2001/02/24

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Final】

　Local Floridian Jason Couch took his competition outside to win his ninth career title in the Villages PBA Open at The Villages Town Square Saturday afternoon.

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., approached the outdoor lanes with a crowd full of friends and fans and pocketed his first victory of the year, defeating Chris Barnes in the title match, 223-201.

　"There's a lot of pressure to compete in front of your hometown," said Couch. "But it's an incredible feeling to win with your friends and family there."

　Couch, who earned $25,000 for first place, entered the championship round as the tournament leader and started the match with three strikes. Barnes, who has now made 16 consecutive championship round appearances without a win, kept up with Couch by striking in frames one and two but fell slightly behind when he converted a 2-pin spare in the third frame.

　In the fourth frame, Couch broke his string of strikes by leaving the 3-5-9 combination. The former PBA Rookie of the Year (1992) was able to convert the spare to keep the pressure on Barnes.

　Barnes, who owns two PBA titles, continued to keep his game clean with two converted spares (frames four and six) and three strikes (frames five, seven and eight).

　Couch remained ahead of Barnes in frames five and six with a converted single-pin spare (10-pin) in the fifth frame and a strike in the sixth.

　In the seventh frame, Couch gave the crowd a scare when he left his first split of the tournament (4-7-10 split). He only picked up two pins and gave Barnes a ray of hope.

　Barnes, who now led by 10 pins, struck in the eighth frame, as did Couch. The two, who had met once before in a title match, which Couch won (1999 Tournament of Champions), were tied in the eighth frame.

　Barnes' doom came in the ninth frame when he left his first split of the match, the 2-8-10 combination. He was unable to pick up the split and opened the door for Couch.

　"Up until the ninth frame, I felt I had finally gotten to a point where I could win,"Barnes said. "I couldn't have predicted the split in the ninth frame, it stunned me."

　"But I'll keep making shows and trying," Barnes said. "That's all you can do."

　After striking in the ninth frame, Couch needed only a strike and five pins in the 10th frame to seal the win. Without hesitation, Couch struck and picked up nine pins on his second ball.

　Couch led two previous tournaments this year and lost in the title match both times, making this his first victory of the year.

　"I'm happy to get the monkey off of my back this year," said Couch. "Barnes and I were kind of going through the same thing and I'm glad I got to bowl him in the title match so that one of us would have to win and break our losing streaks."

　Barnes, who received $13,000 for second place, advanced to the title match by overcoming PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby, of Indianapolis, in the semifinal match, 219-213.

　Aulby, who owns 27 PBA titles, which ranks fourth on the all-time winnerﾕs list, got $7,000 for third place.

　Aulby moved past Pete Weber by winning the second match, 214-204. Weber, who needed one more win to tie his father, Dick Weber, who has 26 titles, ended in fourth place with $5,000.

　In the first match, Weber won over Doug Kent, 246-198. Kent, of Newark, N.Y., finished fifth with a $4,000 check.

2001/02/23

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Round 6】

　Jason Couch wrapped up the No. 1 spot after the third round of match play in The Villages PBA Open at Spanish Springs Lanes Friday evening.

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., needs to win only Saturday afternoonﾕs title match, versus the survivor of the first three matches, in order to claim his ninth-career PBA title. The 1992 PBA Rookie of the Year, who is 0-2 as the tournament leader this year, has won from the top spot six times in 11 career appearances.

　To gain the No. 1 position, Couch amassed a 10,102, 42-game pinfall total for a tournament-best 228 average. He collected a 17-7 match play record. Couch's last victory was the Tournament of Champions (Lake Zurich, Ill.) in November of 2000. This is his second straight week bowling as the tournament leader.

　"I've won most of my titles from the top, so I'm pretty confident heading into this," said Couch. "I've bowled great the last couple of weeks on TV, but was simply out-bowled. So, I'll show up tomorrow with a lot of confidence."

　Chris Barnes, of Wichita, Kan., claimed the second position, 185 pins behind Couch. The fourth-year pro, who was the 1998 PBA Rookie of the Year, piled up a 16-8 record. He is looking to capture his first title in more than a year. Two weeks ago, Barnes lost the title match to Parker Bohn III, finishing second.

　Third place belongs to PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby, of Indianapolis. Aulby, who won his 27th title earlier this year (Daly City, Calif.), went 15-9 in match play and felled 9,704 total pins.

　Climbing six places in the round to earn the fourth position is Doug Kent, of Newark, N.Y., (9,632). Kent, a four-time PBA titlist, recorded the best block total of the round (1,876) with a 234 average. He won six of eight games in the round, finishing with a 14-10 record.

　Rounding out the top five is Pete Weber, of St. Ann, Mo., (9,632). Weber, who will make his first championship round appearance since returning from a 10-month suspension, went 11-13 in match play. With a win Saturday, Weber would tie his father (Dick Weber) along with Parker Bohn III and Don Johnson for fifth place on the all-time victory list (26 titles).

　Bohn, by merit of his eighth place finish, became the fourth player in PBA history to eclipse the $2 million mark in career earnings. With a $3,000 paycheck, Bohn now has $2,000,551 in career earnings. He joins Aulby, Pete Weber and Walter Ray Williams Jr. as the only other player to reach the milestone. Aulby was the latest to accomplish the feat. He did it in this year's first tournament back in January.

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Round 5】

　Jason Couch maintained a feverous pace to build up a 435-pin lead over second place after the second round of match play in the PBA Tour's The Villages PBA Open at Spanish Spring

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., is in the top spot for the third consecutive round. After 23 consecutive games over 200, Couch lost his second match play game of the tournament (against Brian Himmler) and bowled his first game under 200. He regained his momentum and posted the remaining games all above 200 to win six more games in the round and to compile an overall 13-3 record. The 31-year-old lefthander, whose eight titles include back-to-back Tournament of Champions (1999, 2000), has a 34-game, 8,295 pinfall total and a 232 average. He is looking to lead a tournament for the second consecutive week and the third time this year - he led in Daly City, Calif., and Burlington, N.C. and finished second both times.

　"I'm trying not to let my two second-place finishes affect me," said Couch. "You have to take it one week at a time and I've been having a great week so that's what I'm concentrating on."

　"Scores were low in general this morning," said Couch. "I've been very consistent this week including the round this morning so as long as I can keep it up I think I'll be in good shape.ﾓ"

　Climbing four places into second is Brian Voss, of Atlanta. Voss lost only the first in the round to gather a 13-3 match play record. The PBA Hall of Famer, who has captured 20 PBA titles, is looking to make his second championship round appearance of the year. The former PBA Player of the Year (1988) has a high finish of fourth this year (National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles with Ron Winger, Reno, Nev.) and is aiming toward his first win in over two years.

　Jumping from 13th to third was Chris Barnes, of Wichita, Kan. Barnes, who owns two PBA titles, won all but two games in the round and did not post a game below 202. The fourth-year pro, who finished second two weeks ago in Latham, N.Y., has upended 7,833 pins and amassed an 8-8 record.

