam Grihm, Portland, Ore., 1,388.
197, David Meadows, Houston, 1,379.
198, Steve Ford, Seaside, Ore., 1,365.
199, J.T. Jackson, Tarzana, Calif., 1,352.
200, Dwight Tincher, Perris, Calif., 1,344.
201, Courtney Miller, Charleston, S.C., 1,340.
202, Tyler Johnson, Surprise, Ariz., 1,329.
203, Mathew Tabor, Cooperstown, N.Y., 1,326.
204, Adam James, Redmond, Wash., 1,274.

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING LEADERS
(After 16 of 32 games)

1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,931.
2, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,751.
3, Dom Barrett, England, 3,720.
4, Stuart Williams, England, 3,713.
5, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,708.
6, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 3,703.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,675.
8, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3,662.
9, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 3,659.
10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,658.
11, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,644.
12, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,643.
13, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,628.
14, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 3,625.
15, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3,623.
16, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,613.

Hammer and Savebowling.com

Tommy Jones Wins PBA All-In Showdown

Thirteen-time Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour champion Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, survived three tension-filled matches to win the $45,000 jackpot in the winner-take-all BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown Friday at South Point Bowling Center. 

Jones defeated four-time PBA Tour titlist Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, 446-426, in the two-game final match. After Jones got off to a 245-214 lead after the first game, Rash made a run in the second game defeating Jones 212-201. Needing a double in the 10th frame, Rash left a solid nine pin on the first ball and couldn’t erase the 31-pin deficit. 

As a prelude to the PBA World Series of Bowling, All-In Showdown entrants Jones, Rash, Chris Barnes, Bill O’Neill, Chris Warren, Brian Himmler, Ronnie Russell and Joe Paluszek each put up $5,000 in the elimination-style special event streamed live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame which also paid a $5,000 bonus provided by event sponsor BowlersDeals.com. 

“For the first two matches your mindset is to survive to the next round but that changes when you get to the final match, and then it turns to do what you have to win,” said the 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year. “There was a lot of money on the line here but believe it or not my mindset is to just win whether it’s a format like this or a PBA final." 

The All-In Showdown consisted of three two-game matches with the top four from the first round advancing to the second round and the top two from the second round advancing to the title match. 

In the first round Jones (494), Rash (485), Russell, (483) and Barnes (448) advanced to the second round with Jones bowling a 503 pinfall and Rash 467 to advance to the title match. 

The 17-day World Series of Bowling begins Saturday with the Bayer Viper Championship. PBA.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel will provide more than 100 hours of coverage during the World Series. 

For Xtra Frame subscription information visit www.xtraframe.tv. BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, 

Friday Round 1 Results (Two-game pinfall totals. Top four advanced to second round) 
1, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 494 
2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 485 
3, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 483 
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 448 
5, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 437 
6, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 427 
7, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 415 
8, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 382 

Round 2 Results (Top two advanced to final match) 
1, Jones, 503 2, Rash, 467 3, Russell, 450 4, Barnes, 442 

Final match Jones ($45,000) def. Rash, 446-426

Ebonite Introduces the new Elevate

The new Ebonite Elevate combines the all new Purple Navy Yellow “Traxion Reactive HYBRID .030” coverstock (finished 800 Abranet, 1000, 2000 Abralon and polished with Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish), with the newly redesigned “V5” core (Radius of Gyration (RG) – 2.50 and RG Differential of .051) in a mid price product. Elevate will be available at pro shops worldwide on December 1, 2011

Walter Ray Is Back With Brunswick

PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. — the winningest player in pro bowling history — has joined the Brunswick Pro Staff (again).

Williams adds his name to a team that includes Parker Bohn III, Ryan Ciminelli, Chris Loschetter, Sean Rash and Tom Smallwood. 

“It’s nice to be back with Brunswick,” said Williams. “It is also great to know that they have confidence in me to be a part of their team. So far, I’ve bowled very well with all of the Brunswick balls I’ve been using. I have had the highest average in my last three PBA tournaments using Brunswick balls, and am looking forward to continued great bowling with them.”

Williams was a Brunswick Pro Staff member previously from early 1995 to late December 2000.

“Brunswick is very excited to welcome Walter Ray back to our Pro Staff,” said Nick Stickler, Vice President Consumer and After-Market Products. “We have a great line-up of bowlers on tour, and we look forward to a great season.”

