Final Four Are Set

Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes saved his best for last Saturday night, defeating Patrick Allen, 280-206, in the final match to earn the top seed for Sunday's final in the 62nd U.S. Open presented by Odor-Eaters at Brunswick Zone Carolier.

Barnes, who has five career Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour titles, will be looking to capture his first career major. He finished with an 11,397 51-game pinfall and a 14-9-1 record over the five days of qualifying and match play.

Barnes, Dallas, went into the final match for seeding against Allen, Tarrytown, N.Y., leading by 34 pins. After a spare in the 2nd frame, Barnes fired off strikes on his last 10 shots to put the match away.

"I can't think of a better place to be," said Barnes about the top seed. "It would've been nice to save some of those breaks but I'll take more of them if they come."

Allen earned the No. 2 seed, finishing with 11,259 and a 14-10 record, and will be looking to capture his first career major as well. Allen, ranked No. 1 in the 2004-05 PBA World Point Rankings, became the first bowler since 2002 to win back-to-back titles earlier this season.

Also qualifying for the finals was 40-time PBA Tour titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., who will be looking to win his third career U.S. Open title. With a win, Williams would also tie Earl Anthony for the all-time PBA Tour record with 41 titles. Williams has made the finals in six of the last eight U.S. Open events. Williams earned the No. 3 seed by finishing with 11,204.

Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., was the fourth finalist and earned the No. 4 seed, finishing with 11,167.

　【JPBA】　関西オープン女子ボウリングトーナメント　【ラウンドロビン】

Shafer Shakes up the Standings

Ryan Shafer

Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., went 5-3 in match play, averaging 215.13, to take the lead after the first eight games of round robin match play in the 62nd U.S. Open presented by Odor-Eaters at Brunswick Zone Carolier.

Shafer trailed Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., by 21 pins heading into the final match of the night. Though Shafer lost to Brian Boghosian, Agawam, Mass., 215-213, Williams also lost to Mike DeVaney, 233-180, giving Shafer the lead. Shafer finished the night with a 7,672 35-game pinfall, while Williams finished 2nd with 7,660.

The top 24 bowlers from this week's 27 games of qualifying advanced to round robin match play. Bowlers earn 30 extra bonus pins for a win. Those pins are added to their pinfall from the 27 games of qualifying and match play to account for their total pinfall.

"I was confused out there. The lanes were pretty tough," said Shafer, whose high game was 279 in a win over Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., and his low was a 185 in a win over Jason Hurd, Titusville, Fla. "You had to be pretty lucky and if you hit a tough pair you had to take advantage of it. I won a game against Ken Abner I had no business winning. You have to win games like that."

DeVaney, Henderson, Nev., was in 23rd when match play started, but went 6-2 to finish 5th. He averaged 226.13 in his eight games, finishing with 7,541.

Amateur Bill O'Neill, Levittown, Pa., is 3rd with 5,660 after going 6-2, while Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., is 4th with 5,760 after a 5-3 record.

　　【PBA】　62nd U.S. Open　【Round 4】

　　【JPBA】　関西オープン女子ボウリングトーナメント　【準決勝】

板倉奈智美

板倉奈智美が準決勝も爆発（6G=249AVG）し、2位以下に230ピン差をつけてブッチギリでラウンドロビンへ、2位に昨年2勝を挙げた川口富美恵、3位に昨年未勝利ながら準優勝3回の竹内昭子、4位に地元関西の小野利美子がつけている。

The First Cut is the Deepest

Diandra Asbaty

Only 13 bowlers have won a PBA Tour major event for their first career Tour title. Ken Abner, Cincinnati, has put himself in a strong position to add his name to the list.

Abner finished 1st in qualifying with a 3,955 18-game pinfall after averaging 207.17 Thursday in his final six-game set in the 62nd U.S. Open presented by Odor-Eaters at Brunswick Zone Carolier.

Abner, appearing in his 11th career PBA Tour event, started his day in 1st, but a 179 in game two dropped him behind Chris Barnes, Dallas, for the top spot. Abner fired a 266 in game five, which gave him a lead he would not relinquish.

