Walter Ray Williams Jr Tops Senior Don Carter Memorial Open

Rebounding from a tough 2011-12 Professional Bowlers Association Tour 

season and coping with the emotions resulting from his father’s recent passing, 

Walter Ray Williams Jr. persevered to win the PBA Senior Don Carter Memorial 

Open presented by Ebonite Wednesday for his third career Senior Tour title.

Williams defeated Bo Goergen of Sanford, MI, in the championship at Carter 

Family Bowl, 247-217, marking his first Senior Tour win since the Senior Mark 

Roth Allentown Open in May of 2011.

In the 2011-12 Tour season, the 52-year-old Hall of Famer’s record streak of 26 

consecutive years making at least one TV finals appearance came to an end and 

he had a best finish of only 17th in the Shark Open. On Tuesday his father 

passed away after a lengthy illness.

“I’m not an emotional person but I’ll have to admit this was an emotional week 

for me,” said Williams. “It helped a great deal to have my family here not only 

for my dad but also to be here to watch me bowl.”

Even though the scores showed that Williams was dominant in match play, he 

felt fortunate to win all four of his matches Wednesday.

“On paper it looked easy but I can tell you that in a few of those matches my 

opponents bowled better than they scored,” said the PBA Tour all-time titles 

leader with 47 wins. “An example was Bo in the title match when he started with 

the first five (strikes) but then had a split in the sixth frame which gave me an 

opening.”

Williams’ win in the second tournament of the 2012 season comes off a 

fourth-place finish in last week’s season-opening Senior Sun Bowl In The Villages 

in The Villages, Fla.

“It was a great tournament and nice to win again,” Williams said. “It’s a 

confidence builder and now I just hope I can keep some momentum going and 

hope for a good Senior Tour season.

“The lanes play a little differently out here than they do on the regular tour but 

you still have to make good shots and when you don’t, you have to make the 

right adjustments. I just wasn’t throwing enough good shots last season on tour.”

In the semifinals, Williams defeated fellow Ocala resident Brian Brazeau, who 

was trying for his second Senior Tour title, 246-213.  In the other semifinal, 

Goergen, who was trying for his first Senior Tour title, defeated Tim Kauble of 

Marion, Ohio, 190-165.

The next stop for the PBA Senior Tour will be the Senior Mooresville Classic 

presented by Columbia May 6-9 at George Pappas Victory Lanes in Mooresville, 

N.C.

Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo Deadline Looms

The Early Bird Registration Deadline for the Turbo 2n1 Grips "Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo" expires this Monday, April 30th.   Don't miss your chance to save $30 for this exciting event.

  

Again, registration includes 1 year paid subscription to the Bowlers Journal International, Sport Shirt,  Welcome Dinner, lunch both days, chance to meet brand experts from leading ball companies like Brunswick, Columbia 300, DV8, Ebonite, Hammer, Motiv, Storm, Track and 900 Global and demo the latest equipment. 

  

Registered students will get 2-full days of on-lane and classroom instruction with some the best coaches in the business including 2012 USBC Queens Champion, Diandra Asbaty.  

  

The Collegiate Expo wraps up with a Scholarship Tournament sponsored by Ebonite where college coaches from around the country will be on-site to watch and evaluate the competition.  For students traveling to the USBC Junior Championships immediately following the Collegiate Expo, you will get your chance to bowl on previous tournament patterns as well as WTBA patterns used by many collegiate tournaments.  Ebonite will  award $250 in scholarships to the leading male and female bowlers.

  

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Collegiate Expo is the opportunity for students and parents to meet face to face with the collegiate coaches following the tournament competition. Students and parents will be able to gather information on various bowling programs and explore scholarship opportunities.  

  

The Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo is arguably one of the best opportunities for young bowling talent in America. The Expo brings together top manufacturers, professional bowlers, aspiring high school bowlers, parents, and top college coaches in an effort to showcase talent, teach practical bowling knowledge, and inform attendees about scholarship opportunities around the country.