　Making a move from seventh to fourth place was Mike Aulby, of Indianapolis. Aulby, who won his 27th PBA title earlier this year in Daly City, Calif., by defeating Couch in the title match, won half of his games including the last game where he registered a high game of 247. The two-time PBA Player of the Year (1985, '95), who finished fourth last week in Burlington, N.C., has built up an even 8-8 record and a 7,716 pinfall total.

　Remaining in fifth place was Pete Weber, of St. Ann, Mo. Weber, who is in the PBA Hall of Fame, won only three games in the round but posted high games of 253 and 248 to stay near the top. The 25-time PBA titlist, who needs one win to tie his father, Dick Weber, has a 6-10 match play record and a 7,708 pinfall total.

2001/02/22

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Round 4】

　Jason Couch widened his lead to 414 pins after the first round of match play in The Villages PBA Open at Spanish Springs Lanes Thursday evening.

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., has amassed a 6,390, 26-game pinfall total, good for a tournament-leading 237 average. An eight-time PBA champion, Couch rolled games of 276, 253 and 245 right out of the gate for a 774 series to start the night.

　He finished second last week after qualifying for the championship round as the tournament leader in his third championship round appearance of the year. Couch, the 1992 PBA Rookie of the Year, is 0-2 as the tournament leader this year (Daly City, Calif.; Burlington, N.C.).

　Couch out-averaged his nearest competitor in the round, Jason Hurd, by 15 pins and piled up a 7-1 record.

　"The long hours of practice are paying off," said Couch, who is making his fourth consecutive match play appearance. "It seems like I'm in the hunt every week no matter what angle I have to play or how I have to adjust ball speed."

　"But, with 16 games to go, no lead is safe out here," he said.

　Steve Wilson, of Lake Worth, Fla., jumped one place in the round to land in second (5,976). Wilson, owner of two PBA titles, both of which came in 1996 (Grand Prairie, Texas; Tokyo), collected a 5-3 record. He had two championship rounds to his credit last year and is searching for his first top-five appearance in 2001.

　Dropping one place into third is Tommy Jones, of Greenville, S.C., (5,955). The 21-year-old rookie, making his second match play appearance of the year, racked up a 3-5 record, including an opening loss to Couch (227-276). He is targeting his first career PBA title.

　The fourth position belongs to Brian Himmler with 5,952 total pins felled. The Cincinnati resident matched Couch with a field-best, 7-1 record en route to moving up from 13th place. Owner of one PBA title (Albuquerque, N.M., 1999), Himmler has a high finish of fifth (Latham, N.Y.).

　Pete Weber, of St. Ann, Mo., rounds out the top five (5,920). The 25-time PBA champion, who ranks sixth on the all-time victory list, is looking to earn his first championship round appearance of the year. He posted a 3-5 record in the round.

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Round 3】

　Hometown favorite Jason Couch wasted no time taking over the lead after the third round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's The Villages PBA Open at Spanish Springs Lanes Thursday afternoon.

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., rolled a 259 in his first game of the six-game round to immediately take over the lead from second-round leader Tommy Jones, who threw a 201 in the first game. The eight-time PBA titlist, who finished second last week in Burlington, N.C., went on to post high games of 266 and 268.

　The former PBA Rookie of the Year (1992), who has a 16-game, 4,204 pinfall total, has registered 14 straight games of 200 or better over the last three rounds. He has a 236 tournament average and is looking to lead a tournament for the second consecutive week.

　Sitting 129 pins behind Couch in second place is Jones. Jones, of Greenville, S.C., had a high game of 279 during the round. The Tour rookie is looking to make his first career championship round appearance and is making his second match play appearance of the year (he finished 19th in Latham, N.Y.).

　Another Floridian finishing near the top of the leader board was Steve Wilson, of Lake Worth, Fla., who grabbed third place. Wilson, who has not made a championship round appearance since the 2000 Latham, N.Y., event, where he finished eighth, has felled 4,103 pins. He is targeting his third career victory and his first win since 1996.

　Capturing fourth place was Pete Weber, of St. Ann, Mo. The PBA Hall of Famer, who owns 25 PBA titles, has knocked down 4,062 pins. Weber, who was the 1980 PBA Rookie of the Year, had a high game of 268. He needs only one more title to tie his father, Dick Weber, for fifth on the PBA's all-time winner's list.

　Moving up from 16th place to round out the top five was Chris Barnes, of Wichita, Kan. Barnes, who made 12 championship round appearances last year, bowled only one game below 207 and rolled high game of 267 and 255. The two-time PBA champion, who won both of his titles in 1999 (Erie, Pa.;Portland, Ore.), has toppled 4,051 pins.

2001/02/21

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Round 2】

　Rookie Tommy Jones found himself in first place for the first time in his career after the second round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's The Villages PBA Open at Spanish Springs Lanes.

　Jones, of Greenville, S.C., has amassed a 2,793, 12-game pinfall total, good for a tournament-best 232.75 average. The 21-year-old rookie, who has a career-high finish of 13th place (Columbia 300 Open, Austin, Texas, 2000), moved up two places in the round with a 232 average. He is aiming toward his first PBA title.

　"I was just glad to get as many pins as I could," said Jones. "By the end of the night, I was forced to play inside the sixth arrow, lofting the ball 12 feet out on the lane."

　"However, when I get that far left, I would say that I have an advantage. As a power-player, my game is geared for that."

　Jason Couch and Steve Wilson tied for the second position (2,787). An eight-time PBA champion, Couch leads the Tour in 2001 with a 225 average, two pins ahead of his nearest competition (Parker Bohn III). The 1992 PBA Rookie of the Year moved up 10 spots with a 238 average in the round. He has a pair of second place finishes this year (Daly City, Calif.; Burlington, N.C.). Wilson, a two-time PBA titlist, climbed four spots with high games of 269 and 259.

　Sitting in fourth place is Robert Smith, of Simi Valley, Calif. Smith, also a two-time titlist on the Tour, including the 2000 U.S. Open (Phoenix), posted a high game of 265. He is tied (Parker Bohn III, Couch, Bryon Smith and Ricky Ward) for the lead in match play appearances this year with five in six tournaments bowled.

　Pete Weber, of St. Ann, Mo., rounds out the top five with 2,720 total pins felled. Weber, owner of 25 titles, leaped from the 21st position with a 231 average in the round. His latest victory came one year ago in Latham, N.Y.

　　【PBA】　The Villages PBA Open　【Round 1】

　Robert Smith forced his way to the top after the first round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's The Villages PBA Open at Spanish Springs Lanes Wednesday afternoon.

　Smith, of Simi Valley, Calif., opened and closed the six-game round with high games of 258 while averaging 239 for the round. The fourth-year pro, who won his first two PBA titles last year (U.S. Open, Phoenix; Erie, Pa.), did not bowl a game below 213. He has a six-game 1,438 pinfall total and is looking to make his fifth (out of seven) match play appearance of the year.

　"Right away I started with a great line," said Smith. "Moving pair to pair I really didn't have to adjust to much. I did have two games where I opened in the 10th frame but I was able to keep it together so that it didn't hurt me too much."

