森谷留美子

アマ　山下貴子　選手

　　【PBA】　PBA Empire State Open　【Final】

Kent Keeps Empire Title at Home

Doug Kent

Doug Kent relegated top-ranked Chris Barnes to his fourth second-place finish of the season Sunday in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Empire State Open at Siena College.

Kent, Newark, N.Y., defeated Barnes, Dallas, in the championship match, 257-204, and earned his sixth career PBA Tour title along with the $40,000 top prize.

With the match even heading into the seventh, Barnes opened the door when he missed the 2-4-5-8 "bucket."

"The turning point in the match was after he left the bucket," Kent said. "At that point, I knew if I could put the hammer on him twice, the match was mine."

Kent countered with two strikes, including a tripped 4-pin in the seventh.

Barnes failed to strike again until his fill-ball in the 10th. Kent finished with strikes in the ninth and on his first shot in the 10th, meaning he needed just three pins on his second ball for the win. He got nine to seal the victory.

Kent became the fourth wild card qualifier to win a title (since Sept. 2001). He was beat Saturday night by Barnes (one-game-to-three) but qualified for the finals with the least amount of overall losses (five) of the quarterfinals losers. Barnes has now been the runner-up victim twice to wild cards (Uncasville, Conn., 2001).

"I don't ever want to go to bed saying 'what if,'" said Barnes, who won $20,000. "I would've lost the semifinals if I didn't make an adjustment. I made the right move (changing balls and throwing straighter). But, the problem with that move is that any kind of small change down lane makes a big difference (to ball reaction). That's exactly what happened. What was a shaker-strike in the semifinals turned out to be a bucket in the final."

Barnes earned 20,000 points in second and remained atop the PBA World Point Rankings (163,650). Kent picked up 25,000 points and moved from 40th to 23rd. The top eight will earn a Round of 16 seed at the PBA World Championship in March (Taylor, Mich.)

In the semifinals, Kent wiggled by Tommy Delutz Jr., 242-238, and Barnes upended second-ranked Walter Ray Williams Jr., 239-198. Delutz, Flushing, N.Y., and Williams, Ocala, Fla., earned $10,000 apiece in third. In the opening match, Kent beat Steve Jaros, 254-214. Jaros, Bolingbrook, Ill., finished fifth with $9,000.

小須田礼子

　　【PBA】　PBA Empire State Open　【Round 5】

Jaros Advances to ESPN Finals

Steve Jaros

There are dual tournaments at stake for Steve Jaros Sunday in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)Empire State Open in the ESPN finals at Siena College.

Not only is Jaros seeking his first title since 1999 in Chattanooga, Tenn., he is also seeking entry into the prestigious Tournament of Champions next week at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

"My mind has been on the T of C the entire first half of the season," the three-time titlist said. "I was telling my wife, June, that I have to win (this week) and that's what I have been focused on this week.

There is a lot at stake in this tournament - double points, placing in the top 8 for points in the World Championship (in March) - if I don't make it to the T of C, it's like missing two tournaments."

Jaros is the only finalist that can eliminate Hall-of-Famer Mike Aulby, who is the 26th and last entry on the PBA Tour list of entries.

Before Jaros concentrates on the T of C, Jaros must first worry about beating wildcard Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., in the wildcard match of the ESPN finals and advancing through the semifinals to the championship match as the tournament moves to Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. from Bowlers Club in Latham, N.Y.

"The arena finals are exciting," Jaros said. "It will be a different environment and a lot of fun. I never go into a telecast expecting the same conditions and environment as qualifying and match play - the lanes are different and there are different variables involved. But this is what we do - This is what we train our whole lives to do."

Jaros defeated 29-time titlist Pete Weber in the Round of 8 to advance to the ESPN finals Sunday at 1 p.m. In the best-of-five game series, Jaros started off the match with a 235-214 win in the first game and a 269-208 victory in the second game.

Weber, seeking his first television appearance this year, battled back in the third game to win 259-225 but still trailed 1-2. In the fourth game, Weber was close to tying the match when he threw what he felt was a "good ball" but actually was a split.

"I threw it well. I thought it was a good ball but it split," Weber said. "He got some good breaks tonight and I got some bad breaks."

Jaros and Kent will face each other in the wildcard match. Chris Barnes, Dallas, and Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., meet in the first semi-final match. In the second semi-final, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y. will meet the winner of the wildcard match.

