Canadian Rookie Graham Fach Takes Early Second Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship

by Bill Vint February 17, 2016 05:46

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Graham Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander from Gulph, Ontario, bowling in his second Professional Bowlers Association Tour event, averaged 248.38 to charge into the early second round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl Wednesday.

Fach (pronounced “faw”) fired games of 276, 227, 195, 289, 235, 256, 245 and 247 during Wednesday’s second round to finish with 3,974 pins to overtake first-round leader Sam Cooley of Australia by 56 pins. PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., was third among the B Squad players. Squad A, the second half of the 122-player field, bowled its second eight-game round later Wednesday.

Fach, who finished 171st in the field of 417 players in his PBA debut in last week’s United States Bowling Congress Masters, entered the day in second place, 47 pins behind Cooley.

“After the Masters, I was a little upset; I thought I bowled well and didn’t get a check,” Fach said. “Today I felt pretty comfortable the whole day. I’m just trying to stay on the high from day one.”

Fach, a member of Canada’s national bowling team, said, “I’ve bowled some pretty big amateur tournaments that were kinda similar in format, but this is the first time with this caliber of players, this much talent. It makes you want to strike a lot more because you know they’re going to.

“The biggest part for me is, no matter what pair you look at, there’s a big name professional. When you start anything as a rookie, you want to make a good impression. Fortunately, my impression here was better than the Masters, where I was barely in the top half of the field. I got comfortable with my ball motion, and it let me play to my strength and I didn’t have to worry about that.

“Today just means I’ve proven to myself I can compete with the guys I grew up watching. My goals are to make some money, make the cut to match play, make the show and win a title. I think I’ve two of them so far.”

The 2015 graduate of Ohio’s Urbana University, where he got his degree in sports management, said he’s well aware no Canadian has ever won a PBA Tour title.

“Yup, I’m aware. Every time Dan MacLelland has made a show, the point is made,” Fach said of the Windsor, Ontario native and former Saginaw Valley State All-American who has made nine PBA television shows without winning a title. “The fact that he hasn’t won yet indicates how tough this Tour is.”

The PBA Players Championship continues with an eight-game qualifying round for A Squad Wednesday night. After 16 games, the top 36 players will advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday to determine the 24 players who will advance to round-robin match play beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday. The final two match play rounds begin at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday

Early Second Round Standings (top 25 after 16 games, B Squad only; A Squad bowls its second round at 4 p.m. ET)

1, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,974.
2, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,918.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,848.
4, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,830.
5, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,806.
6, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,804.
7, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3,781.
7, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,781.
9, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,777.
10, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,755.
11, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 3,735.
12, Dom Barrett, England, 3,727.
13, f-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,722.
14, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,710.
15, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,681.
16, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,654.
17, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,642.
18 (tie), Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., and Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 3,636.
20, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,629.
21, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,616.
22, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,611.
23, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,610.
24, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,607.
25, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,581.

f-denotes female

300 Games: Tom Ness, Kyle Troup.

Australia’s Sam Cooley Takes First Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship over HOF Trio

by Bill Vint February 16, 2016 06:05

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sam Cooley, a 25-year-old Australian who made his Professional Bowlers Association debut in the PBA Fall Classic in Las Vegas in October, out-scored a little-known Canadian, a ranking international star and a trio of PBA Hall of Famers to take the first round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship Tuesday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.

Cooley, who has yet to qualify for a PBA stepladder finals, averaged 256.38 Tuesday behind games of 257, 300, 279, 209, 236, 266, 226 and 278 for an eight-game total of 2,051 pins to take a 47-pin lead over 35-time titlist Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J. and Canadian Graham Fach, who shared second place with 2,004 pins. England’s Dom Barrett, a four-time PBA Tour winner including the 2012 PBA World Championship, was fourth with 1,999 pins, just ahead of 37-time PBA Tour champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo. (1,983 pins); and 38-time winner Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla. (1,953 pins).

Cooley, a member of Australia’s national team, admitted he has been a little star-struck bowling with and against the PBA greats in his limited career, but “now I’m watching these guys a little, and it’s a matter of ‘wow, Pete’s bowling a good game…and now it’s my turn to bowl.’ I’m not dwelling on it.

“It’s good to be ahead of them, but tomorrow’s a new day. In my previous tournaments I’ve had really good starts and I tend to get carried away with things. I’m learning that each day is its own tournament. You have to take each day on its own. You can start good, catch a bad pair of lanes and it plays on my mind. I have to learn to focus on not worrying about scores, but making good shots all of the time.”