　"This shot is really comfortable for me because I can play the fifth and sixth arrow," Smith said. "I was surprised how far left I could go but for me the more I can move left the better."

　Finishing in second place was George Branham III, of Indianapolis. The five-time PBA titlist, who has not won a title since 1996, has upended 1,401 pins. Branham, whose titles include the 1993 Tournament of Champions, rolled a consistent round with games between 212 and 248.

　Trailing Branham by one pin and tying for third place was Bryan Goebel and Tommy Jones. Goebel, of Shawnee, Kan., who owns nine PBA titles, posted a high game of 279 and is looking to make his first match play appearance of the year.

　Jones, of Greenville, N.C., ended the round with a high game of 265. He is a rookie on the Tour and has a high finish of 25th this year (PBA National Championship, Toledo, Ohio).

　Rounding out the top five is Doug Kent, of Newark, N.Y. Kent, who owns four PBA titles and an American Bowling Congress (ABC) Masters, has felled 1,397 pins. He is looking to improve on a high finish of 13th this year (Latham, N.Y.).

　Mike Aubly, who is in eighth place, had the first perfect game of the tournament.

2001/02/18

　　【PBA】　Tar Heel Open　【Final】

　Ricky Ward went "soul-searching" Sunday afternoon and pulled out his first win in more than 20 months in the PBA Tour's Tar Heel Open at Country Club Lanes-West.

　Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla., defeated tournament leader Jason Couch, of Clermont, Fla., in the title match, 269-237, earning his fifth career PBA title and the $20,000 top-prize.

　"I was soul-searching out there today," said Ward. "I was determined not to let myself down. I was focused on victory, knowing I only had to throw 24 good shots, play my own game, and not worry about who I was bowling against. I was ready to prove to myself that I still had the fire inside."

　But, for Ward, the win carried more meaning than any other victory in his career.

　"This win felt like destiny," he said. "Before I was born, my dad lived in Burlington for 20 years and my sisters were born here. So, for the trophy to read, "Tar Heel Open Champion" really means something special to me."

　"This is like a gift to my parents, because Burlington is where their life started together."

　Ward and Couch matched each other, shot-for-shot, through the first four frames. Each player opened with 7-pin spare conversions followed by three straight strikes.

　In the fifth frame, Ward took a one-pin lead as he converted a single-pin spare after Couch could manage only the 3-10 baby-split conversion.

　Both players struck in frames six, seven and eight. So, Ward was still protecting a one-pin lead entering the ninth frame.

　Couch, who earned $10,000 in second, stepped up first in the ninth frame, threw a perfect shot...and toppled only nine pins, leaving the 7-pin which he converted.

　"I thought it was good off my hand," commented Couch about the key shot in the match. "I'm not disappointed about the way I bowled. I really believed it wasn't going to take more than a 225-game to win because the scores have been low this week."

　Ward took full advantage of the Couch miscue, striking off the sheet in the ninth and 10th frames for the win.

　In six tournaments this year, the tournament leaders have claimed four titles, Couch being the only No. 1 qualifier to lose this year, twice (Daly City, Calif.;Burlington, N.C.).

　"I've just caught guys that were on fire," said Couch, who lost from the top spot for the second time this year. "I feel like I have a target on my back right now."

　In the semifinal match, Ward slid by Parker Bohn III, 228-184. Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., finished in third place with $7,000.

　In the second match, Bohn knocked off fellow PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby, 234-196. Aulby, of Indianapolis, picked up $5,000 in the fourth position.

　In the first match, Bohn snuck by Eric Forkel, 204-202. Forkel, of Northridge, Calif., rounded out the group in fifth place with $4,000.

2001/02/17

　　【PBA】　Tar Heel Open　【Round 6】

　Jason Couch ran away with the No. 1 spot after the fourth round of match play in the PBA Tour's Tar Heel Open at Country Club Lanes-West Saturday afternoon.

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., was one win short of setting a new PBA 32-game match play record after posting six wins in the round to amass an overall, field-best, 26-6 record (the record is held by Parker Bohn III, 26-5-1, which was set in 1992; Tokyo). The eight-time PBA titlist, who is the only person in PBA history to win back-to-back Tournament of Champion titles ('99, '00), has a 48-game, 11,628 pinfall total. He posted a high game of 279, which came in the third game of the round against Mike Edwards. His only losses in match play were against Robert Smith, Mike Edward, Patrick Allen, Eric Forkel and Mike Aulby.

　Couch, the former PBA Rookie of the Year (1992), who has a 226 tournament average, is entering the championship round as the tournament leader for the second time this year. He lost in the title match to Mike Aulby five weeks ago in Daly City, Calif. Couch has won six of his eight titles as the tournament leader.

　"This is my third telecast this year and I haven't won yet," Couch said. "I'm hungry for a win and this time I feel I am really ready."

　"I've been pleased with my performance all week," he commented. "Now all I need is one more win for the title."

　Despite losing three games in the round, Ricky Ward managed to move up one spot into second place. Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla., who is making his second consecutive championship round appearance of the year after finishing fourth last week in Latham, N.Y., has upended 11,454 pins. The 10-year pro, who is targeting his fifth PBA title and his first win since 1999 (Reno, Nev.), has gathered a 21-11 match play record. He registered high games of 269, 256 and 268, which was a win against Couch in the last game of the round.

　Falling one place to finish third was Aulby, of Indianapolis (11,282). Aulby, who is fourth on the PBA Tour's all-time victory list with 27 titles, went 3-5 in the round. The PBA Hall of Famer, who owns three ABC Masters (1989, '95 and '98), has compiled an overall, 18-13-1 match play record. Aulby is entering the championship round in the same position he did when he defeated Couch in Daly City, Calif., for his last win.

　Capturing the fourth spot was Eric Forkel, of Northridge, Calif. Forkel, who is making his first championship round since the 2000 Touring Players Championship where he finished fourth, lost the first four games in the round but came back to win the last four, against Couch, Bohn and Aulby (twice). The five-time PBA champion, whose last win was in 1999 (Byrant Park, Manhattan), has a 20-12 match play record and has knocked down 11,259 pins.

　Rounding out the top five was Parker Bohn III, of Jackson, N.J. Bohn, who is going for his 27th PBA title and his third win of the year, won three games in the round, one by the means of a high game of 298 against Aulby. The 1999 PBA Player of the Year, who is the only person multiple PBA titles so far this year, has toppled 11,191 pins.

2001/02/16

　　【PBA】　Tar Heel Open　【Round 4】

　Jason Couch held onto the lead after the second round of match play in the PBA Tour's Tar Heel Open at Country Club Lanes-West Friday afternoon.

　Couch, of Clermont, Fla., lost only two games in the round while averaging 230 through eight games to stay up top and collect a field-best, 13-3 match play record. The former PBA Rookie of the Year (1992), who owns eight PBA titles, rolled a solid block with all games scoring between 215 and 239. He has a 32-game, 7,600 pinfall total and a 225 tournament average.

　Couch, who joins Norm Duke as the only two to cash in every tournament this year, has a high finish of second this year, which came in Daly City, Calif., when he lost to third-place finisher Mike Aulby in the title match.