Currently bowlers from Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Massachusetts are registered. Cost for the entire week is only $359 per student if registered before April 30. May 1st - May 31, 2012 registration $389 per student.  Registration is limited to ONLY 168 students and spots are filling up fast. For detailed information, schedules and registration forms, visit www.turbogrips.com or call 800 530-9878.

Sponsors include: 900 Global, Bowlers Journal International, Brunswick, Columbia 300, Dexter, DV8, Ebonite, Hammer, Innovative Bowling Products, Kegel, Michigan Junior Masters Association, Motiv, OnTheBall Bowling, Roto Grip, Storm, the Detroit Sports Commission, Track and USBC Metro Detroit Association.

PBA Summer Shootout Returns to Chicago

Four of the top 2012 PBA Chris Schenkel Player of the Year candidates—Jason Belmonte, Mike Fagan, Sean Rash and Pete Weber — are among the star-studded players who will return to upscale 10pin bowling lounge in downtown Chicago May 27-29 for the 6th annual PBA Summer Shootout. 

The made-for-TV event will once again feature a battle of bowling stars representing bowling ball manufacturers in a fast-paced PBA Summer Shootout series for telecast on ESPN. 

The PBA Summer Shootout weekend will get underway with a special pro-am event at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 27. Eight Eliminator Round tapings will be conducted Monday, starting at noon. On Tuesday, the final two Eliminator Rounds get started at 1 p.m., followed by the Eliminator Doubles Shootout and four Baker Doubles stepladder finals matches. 

The preliminary Shootout telecast schedule begins on ESPN Saturday, July 7 and continues Saturday and Sunday, July 14 and 15. ESPN2 will carry re-airs of Shootout telecasts on Sunday, July 8, Saturday, July 21, Saturday, July 28, Saturday, Aug. 4, and Sunday, Aug. 5. 

Telecast times will be announced at a later date. 

“It’s great to get to come back to downtown Chicago for Memorial Day weekend,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “The city has a rich bowling history and last year's event had one of the best pro-ams I've ever seen in 10pin's cool surroundings with 20 of the top players in the world.” 

The 2012 installment of the PBA Tour’s post-season special will include the sport’s most accomplished players representing nine of the bowling industry’s best-known bowling ball franchises in a series of elimination and Baker doubles contests along with a pro-am event for Chicagoland grassroots league bowlers. 

Teams must include a minimum of two players and teams with more than two players on their roster may substitute at their discretion: Teams and players competing are: 

Storm: Jason Belmonte, Osku Palermaa and Pete Weber 

900 Global: Robert Smith, Missy Parkin and Brian Voss 

Roto Grip: Wes Malott, Brian Kretzer and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard 

DV8: Mike Machuga, Ronnie Russell and Brian Valenta 

Brunswick: Sean Rash, Ryan Ciminelli and Chris Loschetter 

Track: Mike Fagan and Mika Koivuniemi 

Columbia 300: Dan MacLelland and Chris Barnes 

Hammer: Mike Wolfe and Bill O’Neill 

Ebonite: Tommy Jones and Jason Couch 

The 2012 PBA Summer Shootout will get underway with one member of the nine ball-brand teams bowling in each of 10 “Eliminator Rounds.” 

In the Eliminator Rounds, each player will throw one shot, with the low score in each frame eliminated. In cases of ties, the players involved will bowl sudden-death until one survivor remains. 

“Make no mistake, while this event is guaranteed to be fun and exciting for fans to watch on site and as it plays out over the summer months on ESPN, the radical format means it will be a unique tightrope walk for players that will have them on edge fighting for survival from the first ball,” Clark said. 

“Players who represent the top bowling ball brands will be fighting for bragging rights and the prize money is significant, so it figures to be intense competition.” 