Among the early leaders, Weber is the only player who has previously won the PBA Players Championship (1992). With the tournament returning to major championship status this year, Weber, 53, has a chance to win an 11th career major and break his tie with Earl Anthony for the all-time PBA record.

Duke, 51, has a chance to add the only title he needs to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of PBA major titles. He has already won the U.S. Open, PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA World Championship and United States Bowling Congress Masters. A fifth different major in the PBA Players Championship would match a feat only fellow hall of famer Mike Aulby has accomplished.

But Weber, who hobbled into the bowling center after an acupuncture treatment for a lingering hip injury, and Duke, who has been battling a chronic pinched nerve issue in his neck, need to stay healthy.

“I trained really well coming into this swing (of three consecutive major championships),” Duke said. “I was strong, I was ready, but I tweaked my neck a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been trying to get myself healthy to make good shots. I figure if I can keep my health together, I like my chances. I still feel like I’m very good, but I have to stay healthy.”

The PBA Players Championship continues with second eight-game qualifying round for all players Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. The top 36 players after 16 games will then advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday. Based on 24-game pinfall totals, the top 24 players will advance to eight-game round-robin match play rounds at 5 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Immediately following Sunday’s live Barbasol PBA Players Championship finals at 3 p.m. ET, ESPN will air the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The WBT finals will feature three men (England’s Dom Barrett, Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Mike Fagan of Berkley, Calif.) and three women (Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J.; Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y.) in stepladder finals which will be contested using an experimental World Bowling scoring system.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday

First Round Standings (after 8 games)

1, Sam Cooley, Australia, 2,051.
2 (tie), Graham Fach, Ontario, Canada, and Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,004.
4, Dom Barrett, England, 1,999.
5, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,983.
6, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,953.
7, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,944.
8, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 1,939.
9, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,927.
10 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 1,926.
12, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,920.
13, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 1,905.
14, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,896.
15, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,893.
16, Mike Eaton Jr., Cincinnati, 1,892.
17, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 1,884.
18, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,883.
19 (tie), Jason Belmonte, Australia; Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; f-Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Ronnie Sparks Jr., Ecorse, Mich., 1,881.
23, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,877.
24, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,874.
25, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,871.
26, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,867.
27, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,863.
28, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,856.
29, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,852.
30, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,850.
31, Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 1,847.
32, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 1,845.
33, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,844.
34, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,842.
35, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,841.
36, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,840.
37, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,835.
38 (tie), Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., and Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,829.
40, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,828.
41, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 1,825.
42, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 1,824.
43, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 1,823.
44, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,822.
45, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,820.
46, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 1,819.
47, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,812.
48, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,807.
49, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 1,804.
50 (tie), Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 1,799.
52, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,798.
53, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,796.
54, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 1,795.
55, David Simard, Quebec, Canada, 1,793.
56, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,783.
57, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,780.
58, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,777.
59, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,776.
60, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,774.
61, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,771.
62, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,765.
63, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,762.
64 (tie), Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., and David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,754.
66, f-Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 1,751.
67, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,750.
68, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,749.
69, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,745.
70, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,744.
71, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,739.
72 (tie), Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C.; Manuel Otalora, Colombia, and Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,735.
75, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,728.
76, Jaime Gonzalez, Colombia, 1,724.
77 (tie), Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., and Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,720.
79, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,712.
80, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 1,705.
81, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,700.
82, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,699.
83, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,694.
84, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 1,693.
85, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,691.
86, f-Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam, N.Y., 1,683.
87, f-Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,682.
88 (tie), Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., and Sean Johnson, Moundsville, W.V., 1,675.
90, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 1,672.
91 (tie), Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., and Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 1,668.
93, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 1,663.
94, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,661.
95, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 1,660.
96, Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 1,658.
97, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 1,656.
98, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,652.
99, Brandon Dye, Columbus, 1,650.
100, Stuart Williams, England, 1,649.
101, Terrance Bright, Atlanta, 1,645.
102, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,639.
103, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 1,638.
104, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,626.
105 (tie), f-Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., and Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,616.
107, f-Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,614.
108, Anthony Kennard, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,608.
109, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,597.
110, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 1,587.
111, Frankie Mazzella, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,565.
112, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 1,551.
113, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 1,544.
114, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 1,535.
115, Chris Colella, Templeton, Mass., 1,525.
116, Brad Miller, Maryland Hts, Mo., 1,512.
117, Mark Nance Sr., Grove City, Ohio, 1,495.
118, Frank Bellavia Jr., Niagara Falls, N.Y., 1,467.
119, James Owens, Vernon, N.Y., 1,413.
120, Larry Helton, Bolingbrook, Ill., 1,396.