　"I was very pleased with the way I bowled in both rounds today," Couch said. "I bowled completely different in the two rounds so I was surprised with my consistency."

　"This afternoon I used a much stronger ball and was able to move in further on the lane," commented Couch. "I still have 16 games ahead of me and it's awful early to be consistent but if I can continue to compete as I have been I should be in good shape."

　Moving up three spots to finish second was Parker Bohn III. Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., used high games of 257 and 279 to climb up in the standings. The former PBA Player of the Year (1999), who won his 26th PBA title last week in Latham, N.Y., went 5-3 in the round, of which two losses were to Couch, to bring his record to 10-6. He has upended 7,527 pins and is looking to make his third championship round appearance of the year.

　Aulby, of Indianapolis, started the round with five straight wins to remain in third place. The PBA Hall of Famer, who won his 27th title four weeks ago in Daly City, Calif., rolled a high game of 269 and ended up winning six games in the round to amass a 10-6 record. The two-time PBA Player of the Year (1985, '95)has knocked down 7,517 pins.

　Forkel, of Northridge, Calif., opened the round with a high game of 278 to finish fourth. The five-time PBA titlist, who won his last title in 1999, lost half of the games in the round and has compiled a 11-5 match play record. Forkel, who has been competing on the Tour full-time since 1988, has toppled 7,491 pins.

　This is Forkel's six National Tour event since he sustained back and head injuries last fall in an accident at his home. Prior to returning to the Tour, Forkel captured two PBA Regional titles in 2000.

　Rounding out the top five was Ricky Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla. Ward, who finished fourth last week in Latham, N.Y., has a 7,455 pinfall total. The four-time PBA champion, who was the 1991 PBA Rookie of the Year, has gathered a 10-6 match play record.

2001/02/15

　　【PBA】　Tar Heel Open　【Round 2】

　Parker Bohn III cruised his way to the top after the second round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's Tar Heel Open at Country Club Lanes-West Thursday afternoon.

　Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., moved his way up from sixth by averaging 231 through the round. The PBA Hall of Famer, who won his 26th career title last week in Latham, N.Y., rolled a high game of 286 and has not posted a game below 201 for the entire tournament. The former PBA Player of the Year (1999), who holds the record for single season high average (228.04; 1999), has a 16-game, 3,679 pinfall total (229 average) and is making his fifth match play appearance of the year.

　"I very happy with the way I,ve been bowling," Bohn said. "Today I started out good right out of the gate and around the second or third game I got into a little trouble and had a couple games in the low 200s."

　"I was a little wide down the lane," said Bohn. "So, I cut the hook way down and the picture really started to clear up for me."

　"I'm feeling a lot better today and plan to get as much rest as I can for the rest of the tournament," said Bohn, who was suffering from flu-like symptoms earlier this week.

　Trailing Bohn by 14 pins is Ricky Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla. The former PBA Rookie of the Year (1991), who won his last of four titles in 1999 (Reno, Nev.), bowled a solid round with a high game of 258 and no games below 204. Ward is looking to make his second consecutive championship round appearance after finishing fourth last week in Latham, N.Y.

　Falling into third place was first round leader Mike Aulby, of Indianapolis. Aulby, who is one of four people in history to complete the PBA Triple Crown (PBA National Championship; Tournament of Champion; U.S. Open), has upended 3,633 pins. The 27-time titlist, who also owns two American Bowling Congress (ABC) Masters (1989; '95), registered a high game of 279 but lost ground near the end of the round with two games below 200.

　Fourth place belongs to Richard Wolfe, of Falls Church, Va. Wolfe, who competes on the Tour part-time, has toppled 3,592. The Falls Church, Va., resident, who finished ninth last week in Latham, N.Y., which was his first tournament of the year, is targeting his first PBA title.

　Rounding out the top five was Eric Forkel. Forkel, of Northridge, Calif., who has a high finish of 15th this year (PBA National Championship, Toledo, Ohio), has knocked down 3,551 pins. He ended the round with a high game of 259 and is looking for his sixth PBA title.

　Making the biggest jump of the day from 100th to 11th was Jason Hurd, of Visalia, Calif. Hurd, who owns one PBA title, rolled the highest block of the day, (1,955), for a 244 average through the round. He threw an 814 series (266, 269 and 279) in games three through five.

2001/02/14

　　【PBA】　Tar Heel Open　【Round 1】

　Mike Aulby averaged 237 after the first round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's Tarheel Open at Country Club Lanes-West Wednesday afternoon.

　Aulby, of Indianapolis, opened the tournament with a 1,899, eight-game pinfall total. Aulby, who won his 27th career PBA title last month (Daly City, Calif.), ranks fourth on the all-time victory list. He is the only player in PBA history to have claimed both the PBA Rookie (1979) and Player of the Year (1985, '95)awards. He finished the round with a high game of 268 and chipped in a pair of 248 games.

　"My focus was trying to stay in a good rhythm," said Aulby, who was using a Columbia Rock ball. "The last couple of weeks, I seemed to get over anxious right out of the gate. As a result, I was muscling shots rather than letting the ball do all the work."

　"So, today I concentrated on trying to be smooth through the bottom of my swing and tried not over-lift the ball," commented Aulby. "It seemed to work pretty well.ﾓ"

　Richard Wolfe, of Falls Church, Va., finds himself in the second position, 41 pins behind Aulby. Wolfe, who is aiming toward his first career title, has two match play appearances in 2001. He finished the day with high games of 289 and 269.

　Third place belongs to Eric Forkel and Ricky Ward, who are tied with 1,851 pins felled. Forkel, a five-time PBA champion of Northridge, Calif., is searching for his first title since he won the PBA's first-ever outdoor competition, the New York City PBA Experience (1999) in Bryant Park, Manhattan. Coming back from a serious back injury sustained last spring, he already has two match play appearances in five tournaments bowled this year. Ward earned his first championship round appearance of the year last Sunday, finishing fourth (Latham, N.Y.).

　Todd Masingo, of Salisbury, N.C., rounds out the top five (1,828). A member of the PBA's Southern Region, Masingo is bowling in his first National Tour event in 2001. He rolled high scores of 268, 258 and 255.

2001/02/13

　　【PBA】　Williams Honored At ESPY Awards

　Walter Ray Williams Jr. earned his third career ESPY Award Monday evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

　Williams, who also won the award in 1998 and '99, is the only person in PBA history to win the award duplicate times. The 33-time titlist, who won two titles in 2000, was ranked No. 1 in the PBA World Power Rankings at the close of the 2000 season.

　Other nominees for the award were Norm Duke, Chris Barnes and Professional Womens Bowlers Associationﾕs (PWBA) Wendy McPherson. Duke, who is the reigning PBA Player of the Year, won three titles in 2000, including the PBA National Championship and led the Tour in 2000 earnings. Barnes led the Tour in 2000 average and cashes (tied with Danny Wiseman). McPherson was the first woman ever to be nominated for the ESPY's Bowler of the Year Award.