Lucky Leprechaun

Tony Reyes

Top qualifier Tony Reyes needed all of his "lucky charms" to win Friday night in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Empire State Open at Bowlers Club.

Reyes, Cupertino, Calif., defeated fellow Californian Vince Wood, of Moreno Valley, four-games-to-three and advanced to face Tommy Delutz Jr. in Saturday's Round of 16. The 29-year-old trailed in the match 0-3 before his tour roommate Jimmy Johnson came to the rescue and delivered Reyes' new Lucky Charms bobble-head doll (crafted after the breakfast cereal).

"I got it Tuesday at a nearby mall," Reyes joked. "I just thought it was funny. I remembered the Austin Powers movie and the character who talked about 'me lucky charms.' It made me laugh so hard, I just had to have it."

Reyes purchased the doll which automatically became a good luck piece.

"I led both rounds of qualifying and had it with me. After tonight, I have 100 percent belief in it now."

After Johnson came through with his delivery in the nick of time, Reyes made a bold move on the lanes that paid off big.

"I moved a big step left and just started ripping on the ball," he said. "I turned to Tommy Jones (who had just swept his match to the next pair right) and said 'you're done, can I have some revs?' I had no other option. The ball would wiggle when you tried to go straight at it. You needed to have a trick tonight. The lanes were reacting a lot different."

The tricks and charms worked as Reyes won the last four games (258-156, 212-212 [10-9], 192-185, 214-204).

In other matches, tour rookie Michael Fagan knocked off PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby in seven games. The 22-year-old right-handed cranker, too, was playing a deep inside line by the end of the match. He won for the first time in three match play appearances.

"It's a big relief," Fagan commented. "I think I just needed to get over the hump. I'll be less nervous now when I start match play. I can now see that simply getting match play experience is a huge part of winning. The first two times, I didn't think it was going to be any different than qualifying. But, it's a totally different game."

Fagan will bowl against Chris Barnes who defeated Chris Sand in seven games. Barnes finished last in the decisive game and needed two strikes and a nine-count to win by one. He got all three strikes and won 214-212.

Other Round of 16 match ups include: Tim Criss vs. Michael Machuga; Pete Weber vs. Kurt Pilon; Wes Godwin vs. Steve Jaros; Paul Fleming vs. Doug Kent; Jason Couch vs. Randy Weiss; and Walter Ray Williams Jr. vs. Tommy Jones.

　　【PBA】　PBA Empire State Open　【Round 2】

Aulby In Control of Own Destiny

Mike Aulby

Mike Aulby is in danger of missing the Tournament of Champions next week. So the hall-of-famer took matters in his hands today in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Empire State Open at Bowlers Club.

Aulby, Indianapolis, posted the field's highest second-round qualifying average (234.56) and moved from 57th place to 10th, earning his second match play appearance of the season. Ranked sixth all-time with 27 career titles, Aulby is the last player "on the bubble" for entry into the season's first major, Dec. 12-15 at Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Conn.).

"I can only do what I can do," he said. "I can only take it one round at a time. Hopefully, I can keep bowling well enough to keep myself in it. Otherwise, I'll be depending on some help."

Aulby is 26th on the exemption list for the T of C. Only the last 26 different winners from the PBA Tour earn a spot into the prestigious event (plus three champions apiece from the Regional Tour and Senior Tour). Last week at Syosset, N.Y., Norm Duke played himself back into the event with his 20th career title after being knocked out the previous week by Randy Pedersen.

Aulby didn't play in last week's tournament. He took the week off to spend Thanksgiving with his family.

"I've been out here a lot of years and have missed a lot of Thanksgivings," he commented. "It's always good to be with family for a while and get refreshed."

The break helped. Aulby had his second-best qualifying performance of the season, earning a No. 10 qualifying spot. He qualified sixth at Taylor, Mich., before losing to Brian Voss in the Round of 16. In tonight's Round of 32, Aulby will bowl rookie Michael Fagan, who earned his third top 32 berth.

Tony Reyes, Cupertino, Calif., led the 18-game qualifier with 4,167 pins (231.5 average). Reyes, targeting his first title, will face off against former amateur star Vince Wood, Moreno Valley, Calif. Wood made a name for himself as the third bowler in history to shoot a sanctioned 900 series (Sept. 29, 1999). This is Wood's second appearance in match play.