300 Games: Stuart Williams, Anthony Pepe, Sam Cooley, Andres Gomez

Norm Duke Rolls into Early First Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship

by Bill Vint February 16, 2016 06:05

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., rolled into the early first round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship Tuesday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, averaging 244.3 in his bid to add the only title he needs to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of PBA major titles.

Duke, a 38-time PBA Tour title winner, has already won the U.S. Open, PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA World Championship and United States Bowling Congress Masters – joining fellow hall of famer Mike Aulby as PBA’s only Grand Slam winners. Aulby, who won the Players Championship in 1996, is the only “Super Slam” winner.

Duke, at age 51, rolled games of 258, 278, 296, 227, 248, 213, 254 and 279 Tuesday to take a nine-pin lead over Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., among the early leaders. The second half of the field of 122 PBA members bowled its first round later Tuesday.

For Duke, the opening round was mostly about the state of his health.

“This swing (of three consecutive major championships) has been more about my health. I trained really well coming into the swing. I was strong, I was ready, but I tweaked my neck a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been trying to get myself healthy to make good shots,” he said. “I figured if I could keep my health together, I liked my chances. I still feel like I’m very good, but I have to stay healthy.”

Duke has battled a chronic pinched nerve issue in his neck for 10 years. “When I get it quieted down, I feel normal.”

Getting off to a good start hasn’t inspired Duke to think too far ahead, however.

“You know in two games you can drop off the deep end. What you want to go now is separate yourself from the field to make sure you’re locked into that top 24,” he said. “At t this point it’s fish stories until you get to the end. You want to have some room in case there’s a hiccup along the way.”

Winning a major missing from his portfolio is also something Duke is aware of, but isn’t dwelling on.

“I never realized the Players Championship was ever a major,” Duke said, “but if it was, it needs to be a major again. It needs to be consistent, so I certainly supported that.

“And if we could stop the tournament right now…” he grinned, leaving the conclusion unspoken.

The PBA Players Championship continues with an eight-game qualifying round for B Squad Tuesday night and another full eight-game round for all players Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. The top one-third of the field after 16 games will advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday. After 24 games, the top 24 players will advance to eight-game round-robin match play rounds at 5 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $50,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday

Early First Round Standings (after 8 games, Squad A only; Squad B bowls its first round at 4 p.m. EST)

1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,953.
2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,944.
3, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,926.
3, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 1,926.
5, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,920.
6, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 1,905.
7, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,896.
8, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,893.
9, f-Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,881.
10, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,874.
11, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,867.
12, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,863.
13, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,850.
14, Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 1,847.
15, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,844.
16, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,842.
17, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,841.
18, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,840.
19, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,829.
20, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,828.
21, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 1,825.
22, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 1,824.
23, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 1,823.
24, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,822.
25, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,812.
26, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,807.
27, Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 1,799.
27, Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., 1,799.
29, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,798.
30, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,796.
31, David Simard, Quebec, Canada, 1,793.
32, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,780.
33, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,774.
34, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,771.
35, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,762.
36, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 1,754.
36, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,754.
38, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,750.
39, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,745.
40, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,739.
41, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,735.
42, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,720.
43, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 1,705.
44, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 1,693.
45, fp-Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam, N.Y., 1,683.
46, f-Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,682.
47, Sean Johnson, Moundsville, W.V., 1,675.
48, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 1,672.
49, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,661.
50, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 1,656.

300 Game: Anthony Pepe.

Swedish Two Hander Moves into The Lead at The 51st Firelake PBA Tournament of Champions

by Bill Vint February 4, 2016 07:16

SHAWNEE, Okla. – Sweden’s Jesper Svensson struck on 22 of his first 23 shots Thursday morning in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center, advancing from sixth place to first, and he continued his blistering pace in match play Thursday night to build a 266-pin lead over Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, TN.

Svensson, a 20-year-old left-handed two-hander and PBA’s 2015 Rookie of the Year, averaged 232.1 for his first 32 games to lead the field of 24 finalists into Friday’s final two rounds of match play in the PBA’s first major championship of the year. Following games of 289 and 300, Svensson finished his morning round with games of 220, 258, 235, 213, 223 and 203. He then started Thursday night’s first round of match play with games of 267, 229, 256 and 290, winning all four matches to break away from the field.