　Duke was the first-ever recipient of the ESPY Award in 1995. Other winners include Mike Aulby (1996), Bob Learn Jr. (1997) and Parker Bohn III (2000).

2001/02/11

　　【PBA】　Parker Bohn III Empire State Open　【Final】

　Parker Bohn III became the first person to win his own tournament when he captured the PBA Tour's Parker Bohn III Empire State Open Sunday afternoon.

　Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., appeased a center full of loyal fans when he defeated Chris Barnes in the title match, 210-187.

　"Never in my wildest dream did I think I would be up there bowling for the title,"Bohn said. "Its unreal, this title means more to me than I could ever express."

　Bohn, who earned $20,000 for the win, now owns 26 PBA titles, which ties him with Dick Weber and Don Johnson for fifth on the all-time winner's list.

　"I don't know if I'll ever be able to catch up with the top four on the winner's list,"Bohn said. "But it's an honor to be ranked up there with the best and I'll keep chipping away at the title."

　The title match started with strikes for both Bohn and Barnes. Barnes, of Wichita, Kan., who took home $11,000 for second, continued to strike through the fourth frame, making Bohn work for the win early.

　Bohn, who also won here in 1999, converted a single-pin spare in the second frame (7-pin) but then strung together four strikes (frames three through six) to keep the match tight.

　Barnes, who was going for his third title, lost momentum in the fifth frame and left the 3-6-10 combination. He was unable to pick up the spare, leaving two pins and his first open frame of the day. The 1998 PBA Rookie of the Year followed his open frame with a strike to regain life in the game.

　"When that shot left my hand I knew it was a horrible shot," Barnes said. "Then my spare ball was off line and the damage was done."

　Coming off of a four-bagger, Bohn opened the door for Barnes when he left a baby split (2-7 pins) and only picked up one pin, making it his first open in the match.

　However, Barnes was unable to take advantage of Bohn's mistake. He converted spares in the seventh (10-pin) and eighth (4-7 pins) frames. In a crucial ninth frame, Barnes missed too far to the right and threw a gutter ball.

　"I had a tough time making adjustments during the game," Barnes said. "I didn't get it back together in time and the gutter ball made that apparent."

　Although he spared in the ninth frame, Barnes could not put it back together in the 10th frame, leaving the 3-6-10 combination once again, this time leaving one pin and his chances of a win behind.

　Bohn, celebrating his win early, had to keep the ball in play to seal his victory, a feat he easily accomplished with an eight-count in the 10th frame.

　This win is Bohn's second for the year - he won the National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev., with Rohn Morton in January - and he has now won at least one title a year for five consecutive years.

　Barnes, who was the No. 5 position heading into the finals, advanced to the title match by defeating Jason Couch in the semifinal match, 254-199. Couch, of Clermont, Fla., received $7,000 for his third place finish.

　In the second match, Barnes bested Ricky Ward, 224-218. Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla., garnered $5,000 for ending in fourth place.

　In the first match, Barnes won over Brian Himmler, of Cincinnati, 224-200. Himmler, who finished second here last year, got $4,000 for fifth.

2001/02/10

　　【PBA】　Parker Bohn III Empire State Open　【Round 6】

　Parker Bohn III had to wait until the last minute to assure his hold on the top spot after the third round of match play in the PBA Tour's Parker Bohn III Empire State Open.

　Bohn, who led the tournament since round three, secured the spot as tournament leader with seven wins in the round to bring his match play record to 17-7. The PBA Hall of Famer, who won this tournament in 1999, entered the last game one pin ahead of second place finisher Jason Couch and shot a high game of 277 to secure the lead. Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., who owns 25 PBA titles, has a 42-game 10,378 pinfall total and a 234 tournament average. The former PBA Player of the Year (1999), who is 13-10 as the tournament leader, has won the last two events he has led (2001 National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev., with Rohn Morton; 2000 Japan Cup;Tokyo).

　Moving up one spot to finish second was Couch, of Clermont, Fla. The 10th-year touring pro, who threw a high game of 290, went 6-2 in the round to amass a 17-7 match record. The former PBA Rookie of the Year, who led the tournament two weeks ago in Daly City, Calif., and finished second to Mike Aulby, had the high block for the round (1,958) and has knocked down 10,318 pins. Couch, who is looking for his ninth PBA victory, has faced Bohn in three title matches and is 1-2.

　Also rising one place in the standings was Ricky Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla. Ward, who is making his first telecast since 1999, lost the first three games in the round, including a loss with his high game of 269, but came back to win four games, good for an overall, 14-10, match play record. The four-time PBA champion, who was the 1991 PBA Rookie of the Year, has upended 10,069 pins.

　Brian Himmler, of Cincinnati, dropped from second to capture fourth place. The 27-year-old, who led this tournament last year and finished second to Pete Weber, won only two games in the round, one of which he won with a high game of 280. Himmler, who won his lone PBA title in Albuquerque, N.M., in 1999, has felled 9,877 pins (14-9-1).

　Rounding out the top five is Chris Barnes, of Wichita, Kan. Barnes, who is making his first telecast of the year, entered the last game in the eighth position and rolled a 233 to win his game and to advance to the championship round finals. He has a 9,792 pinfall total and a 13-11 match play record. The 1998 PBA Rookie of the Year, who made 12 telecasts in 2000 without a win, is targeting his third career title.

　　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【ＴＶ決勝】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【ＴＶ決勝】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【ラウンドロビン】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【ラウンドロビン】

2001/02/09

　　【PBA】　Parker Bohn III Empire State Open　【Round 4】

　Parker Bohn III continued to dictate the pace after the first round of match play in the PBA Tour's Parker Bohn III Empire State Open at Bowlers Club Friday evening.

　Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., swapped the lead with second-place finisher Brian Himmler throughout the round, but managed to work his way back to the top by averaging 230 for the eight-game session. The former PBA Player of the Year (1999), who won this tournament in 1999, lost only the first game in the round to Himmler. Bohn, who won his 25th PBA title earlier this year with Rohn Morton in the National Bowling Stadium (NBS) National/Senior Doubles (Reno, Nev.), has a 26-game, 6,379 pinfall total and an overall 237 average.

　"Overall I felt good tonight," said Bohn. "I didn't have a very good last game (194), but I was able to win it and in match play that can be just as important as bowling a high game."

　"You definitely don't want to get rattled during match play," commented Bohn. "And fortunately when I am in front and leading a tournament I can go out there and figure out what needs to be done."

　Himmler, of Cincinnati, completed the round 79 pins behind Bohn to grab second. The one-time PBA champion, who finished second here last after being the tournament leader, rolled a high game of 299 against Steve Hoskins and won all but two games. Himmler, who is looking for his first win since 1999 in Albuquerque, N.M., and his second title overall, is making his second match play appearance of the year.

　Third place belongs to Ricky Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla. Ward, who owns four PBA titles, gathered a 5-3 match play record while moving up from fifth place. He registered a high game of 265 and has toppled 6,147 pins.