In each Eliminator Round, players will earn points for their respective teams based upon how long they survive. The winner of each round will earn 12 points, second place eight points, third seven points, etc., down to one point for the first player eliminated (ninth place). 

There will be 10 Eliminator Rounds, each resulting in a half-hour show for delayed telecast on ESPN. At the conclusion of the 10 shows, teams will be seeded for the Summer Shootout finals based upon their points totals. The top four teams automatically advance to the Baker Doubles stepladder finals. 

Teams seeded five through nine will then bowl in an “Eliminator Doubles Shootout” with the winning team claiming the fifth spot in the stepladder finals). 

In the Eliminator Doubles Shootout, both members of each team will throw one shot and their scores will be combined for the frame. The low doubles score each frame will be eliminated until one team remains. 

The final four half-hour shows will feature Baker format matches where one member of each team will bowl five frames per game. The No. 5 team will take on Team No. 4 in the first show. The winner will take on Team No. 3 in the second match. The match two winner will bowl Team No. 2 in the semifinal contest, and the semifinal match winner will meet Team No. 1 for the title. 

Admission will be free for the entire weekend. For pro-am entry information, visit pba.com and look for the PBA Summer Shootout logo.

Rookie Boresch Wins Opening PBA Tour Event

This week will be one not soon forgotten for Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour rookie Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wis.

In his Senior Tour debut, Boresch defeated 2011 Senior Rookie of the Year Ricky Beck of Box Elder, S.D., 278-266, to win the PBA Senior Sun Bowl In The Villages presented by Storm Tuesday at Spanish Springs Lanes. Then, it’s on to Arlington, Texas, where Boresch will be inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame on Thursday.

“This is a dream week and kind of weird the way it’s all playing out,” said Boresch, who just turned 50 on April 19 to become eligible for the Senior Tour. “I can’t believe it’s happening all so fast.”

In the championship match Beck struck on the first nine shots but opened in the 10th allowing an opening for Boresch who was able to string his last eight strikes to clinch the win.

“If he strikes on the first ball in the 10th it’s over but when he didn’t, I thought to myself, well, here’s my chance,” Boresch said.

Boresch is known for his success in PBA regional competition where he has won 25 PBA regional titles. His top finishes on the PBA national tour are a fifth and two sixth-place finishes. He also owns three USBC Open Championships titles.

“I was really hoping to just make the cut and get my feet wet out here,” Boresch said. “I still feel I can be competitive at a high level but never thought I’d win right out of the box on the Senior Tour.”

The road to the championship match wasn’t easy for Boresch, just squeaking out a win in the Round of 8 against Tom Carter of Rockford, IL, 2-1 in the three-game match. He then faced four-time Senior Player of the Year and PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, NC in the semifinal, winning that single-game match, 238-227. Coincidentally, Baker, who was trying for his 10th Senior Tour title, will also be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame on Thursday.

“Tom is such a great bowler and I had to remind myself to stay cool, Boresch said. “But I kept telling myself to keep my footwork slow and just enjoy the experience.”

In the other semifinal match Beck squeaked by Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., 258-257, to advance to the championship match.

The next stop for the Senior Tour will be the PBA Senior Don Carter Memorial Open presented by Ebonite April 28-May 2 at Carter Family Bowl in Winter Garden, Fla.

PBA SENIOR SUN BOWL IN THE VILLAGES PRESENTED BY STORM
Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, Fla., Tuesday
Final Results
Championship Match
Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis. ($7,500) def. Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D. ($4,000), 278-266.

Semifinal Round (one-game matches, losers earn $2,700)
Beck def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 258-257.
Boresch Jr. def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 238-227.

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
W.R. Willams def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 2-1.
Beck def. Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 2-0.
Boresch Jr. def. Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 2-1.
Baker def. Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 2-1.