Chris Barnes, Dallas, continued his streak as the only bowled to make match play in every event this season (11). Barnes, the No. 7 qualifier, will bowl Christopher Sand, Chesterfield, Mich. (No. 26).

Local native Brian LeClair earned his first match play berth this year. LeClair, Athens, N.Y., will roll off against Kurt Pilon.

Reyes Rises to the Top

Tony Reyes

Tony Reyes capitalized on his good shot-making and a general good feeling to lead the first round of qualifying Thursday in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Empire State Open at Bowlers Club.

Reyes, Cupertino, Calif., averaged 242.00 and knocked down 2,178 pins to lead the nine-game qualifying round. His highest score came in the eighth game when he rolled a 279. His other scores were 223, 224, 268, 211, 269, 236, 242 and 226.

"I just had a good feeling going into this week," Reyes said. "I capitalized on the shots and took advantage when I could. This wood surface is like what I grew up on and I feel comfortable."

The 29-year-old's highest finish in a PBA tournament was second in his rookie year in 1999 at Lakewood, Calif. Last season he made four television appearances, with high finishes of third in Dallas and Long Island. This season, he has finished in the Round of 32 three times and cashed in two additional tournaments. With his high qualifying finishes, he hasn't been able to get past the first round of match play.

"I have been right there a couple of weeks but drew some guys that were doing really well and got knocked out the first round," Reyes said. "But tomorrow it's just about repeating and making good shots in the Round of 64 and then I'll worry about match play."

Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., finished in second place with a 239.11 average. Wes Godwin, Monroe, N.C., who led after the morning squad, averaged 237.78 and holds third place. In fourth is Kip Roberts, Glenallen, Va., after averaging 232.56. Rounding out the top five is Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, Ill., who averaged 232.33 and finished in fifth place.

Brothers Lonnie and Brian Waliczek finished the day in back-to-back positions. Older brother Lonnie finished in 18th place (224.11) and Brian finished in 19th place (224.00).

M.J. Eaton rolled the only perfect game of the day and finished in 63rd place after averaging 212.67 and knocking down 1,914 pins.

Duke, Back on Top!

Norm Duke

Norm Duke won the closest final match in history Sunday when he defeated David Traber for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Cambridge Credit Classic at AMF Syosset Lanes.

Duke, Clermont, Fla., won the third one-ball roll-off, 10-9, and claimed the title after he tied Traber, 245-245. The bowlers were knotted at 9-9 and 10-10 in the first two tiebreakers, respectively.

"I finally told myself 'you've just got to pick that hammer up (strike) or he's going to dust you,'" said Duke, who earned $40,000. "I think I willed 'em (the pins) over."

Duke garnered his 20th career title, becoming just the 13th player to reach the milestone. He tied Dick Ritger and Wayne Webb for 11th on the all-time win list. Duke's last title came in 2000 at Tucson, Ariz. With the victory, he moved back to the top of the Tournament of Champions exemption list after he lost the final spot last week to Randy Pedersen.

The sudden-death, one-ball roll-off has been used to break ties on the PBA Tour since 1997. Today was the first time it was used to decide a title. In the extra frames, Traber left a ringing 10-pin and Duke failed to win when he left the 7. Both players threw strikes on the second roll off. Finally, Traber left the 4-pin standing on the third attempt and Duke threw a solid strike.

"My legs were wobbling on that first shot," Duke commented. "I can't believe I got nine. The way it came off my handﾉ that was a six-count all day long."

For both bowlers, it was the longest (and closest) game they'd ever been a part of.

"I think I threw the best three shots of my career (to send the game to sudden death)," Traber, who earned $20,000, said. "In the roll-offs I knew it was going to be a 10 or a 9-count on every shot. I just pinched it enough to leave a 4-pin (on the left lane). The left was tighter. I knew I could hit the right lane once I got lined up."

Duke threw the last six strikes in regulation, forcing Traber to get all three in the 10th. Traber started the match and rolled thee straight strikes. He picked up spares in the fourth, eighth and ninth. Duke began with two strikes and settled for four consecutive spares in the third through seventh.

In the semifinals, Duke defeated Doug Kent, 255-245, while Traber knocked off Hugh Miller, 238-209. Kent, Newark, N.Y., and Miller, Seattle, finished tied for third with $10,000 each. In the opening match, Kent beat Jason Hurd, Titusville, Fla., 224-201. Hurd earned $9,000 in fifth.