　Moving up from 17th into fourth was Patrick Healey Jr. Healey, of Mexico City, won the first five games in the round while posting high games of 268 and 269 with only one game below 227. The fourth-year pro, who has compiled a 6-2 match play record, has knocked down 6,121 pins. He is looking for his first PBA title and has a career high finish of second on the Tour, which came last year in the Track Canandaigua (N.Y.) Open.

　Slipping two spots to round out the top five was Jason Couch. Couch, of Clermont, Fla., who finished 19th here last year, went 5-3 in the round. The former PBA Rookie of the Year (1992), who owns eight titles including two Tournament of Champions (1999, 2000), has upended 6,102 pins. He is looking to improve on a 19th place finish here last year.

　　【PBA】　Parker Bohn III Empire State Open　【Round 3】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【準決勝】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【準決勝】

2001/02/08

　　【PBA】　Parker Bohn III Empire State Open　【Round 2】

　Tony Reyes used perfection to move into the top spot after the second round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's Parker Bohn III Empire State Open Thursday evening at Bowlers Club.

　Reyes, who moved up from seventh place, averaged 248 through the six-game round. The San Jose, Calif., resident, who has a high finish of ninth this year (National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev.), also added a pair of 257 games to his score. The third year pro, who is targeting his first PBA title, has a 12-game, 2,873 pinfall total and a 239 tournament average.

　"I had a little trouble in my first game and left a split but still managed a 243 game," said Reyes. "Then I went to the next pair and had the 300 game and from then on I was lined up."

　"Tomorrow I just want to try and stay out of trouble and build up as much as I can with my pinfall," Reyes commented. "It would be great to stay in the lead but as long as I can stay around the top three or four I will be satisfied."

　Climbing one spot into second place was Brian Himmler, of Cincinnati. Himmler, who led this tournament last year but lost to Pete Weber in the title match, rolled a strong round with no games below 225 while averaging 235. The 27-year-old, who won his lone title in 1999 in Albuquerque, N.M., has toppled 2,849 pins.

　First round leader Mike Edwards, of Oklahoma City, was unable to match the vigorous pace he maintained during the first round and fell to third place. The one-time titlist, who has been competing full-time on the Tour since 1983, opened the round with a 264, which would be his high game. He has knocked down 2,841 pins.

　Moving up four places to capture fourth was tournament namesake, Parker Bohn III. Bohn, who is a 25-time PBA champion, has a 2,840 pinfall total. The PBA Hall of Famer, whose win here in 1999 was one of five titles he captured that year, bowled a consistent round with a high game of 268 and a low game of 224. He is aiming toward his second victory of the year after winning the NBS National/Senior Doubles with Rohn Morton in January.

　Rounding out the top five was rookie Tommy Jones. Jones, of Greenville, S.C., who started the round in 18th, averaged 242 through the round with a high game of 269. Jones, who has cashed in two of four tournaments this year, has a 2,803 pinfall total and is looking to make his first match play appearance in 2001.

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【予選後半】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【予選後半】

　　【PBA】　Parker Bohn III Empire State Open　【Round 1】

　Mike Edwards jumped out to a 90-pin lead after the first round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's Parker Bohn III Empire State Open Thursday afternoon at Bowlers Club.

　Edwards, of Oklahoma City, began the day with games of 298, 290 and 289 for an 877 three-game series, missing the PBA record (889) held by Jason Hurd (Tournament of Champions, 1999) by 12 pins. Edwards, who owns one career PBA title (Markham, Ontario, Canada, 1994), amassed a 1,528, six-game pinfall total, good for a tournament-leading 254 average.

　"That was the highest three-game series of my life," said Edwards. "I used to hold the Oklahoma state record with 869 which I set in 1992, but that was broken last year. Until now, that was my all-time best."

　"You can't win after only six games of qualifying, but it's still nice to start with a lead like this," he commented.

　Tommy Delutz Jr., of Flushing, N.Y., claimed the second position after upending 1,438 total pins. Delutz, who also has one title to his credit (Lakewood, Calif., 1999), posted a high game of 287. He is looking to earn his second consecutive match play appearance of the year.

　Brian Himmler, who led this tournament last year and finished second to Pete Weber, wound up in third place (1,435). Also a one-time titlist (Albuquerque, N.M., 1999), Himmler bowled a consistent round with games of 249, 244, 238 (three) and 228. The Cincinnati resident is targeting his second match play appearance of 2001.

　Sitting in fourth place was Richard Wolfe, of Falls Church, Va., (1,409). Wolfe is also reaching for his second match play appearance this year. He has a career high finish of second (Indianapolis, 1995) in seven career championship round appearances.

　Rounding out the top five in a tie were Doug Kent and David Ozio (1,387). Kent, of Newark, N.Y., is aiming toward his first match play showing of 2001. He owns five career PBA titles. Ozio, of Beaumont, Texas, won the last of his 11 career titles in 1995 (Richmond, Va.).

2001/02/07

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【予選前半】

　　【JPBA】　報知オールスターボウリング　Nestle カップ　【予選前半】

2001/02/04

　　【PBA】　PBA National Championship　【Final】

　Walter Ray Williams Jr. won the PBA Tour's PBA National Championship Sunday afternoon at Southwyck Lanes and moved to within one jewel of claiming the Triple Crown.

　Williams, of Ocala, Fla., defeated Jeff Lizzi, of Sandusky, Ohio, 258-204, to earn the $25,000 top-prize and his 33rd career PBA title, which ranks third all-time (one win behind Mark Roth).

　"My goal is to win every week, regardless of how much importance is placed on each tournament," said Williams. "Many people have criticized me for not having more majors under my belt since I have so many titles. Now I have three. That's not too bad, I guess."

　Williams, a PBA Hall of Famer, needs only the Tournament of Champions title to become the fifth player in PBA history to complete the Triple Crown (T of C, PBA National Championship, U.S. Open). The victory also gave Williams his third career major title (U.S. Open, 1998; Touring Players Championship, 1994).

　After opening the title match with a spare Williams reeled off five consecutive strikes to take a 44-pin lead after the sixth frame.

　However, right from the start, the key to the match was the tough right lane. Lizzi, who earned $13,000 in second, started with a strike on the left lane followed by two straight spares and two strikes in the fourth and fifth frames.

　But, Lizzi's fate began to slip out of his own hands when he was unable to convert the 8-10 split, his third shot on the difficult right lane.

　"The right lane was the key to the match," said Lizzi, who lost a title match for the second consecutive week. "It got tighter as we bowled and we were forced to make some pretty good shots. Unfortunately, I didn't adjust fast enough."

　Lizzi followed with a spare in the seventh and his second strike on the right lane in the eighth frame. He finished the match with two strikes sandwiched around a spare.

　Williams didn't have quite as much trouble with the right side, shooting a total of three strikes and three spares on the lane.

　"I knew I needed to play a direct line on the right lane which had more hang,"said Williams. "That's why I used a Hammer 2001 with a dull finish on that lane. That ball allowed me to squeeze out the most hook into the pocket."

　He finished with a spare in the seventh frame, three strikes in a row, and a 10-pin spare.