He finished the evening round games of 213, 196 and 213 for losses, and a 238 win in his last game for a 5-3 match play record and a 32-game total of 7,624 pins, including 30 bonus pins for each match won.

“That was good,” Svensson said of his start in the evening round, “but I struggled a bit in the middle, so it was good to finish with a good game. In the middle, the urethane ball I was using got a bit shiny, and I couldn’t get as good of pin carry as when it has a fresh surface.

“But I’m happy; I didn’t expect this at all. I’m just going to have a good time and see where I finish tomorrow.”

Chasing Svensson and Beasley (7,358 pins) in the race for Sunday’s five-player stepladder finals were Tom Daugherty of Riverview, FL, with 7,328 pins; Dom Barrett of England with a 7,317 total and EJ Tackett of Huntington, IN, with 7,300 pins.

Australia’s Jason Belmonte, the two-time defending champion, was fifth heading into match play, but posted a 4-4 record in the opening round and slipped back to ninth place.

The 24 finalists will bowl their final two eight-game round-robin match play rounds Friday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST to determine the five finalists for Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. Eastern). The finals will be held on a special two-lane installation inside FireLake Arena.

All match play rounds are being covered exclusively, live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. For subscription information visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

FIRELAKE PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Thursday

Round Five Standings (after 32 games, including match play bonus pins)

1, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 5-3, 7,624.
2, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 7-1, 7,358.
3, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 6-2, 7,328.
4, Dom Barrett, England, 4-4, 7,315.
5, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 6-2, 7,300.
6, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 6-2, 7,292.
7, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 2-6, 7,262.
8, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3-5, 7,219.
9, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4-4, 7,212.
10, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 4-4, 7,178.
11, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5-3, 7,167.
12, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3-5, 7,141.
13, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5-3, 7,139.
14, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 4-4, 7,135.
15, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5-3, 7,125.
16, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3-5, 7,110.
17, x-A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 6-2, 7,085.
18, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4-4, 7,044.
19, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2-6, 7,036.
20, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3-5, 7,014.
21, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 2-6, 7,010.
22, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-5, 6,987.
23, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3-5, 6,949.
24, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1-7, 6,704.

x-Johnson replace Norm Duke, who withdrew due to a neck injury.

300 Game: Jesper Svensson.

Radical Bowling Technologies Adds Two New Balls in February

The Radical Ridiculous™ ASYM
The Ridiculous Asym brings a more aggressive reaction to the Ridiculous line. The combination of the new asymmetric core design and the beefed up cover gives the Ridiculous Asym a very different look on the lanes, and with the stronger ball motion, it is the perfect complement to the original Ridiculous.

From Radical “We now have a very Ridiculous one-two punch.”
The Radical Rave™ On
With the Rave On, Radical is introducing a hybrid coverstock formulation featuring some of the popular friction enhancers that they have been using in the Guru series. The result is a more hooking version of the original Rave, and it adds versatility to the mid performance line.

The new Radical Technology balls will be available February 16, 2016.

New Brunswick Bowling Balls, Including an Old Favorite

Brunswick Ultimate Nirvana™ The new ECS Hybrid coverstock is Brunswick’s latest advancement in performance enhancing technology. ECS expands the soft segments of the polymer chain producing improved friction and wider sweet spot resulting in fewer adjustments. ECS technology generates a faster refresh rate and a longer performance life for the coverstock. 

Paired with the Nirvana Ultra Low RG core, the Ultimate Nirvana provides effortless length through the heads with extraordinary backend continuation on medium oily to oily lane conditions.

Brunswick unveils a retro Danger Zone™ The new PK 2016 coverstock is Brunswick’s modern version of PowrKoil 18. PK 2016 reactive combines their re-engineered “PowrKoil 18” base coverstock with a chemical supplement package for today’s conditions. Combined with the Vintage Light Bulb low RG core the Danger Zone skids easily through the front, maintaining axis rotation for the backend to deliver that famous Danger Zone reaction!

The new Brunswick balls will be available February 16, 2016.

Smallwood Moves into The Lead at The 51st Firelake PBA Tournament of Champions

by Bill Vint February 3, 2016 08:22

SHAWNEE, OK – Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, who has made a career out of bowling well in major championships, averaged 231.4 for 16 games to move into the lead at the end of qualifying in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center Wednesday.

Smallwood, 38, posted games of 258, 258, 203, 259, 260, 200, 206 and 231 Wednesday for a 16-game total of 3,703 pins, advancing from 10th place to first in a hotly contested battle for the top 27 berths in Thursday’s eight-game cashers round.