More bowling news at: www.revbowl.com

The Players Make Plans for The World Series of Bowling

Experienced players who return to a specific baseball field, golf course or bowling center are always prepared to deal with the unique playing surfaces or scoring environment of the host facility.

That conclusion applies to the field of Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and international players who are about to descend on South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas for the 2011 renewal of the PBA World Series of Bowling, which gets underway Friday.

For bowlers who competed in the WSOB a year ago at South Point, the expectation is “friction.” In bowling context, that means lane surfaces combined with high-performance bowling balls will result in lots of hook. Even with a unique application of lane conditioner freshly applied to the lanes for every squad, every day, the heavy traffic of more than 200 bowlers bowling lots of games will result in more and more ball movement as each round progresses.

Developing strategies for attacking the variety of lane conditioning patterns and the transition of oil as the day moves along are critical aspects of professional bowling. Every experienced player will arrive at South Point with an arsenal of bowling balls designed to react differently, depending upon the lane conditioning pattern, angle of attack and how much the various “lane oil” patterns will change as each round progresses. It’s always a guessing game, but at the professional level, the bowler who makes the best educated decisions usually comes out ahead of the curve.

While format changes for this year’s World Series have been modified so that all events will be contested on freshly-oiled lanes, and fewer games per day are involved, the fundamental challenges from a year ago remain in place.

What did returning players learn about South Point a year ago that is helping them prepare for 2011?

● “The one thing I remember from last year is that South Point hooks,” said 16-time PBA Tour title winner Jason Couch of Clermont, FL. “I have drilled some weaker balls to combat the friction.”

● “There seemed to be more friction (at South Point) than I would have thought, so I'm hoping to have a little different arsenal with me that will hopefully make me much more competitive this time around,” said two-time PBA Tour winner Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, NY. “I wasn't bowling well coming into the World Series last year and so far I feel a little better about my game than I did last year at this time.”

● “South Point last year had a lot of friction, but every year the patterns are a little different and the field of players is different and normally better prepared as well,” said Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, a four-time PBA Tour title winner who made two WSOB finals in 2010. “Knowing that I had a lot of success last year in that building will help me. I also have been bowling all over the world to prepare myself for the WSOB and when I’m home, I practice shooting a lot of spares and using different hand positions to be able to play every part of the lane.”

● “Unfortunately I didn't take notes last year,” said 2010 PBA World Champion Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, MI. “Pair to pair they were pretty different, so Team Brunswick is getting there a few days early and we WILL be taking notes on every pair we bowl on.”

● “Every time I've been out on Tour I've learned a lot,” said Sweden’s Martin Larsen, a first-time PBA Tour exempt player. “It’s tough to point at one or two things, but the lanes at South Point got very dry last year. If that happens again, I hope I can do better in the late games.”

● “The one thing I learned was if you find a ball layout that will work on one of the patterns, then more than likely it will work on all of them,” said Canadian citizen Dan MacLelland, who made two WSOB TV finals in 2010 in his quest for his first PBA Tour title. “The lanes are going to hook, so we also have to prepare ourselves for playing deep and lofting the ball.”

● “I became more comfortable with the lanes and how they played. I had a good reaction most of the time last year, and my carry was good,” said Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio. “All I have to do is keep an eye on who I'm following and make good decisions.”

● “I'm hoping to start strong with patterns that suit my game, like the Viper and Chameleon,” said Colombia’s Andres Gomez, “and then make the right adjustments for the last two patterns (Scorpion and Shark) where last year I didn't show my best game. We all know how much friction there is. I certainly wouldn't mind if the lanes hook a lot!”

● “I plan on doing the same thing I did last year: grind out the tough pairs and hammer the pairs that give me a little something,” said three-time PBA Tour winner Bill O’Neill. “I learned that after a few games, using a lot of angle through the front worked out pretty good. That has been a part of my game that has improved tremendously over the past couple of years. Hopefully for me that house tendency continues.”

● “I didn’t really bowl very well last year, so hopefully I will make much better shots and make better decisions on how to play the lanes,” said PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL.

● “Last year I definitely learned the way the house wants to play the pattern and I will be using that knowledge to my advantage,” said Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, CA, who won his first title in the Chameleon Open on his way to winning PBA Rookie of the Year honors. “But I fully expect everyone else to have learned as well. The fields continue to get stronger as people adapt and learn with each new experience, so it makes winning not only that much harder, but that much more rewarding when it happens.”