　In the semifinal match, Lizzi was forced to beat Tommy Delutz Jr. on their third one-shot roll-off, 10-9, after tying 239-239. Delutz, of Flushing, N.Y., finished in third place, earning $7,000.

　In the second match, Lizzi knocked off Dave Arnold, 224-203. Arnold, of Reno, Nev., wound up in fourth with $5,000.

　In the first match, Arnold slid by Chris Hayden, 235-214. Hayden, of Tampa, Fla., rounded out the top five, garnering $4,000.

2001/02/03

　　【PBA】　PBA National Championship　【Round 7】

　Walter Ray Williams Jr. nabbed the No. 1 spot after the third round of match play in the PBA Tour's PBA National Championship at Southwyck Lanes Saturday evening.

　Williams, of Ocala, Fla., needs only to win Sundayﾕs title match versus the survivor of the first three matches to claim his 33rd career PBA title. The five-time PBA Player of the Year (1986, '93, '96, '97, '98) amassed a 12,653, 56-game pinfall total and collected a field-best 18-6 match play record.

　In his career as the tournament leader, Williams has collected an 11-19 record with a 219.85 average. He has won his last 4 matches as the tournament leader (Coram, N.Y., 1998; Indianapolis, 1998; Tucson, Ariz., 1999; Track Canandaigua Open, Canandaigua, N.Y., 2000). This is his second straight championship round appearance of the year (Las Vegas, fifth place).

　Williams defeated Tommy Delutz Jr., 215-200, in the final game of the night to earn the top spot. Leading Delutz by only five pins heading into the match, he managed to pull away at the end, throwing five consecutive strikes to finish.

　Although he owns two career majors (Touring Players Championship, 1994;U.S. Open, 1998), Williams has never won the PBA National Championship.

　Delutz, of Flushing, N.Y., earned the second position, 50 pins behind Williams. The one-time PBA champion (Lakewood, Calif., 1999), who started the round in third place, racked up a 13-11 record. The 34-year-old will make his second straight championship round appearance in a major. Last November, he finished seventh at the Tournament of Champions (Lake Zurich, Ill.).

　Claiming the third spot is Jeff Lizzi, of Sandusky, Ohio, (12,487). Lizzi, who owns one career PBA title (Lake Zurich, Ill., 1992), posted a 13-11 record. He finished third in the U.S. Open (Phoenix) last year, his first time bowling in the championship round of a Triple Crown event. The Triple Crown consists of the PBA National Championship, U.S. Open and T of C.

　Dave Arnold, who went 13-10-1 in match play, earned the fourth position after posting the best block total of the evening, with a 230 average (1,840). Arnold, who owns two career PBA titles, is searching for his first victory since 1996 (Reno, Nev.). He toppled 12,446 total pins. Interestingly enough, Arnold defeated Williams for both of his PBA titles.

　Rounding out the top five is Chris Hayden, of Tampa, Fla., (12,424). Hayden, who is shooting for his first career PBA title, went 12-12 in match play.

　　【PBA】　PBA National Championship　【Round 6】

　Patrick Healey Jr. overtook the top spot after the second round of match play in the PBA Tour's PBA National Championship at Southwyck Lanes Saturday afternoon.

　With only two losses in the eight-game round, Healey managed to build up a 15-pin lead over Walter Ray Williams Jr., who is in second. Healey, of Mexico City, posted high games of 252 and 279 while racking up an overall 9-7 record. The fourth-year pro, who has a career high finish of second (2000 Track Canandaigua [N.Y.] Open), is averaging 217 for the tournament and has a 48-game, 10,713 pinfall total. He is looking to improve on a high finish of sixth this year (National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev.).

　"Throughout the week I played all of the lanes as many ways as possible,"said Healey. "So today I knew pretty much what to expect."

　"I played the outside of the lane and it matched up so well," said Healey. "I had about four or five games where I hit the pocket almost the entire time. Now that I"ve gotten to the lead, my goal is to build on it through the rest of the last round."

　Making the biggest move of the day to go from 14th place to second was Williams, of Ocala, Fla. The five-time PBA Player of the Year (1986, '93, '96, '97 and '98), who finished 17th here last year, used a high game of 268 and won seven games in the round and gathered a field best, 12-4 match play record. The PBA Hall of Famer owns 32 PBA titles but has never won the PBA National Championship.

　Dropping one spot into third was Tommy Delutz Jr., of Flushing, N.Y. The 34-year-old, who is aiming toward his second title and his first PBA major, won half of his games in the round to compile a 9-7 match play record. Delutz, who took over the lead after the first game in the round and stayed there for four games before losing the lead to Healey, has toppled 10,677 pins.

　Also making a substantial move in the standings from 15th to fourth was Brian Voss, of Atlanta. Voss, who won the 1988 PBA National Championship, rolled high games of 256 and 263 in the midst of winning seven games during the round. The 20-time PBA titlist has racked up an 11-5 match play record and is looking to make his second championship round appearance of the year.

　Rounding out the top five is Parker Bohn III. Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., went 4-4 in the round, good for an 8-7-1 record. The PBA Hall of Famer, who ties Pete Weber with 25 PBA titles, has a 10,571 pinfall total. He is looking for his second win of the year (National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev., with Rohn Morton) and his first career major.

　Jeff Lizzi, of Sandusky, Ohio, rolled the first 300 game of the tournament during the round. He is currently in seventh place.

2001/02/02

　　【PBA】　PBA National Championship　【Round 5】

　Steve Jaros averaged 219 and overtook the lead after the first round of match play in the PBA Tour's PBA National Championship at Southwyck Lanes Friday evening.

　Jaros, of Bolingbrook, Ill., climbed five places in the round to claim the top spot. The three-time PBA titlist has collected an 8,819, 40-game pinfall total and a field best 216.73 overall average. Bowling in his second match play appearance of 2001, Jaros posted a 5-3 record with 16 games left to go. His fourth place finish in the 2000 Tournament of Champions (Lake Zurich, Ill.)was his highest place in any Triple Crown event.

　"Unfortunately, they don't let us cut to the show now," joked Jaros, who finished 31st here last year. "There's still a lot of bowling left, but I'd rather be in this position than have to come from behind with just two rounds left."

　"Being the leader, you have more confidence," he said. "You know that you can win matches when you have to."

　Jaros, part of a crop of bowlers this swing experimenting with new equipment, has also treated the first few weeks as a trial and transition period.

　"Part of the first few weeks has been getting used to seeing how the new balls react off my hand," said Jaros. "I'm trying to build an arsenal of whatever compliments my game. This week I've been using mostly a Columbia 300 Pulse in the mornings and a Hammer Reaper and Reaper II in the evenings."

　Tommy Delutz Jr., of Flushing, N.Y., remained in second place, only six pins behind Jaros. Delutz, who owns one PBA title (Lakewood, Calif., 1999), recorded a 5-3 record. The 34-year-old made his only career championship round appearance in a major at last year's T of C, finishing seventh.

　The third position belongs to Parker Bohn III, who registered a 4-3-1 record (8,769). Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., owns 25 career PBA titles, the last of which came earlier this month with senior partner Rohn Morton at the National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles (Reno, Nev.). The PBA Hall of Famer is targeting his first championship round appearance in the PBA National Championship and his first career major. He missed the championship round here last year by one pin.