Among those who remained in title contention was Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, who advanced from 48th place to qualify 13th for the cashers round. Belmonte is trying to equal PBA Hall of Famer Jason Couch’s record as the second player to win the Tournament of Champions three consecutive times.

Trailing Smallwood at the end of qualifying was 2014 PBA Rookie of the Year Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., with 3,665 pins, 38 pins behind Smallwood, followed by PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., at 3,662; EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., at 3,661 and Dom Barrett of England at 3,633.

Smallwood, who made national news when he won the 2010 PBA World Championship after losing his job at General Motors during the recession, has done his best work in PBA majors. He finished second in the 2011 Tournament of Champions, fourth in the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Masters and fifth in the 2012 PBA World Championship in addition to winning his second PBA title in the 2012 PBA Scorpion Championship.

“I don’t put any more time or effort into the majors, but it’s only natural to put a little more emphasis on them because they pay more and they’re more prestigious,” Smallwood said. “For whatever reason my ball decides to strike more in the majors, which is fine with me.”

Smallwood said he found a way to play the lanes that other players weren’t playing, and they actually helped move the oil around to his favor.

“Usually I’m playing the wrong part of the lane, but I played a little farther right of everybody tonight and it worked,” he said. “The first six games, I only moved four boards with my eyes, and that was it. Everyone else was playing farther inside than I was, and they actually gave me more hold area which allowed me to stay where I was.”

Among the players advancing to Thursday’s cashers round was reigning Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, who also is the first woman ever to advance to the PBA national telecast and the only woman ever to accomplish that feat twice. Johnson qualified in a tie for 20th place.

“I never really put a PBA Tour title on my bucket list, but it would be nice to win one,” Johnson said. “The thing I realized this week is that I bowled my first women’s pro tournament 20 years ago this week, and to think I’m still out here doing what I’m doing is pretty amazing to me.”

Johnson was one of four women in the TOC field. Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, who won the 2010 Tournament of Champions to become the only woman ever to win a PBA Tour title, was in contention Wednesday but faltered down the stretch, finishing 31st and missing the cut by 14 pins.

At the conclusion of Thursday’s cashers round, the top 24 based on 24-game pinfall totals will advance to three eight-game rounds of head-to-head match play to determine the top five for Sunday’s live ESPN finals at 2 p.m. ET. PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service will cover the cashers round and all three match play rounds live. Rounds start at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Thursday and Friday.

FIRELAKE PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Wednesday

Final Qualifying Standings (after 16 games)
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,703.
2, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,665.

3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,662.
4, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,661.
5, Dom Barrett, England, 3,633.
6, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,631.
7, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,627.
8, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,606.
9, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 3,595.
10, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,594.
11, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,580.
12, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,579.
13, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,575.
14, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,569.
15, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,567.
16, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,560.
17, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,525.
18, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,522.
19, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,512.
20, (tie) Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., and f-Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,497.
22, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 3,496.
23, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,495.
24, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,493.
25, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 3,483.
26, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,480.
27, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,476.

Failed to advance
28, Stuart Williams, England, 3,470.
29, (tie) Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,468.
31, f-Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,462.
32, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,458.
33, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 3,457.
34, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,454.
35, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,453.
36, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3,447.
37, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,435.
38, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,433.
39, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,431.
40, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,427.
41, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,422.
42, Paul Moor, England, 3,416.
43, Will Barnes, Wichita, Kan., 3,414.
44, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,405.
45, Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., 3,379.
46, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 3,359.
47, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3,353.
48, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,352.
49, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,346.
50, David Scardaville, Houston, Texas, 3,341.
51, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,325.
52, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,313.
53, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,296.
54, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3,294.
55, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,286.
56, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,276.
57, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 3,269.
58, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,265.
59, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 3,244.
60, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 3,222.
61, (tie)  f-Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, and Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,210.
63, f-Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,207.
64, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,202.
65, Scott Greiner, Platte City, Mo., 3,193.
66, Blake Demore, Springfield, Mo., 3,189.
67, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 3,180.
68, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,150.
69, Paul Brewbaker , Midwest City, Okla., 3,141.
70, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,133.
71, Brandon Bivens, East Ridge, Tenn., 3,083.
72, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 3,067.
73, Lee White, Odessa, Texas, 3,048.
74, Joe Salvemini, Nevada City, Calif., 2,987.
75, Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 2,890.
76, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 2,887.
77, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,369.

f-denotes female