● “Most people are just trying to not get mauled by the format,” said Dick Allen of Columbia, SC. “If you are a bowler, it doesn’t matter. Over preparing and trying to do more than you are capable of will usually get you in trouble physically. Once you get in trouble (at South Point), it goes to your head, so I probably won’t bowl for two weeks before we start. I’ll just wing it when I get there.”

● “What I learned from last year's competition is to stay healthy and fit,” said Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas. “Endurance is what you need when bowling that many games in such a short time. Concentration is a big factor. Make sure you focus on the patterns. With so many different (lane conditioning) patterns, it can boggle the mind.”

● “I learned I’ll need to play farther to the right, and make one shot at a time,” said first-year PBA Tour exempt player Johnathan Bower of Middletown, PA. “And I learned to make sure to never give up.”

● “Last year was a grind,” said Wayne Garber of Modest, CA. “Bowling one squad per day is a relief. Bowling more on fresh oil will be better for me. I’ve had some success at South Point in PBA regional tournament, but I’m oh-for the past two World Series in making cuts, so that's my number one goal. You gotta walk before you can run.”

● “What I focus on are the things I can control and the knowledge that regardless of the format, bowling is the same everywhere: 10 pins up, my job is to knock them down,” said two-time PBA Tour titlist Mike DeVaney of Murrieta, CA. “Simplify the game and your chances at success are vastly increased. What I learned at South Point last year is knowledge I plan to use to my advantage and not something that needs to be made public. I have no interest in sharing any information with the competition.”

● “Speed rules at the South Point,” said PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke. “Because of the extra friction in the front part of the lane, balls tend to slow down quicker than normal and it’s the players who can get good movement on their shots while keeping their speed up that will do well because speed keeps the pins lively and the carry percentage is better.”

The third annual PBA World Series of Bowling gets underway Friday with an eight-player, winner-take-all $45,000 BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown that will be webcast live on pba.com’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. Participants will include Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas; Chris Warren, Grants Pass, OR; Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, PA; Brian Himmler, Cincinnati; Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis; Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Il, and Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, SC.

Qualifying in the Bayer Viper Open, the first of eight events that will award PBA Tour titles during the two-week festival, gets underway on Saturday, Nov. 5. For a complete World Series schedule, visit pba.com.

Xtra Frame will provide more than 100 hours of exclusive live online coverage during the World Series. For subscription information, including special one-day and WSOB packages, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Castillo, Roberts, Preble Win Regional Titles

Dino Castillo of Carrollton, Texas, won only six of his 12 matches, but that was enough to hold off amateur Erik Vermilyea of Mansfield, Texas, to win his third PBA Regional title in the PBA Southwest Region Dallas Open, presented by Dallas Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons, at AMF Richardson Lanes in Richardson, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 16. Castillo clinched the see-saw battle with a 204-165 win over Vermilyea in their position round match.

In the PBA South Region, Kip Roberts of Glenallen, VA, went 11-5 in match play and finished with a 24-game total of 5,981 pins to win the Franklin (VA) Open at Franklin Bowling Center Sunday by 44 pins over PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, NC. Roberts earned $2,000 along with his 13th career regional title.

In the PBA West Region, Chris Preble of Clovis, CA, had a 6-2 match play record and compiled 3,834 pins over 16 games, including match play bonus pins, to top qualifier Dave Wodka of Chatsworth, CA, by 93 pins in the Spalding C. Wathen Memorial at Cedar Lanes in Fresno, CA. Prebel won the standard division first prize of $2,500.

In the senior division of the Wathan Memorial, Marv Sargent of Temecula, CA, posted a 6-2 record and a 3,674 pinfall total to top Kerry Painter of Henderson, NV, by 36 pins for the $1,500 first prize.

 

Over the Oct. 28-29 weekend, the final weekend of PBA Regional competition before the PBA World Series of Bowling gets underway in Las Vegas, the PBA Midwest Region will host a pair of one-day senior events – the Viper Senior Open and Cheetah Senior Open – at Lancer Lanes in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the PBA Southwest will conduct the Odessa (Texas) Open at Diamond Lanes, and the PBA West/Northwest Regions will conduct the Sands Regency Casino Non-Champions and Open events at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno.

All PBA Regional competitors earn qualifying points through Feb. 26 for the 2012 Dick Weber PBA Playoffs. The top 16 points leaders in the PBA’s East, South, Central, Midwest, Southwest and West/Northwest Regions will earn berths in the new Xtra Frame Tour event which will be held March 30-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

All first-time PBA Regional title winners also become eligible for the season-ending PBA Tournament of Champions.

For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.