　Chris Hayden, of Tampa, Fla., jumped three places to land in fourth with a 3-5 record. Hayden, who is aiming toward his first career title, has a high finish of fifth this year (Daly City, Calif.). He lost to Justin Hromek in the opening match of the Silicon Valley Open, 195-255, two weeks ago.

　Rounding out the top five is Dennis Horan, of Temecula, Calif., who moved up from 11th place (8,744, 4-4). Horan, a four-time PBA champion, owns two career majors, both being the Touring Players Championship in Akron, Ohio (1998 and 2000).

　　【PBA】　PBA National Championship　【Round 4】

　Norm Duke remained at the top after the fourth round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's PBA National Championship at Southwyck Lanes Friday afternoon.

　Duke, of Clermont, Fla., maintained the lead via a 241 high game and only two games below 200 through the eight-game round. The 19-time PBA champion, who also owns an American Bowling Congress Masters title (1991; Tulsa, Okla.), has a 32-game, 7,020 pinfall total, good for a 219 average. The reigning PBA Player of the Year defeated Jason Couch in the title match here last year, 214-198, to win the first of three titles he captured in 2000. Should Duke win this year, he would be the third person to successfully defend the PBA National Championship (Mike McGrath won in 1969 and '70; Earl Anthony won in 1973, '74 and '75 and in '81, '82 and '83).

　"My scores were slightly lower this morning than I would have liked," said Duke, who had his lowest block of the tournament (1,676). "But I'm not too disappointed with my performance because I am aware of how tough the condition is out there."

　"I'm just going to rest up for tonight and hopefully I'll be ready to fight it out in match play," said Duke.

　Moving up one spot to grab second is Tommy Delutz Jr. The Flushing, N.Y., resident, who did not make match play in this tournament last year, ended the round with a high game of 244. Delutz, who won his lone PBA title in 1999 (Lakewood, Calif.), has upended 6,983 pins. He is looking to make his first championship round appearance in a PBA National Championship.

　Trailing Delutz by 28 pins to capture third is Dave Arnold, of Reno, Nev. The two-time PBA titleholder, who finished second to Tim Criss in the PBA National Championship in 1999, opened the round with a high game of 257 to rise through the ranks early in the day. He is aiming toward his first win first win since 1996 (Reno, Nev.).

　Fourth place belongs to Parker Bohn III. Bohn, who led the second round of the tournament, has knocked down 6,930 pins. The former PBA Player of the Year (1999), who won his 25th PBA title earlier this year in the National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles (Reno, Nev.) with Rohn Morton, registered a high game of 244 despite slipping two spots. He is looking for his first career PBA major.

　Rounding out the top five is Patrick Healey Jr., of Mexico City. The fourth-year pro, who made five championship round appearances last year, has toppled 6,918 pins. Healey, who is looking for his first PBA title, recorded a 251 score in game No. 1, which would be his high game for the round. He has a high finish of third in a PBA major, which was the 1995 Tournament of Champions (Lake Zurich, Ill.), when Healey competed as a non-member.

　There have been no 300 games in the first four rounds of the tournament. Last year, there was only one 300 game, which was rolled by Parker Bohn III.

　Among those that missed the cut to match play were Brian Himmler (32nd), Chris Barnes (35th) and Tim Criss (36th).

　　【PBA】　Aulby Voted January's Best Bowler

　Mike Aulby was voted Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Month for January by a select panel of the organization, BWAA President Dan Gluss announced today.

　Aulby, the 40-year-old left-hander from Indianapolis who is a Hall of Fame member of both the American Bowling Congress and the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), earned his 27th career PBA title with a 257-211 conquest of fellow left-hander Jason Couch of Clermont, Fla., in the deciding contest of the Silicon Valley Open in Daly City, Calif. Aulby, who had seventh and 21st place finishes in other PBA competition last month, took sole possession of fourth place on the all-time victory list and became the third player in league history to surpass $2 million in career earnings.

　Ryan Shafer of Elmira, N.Y. who captured his third PBA championship at The Orleans Casino Open in Las Vegas, was runner-up in the balloting.

2001/02/01

　　【PBA】　PBA National Championship　【Round 3】

　Defending champion Norm Duke seized the top spot after the third round of qualifying in the PBA Tour's PBA National Championship at Southwyck Lanes Thursday.

　Duke, of Clermont, Fla., climbed two places into the No. 1 position after averaging 217 during the round with a 268 high game. The 19-time PBA titlist has amassed a 5,344, 24-game pinfall total for a tournament-best 222.67 average. He won this tournament last year for his third career major (Tournament of Champions, 1994; ABC Masters, 1993). The 36-year-old has never successfully defended a title in his 19-year career despite winning numerous times in Cleveland (1983, '91 and '95) and Rochester, N.Y., (1994 and '98).

　Last year, the PBA National Championship moved across town to its new home, Southwyck Lanes. Imperial Lanes was the home of the event from 1980-1999.

　"I've had nothing but pleasing experiences here," said Duke about bowling at Southwyck. "Besides winning last year, this is where I used to practice when we bowled at Imperial. So, I know this center pretty well."

　"The two sides play like four totally different houses," Duke said about the split-house that is Southwyck Lanes. "I think my success here is purely strategic."

　"Rather than using a number of balls to compensate for varying house characteristics, I try to stick with one or two balls and simply tweak my game off of that. Whereas most players can confuse themselves here switching balls in order to find a new ball that matches up from pair-to-pair."

　Duke has used only two AMF Menace Tour balls to this point in the tournament.

　"I play here like you should play a major. I'm just trying to protect my score by grinding it out and making all my spares."

　Brian Voss, of Atlanta, trails Duke by only 16 pins (222.00 average) in the second position. The PBA Hall of Famer bowled every game during the round above 200 with a high game of 257. He was awarded PBA Player of the Year honors back in 1988, the same year he won the PBA National Championship (Toledo, Ohio), his only career major. Voss owns 20 career titles, the last of which came in 1998 (Virginia Beach, Va.).

　Tommy Delutz Jr. fell one place into third (5,316). Delutz, of Flushing, N.Y., owner of one career PBA title (Lakewood, Calif., 1999), posted a high score of 248. The 34-year-old is targeting his first match play appearance in 2001.

　Finishing the day in fourth is Parker Bohn III, of Jackson, N.J., who dropped from the top spot. The PBA Hall of Famer bowled four of his eight games today below 200 on the demanding morning condition for a total of only five games below 200 during the tournament. He averaged 201 during the round, dropping his tournament average from 227 to 218. Though he owns 25 career PBA titles, Bohn is searching for his first major.

　Walter Ray Williams Jr., of Ocala, Fla., rounds out the top five having felled 5,237 pins. The 32-time PBA champions, who owns two career majors (Touring Players Championship 1994; U.S. Open, 1998), is looking to claim his second jewel in bowling's Triple Crown. The Triple Crown consists of the PBA National Championship, the U.S. Open and the PBA Tournament of Champions.