Round of 16 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
Mohr def. Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 3-2.
W.R. Williams def. Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3-1.
Eagle def. Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, 3-1.
Beck def. Fred Kaczmarczyk, Martinez, Calif., 3-0.
Carter def. Peter Knopp, Germany, 3-1.
Boresch Jr. def. Randy Shewmake, Fort Worth, Texas, 3-0.
Kenny Parks def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 3-1.
Baker def. Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 3-1.
Round of 24 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,150 each)
Learn def. Randy Robertson, Evansville, Ind., 3-2.
W.R. Williams def. Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 3-2.
Eagle def. Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3-1.
Beck def. Paul McCordic, Sugarland, Texas, 3-2.
Knopp def. Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 3-1.
Shewmake def. Amletto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3-2.
Sullins def. Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 3-2.
Carlson def. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3-2.
Round of 32 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,025 each)
Robertson def. Brodowski, Hyde Park, N.Y., 3-1.
W.R. Williams def. Emilio Mora, Defiance, Ohio 3-2.
Eagle def. Chuck Richardson, The Villages, Fla., 3-1.
McCordic def. Neff, Homosassa Springs, Fla., 3-1.
Knopp def. Keith Sharp, Orlando, 3-0.
Monacelli def. Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., 3-2.
Wagner def. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3-2.
Traber def. Bruce Hall, Los Altos Hills, Calif., 3-2.

2012 USBC Queens Final Frame

Will Ron Mohr Dominate For 2012 Senior PBA Tour Season?

For reigning Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr, his domination during the 2011 season will be a tough act to follow in 2012, but he’s up to the challenge. 

Mohr, of Eagle River, Alaska, will begin defense of his 2011 Senior Player of the Year title when the 2012 Senior Tour season begins April 21-24 with the Sun Bowl In The Villages presented by Storm at Spanish Spring Lanes. 

Mohr won a record-tying four titles in the 10 PBA Senior Tour events he entered in 2011, supported by a 67-30 record in his head-to-head matches and an equally impressive qualifying record. 

In 10 tournaments, Mohr was the leading qualifier twice, No. 2 twice and he qualified lower than seventh only one time. In what was probably his worst event in 2011, after finishing in 77th place after the first eight qualifying games in the Senior Decatur (Ill.) Open, Mohr moved up 53 places over the next eight games to make the cut to match play by four pins, qualifying 24th. 

“I’m really fighting the notion that it was a career year and can’t be repeated,” Mohr said. “But on the other hand it’s unrealistic to expect to have a year like that again.” 

In addition to his four titles – including his first major championship in the Senior U.S. Open – Mohr finished out of the top four only one time. He was second twice, third twice, fourth and had a 13-place finish in Decatur. The only tournament he didn’t enter was the USBC Senior Masters which he missed in order to attend a family wedding. 

“The real expectation is that over time things even out but I’ve kept a winning attitude and feel as well prepared if not better than last year going into this season,” he said. “Last year was something I never expected and I admit I had a lot of things go my way. I just need to keep that winning attitude and let everything else take care of itself.” 

Tom Baker (2006), Bob Glass (2001), Dale Eagle (1999) and Pete Couture (1998) also had four-title seasons, but only Baker’s was in a comparable number of events (nine). 

In 2006, Baker finished second, third, fifth, seventh and 24th in his other five events. Eagle won four times in a 15-tournament schedule while Glass and Couture won their titles in 14-event seasons. No one had a perfect 11-for-11 cashing record in 2011, but of the nine players who cashed in 10 events, Mohr, Baker, Peter Knopp and Henry Gonzalez were 10-for-10 while Walter Ray Williams Jr., Harry Sullins, Mike Henry, Kenny Parks and Eagle cashed in 10 of 11 events. 

The only statistical category where Mohr fell short was in scoring average which was led by Williams with a Senior Tour record 229.56 and Mohr finished second with 225.98. Defending champion Sullins of Chesterfield, Mich., defeated Williams, 248-239, to win last year’s Sun Bowl In The Villages for his second career Senior Tour title.

The Bowling Swing and Release