"[The lanes] were tougher today than what we bowled on the past two days," said Abner, who averaged 219.72 over his 18 games of qualifying. "It was more of a grind out there."

Barnes is 2nd with 3,944 while Patrick Healey Jr., Flower Mound, Texas, is 3rd with 3,917 and Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., is 4th with 3,908.

Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., and Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, finished tied for 83rd and 108th, respectively, to become the first females to advance past the first cut of a U.S. Open event. This was first time females could bowl the U.S. Open since the PBA opened its membership to females in April, 2004.

Hometown favorite and 30-time PBA Tour title winner Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J. fired a 279 in his final game of the night, and is currently tied for 15th with 3,774.

Notes: The last bowler to win a PBA Tour major title for their first career Tour win was Bryon Smith, who won the 2003 ABC Masters in Reno, Nev.

山本勲（59位・3,634）　栴檀稔（111位・3,540）　玉井慎一郎（173位・3,420）　ロバート・リー（217位・3,362）

　　【JPBA】　関西オープン女子ボウリングトーナメント　【予選前半】

Leanne Barrette

第27回関西オープン女子ボウリングトーナメントが大阪府のロードボウルで開催され、前半6Gが終了し主催者推薦出場のリアン・バレット（昨年プリンスカップ準優勝）がトップ！2位にアマの丹生愛子選手（イーグルボウル）がつけ、3位に初タイトルを狙う加藤敦子、4・5位に地元関西の小野利美子・柴村尚美がつけている。PWBAからもう一人出場のキム・テレルは後半伸び悩み現在32位。

Leader of the Pack

Ken Abner

Ken Abner, Cincinnati, doesn't have an exemption for this season's PBA Tour, but he can still bowl with the best of them. He currently leads the 62nd U.S. Open presented by Odor-Eaters with a 2,712 12-game pinfall after averaging 231.50 in six games Wednesday at Brunswick Zone Carolier.

Abner's scores of 251, 224, 248, 228, 245 and 193 helped him climb from his 7th place ranking after Tuesday's action.

"Being where I am in the U.S. Open, with the great bowlers that are here definitely is a great accomplishment for me," said Abner, who left his full-time Information Technology position to pursue a spot on the PBA Tour this season. "I don't feel like I'm in that crowd yet, but I'm working on it."

Abner has appeared in five standard PBA Tour events this season, with his best finish coming in the 2005 PBA Birmingham Open where he placed 11th.

Chris Barnes, Dallas, is currently 2nd with 2,705 while 40-time Tour title winner Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., is 3rd with 2,679. Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., is 4th with 2,660 while Tony Reyes, San Jose, Calif., rounds out the top 5 with 2,625.

Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., is the highest ranking amateur, currently 7th with 2,608. The 2004 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi sits in 14th with 2,549.

Notes: Abner said that he was concerned entering the day because of how dry the lanes looked. "Luckily, they held up long enough for me to strike," Abner commented.

山本勲（78位・2,411）　栴檀稔（112位・2,362）　玉井慎一郎（239位・2,222）　ロバート・リー（288位・2,175）

Williams, Criss Lead Day One of Qualifying

Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Walter Ray Williams Jr. got off to a good start in his quest for his third career U.S. Open title and his 41st career Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title as he tied Tim Criss for the lead on the first day of qualifying in the 62nd U.S. Open presented by Odor-Eatersｨ at Brunswick Zone Carolier.

Williams, Ocala, Fla., is one title shy of tying Earl Anthony's all-time record for PBA Tour titles. He has had a recent string of success in the U.S. Open, appearing in the championship round in five of the last seven seasons, winning the title twice.

Williams and Criss, Bel Air, Md., each finished with a 1,346 six-game pinfall. All 433 bowlers participating will bowl 18 games of qualifying over three days before the field is cut to the top one-fourth.

"I was very happy with my bowling. It's good to be able to hit them when you need them," said Williams, who has made the championship round in three PBA Tour events since winning his 40th career title but has gone 0-3. "I started on the first arrow today and had a good first game. Then in the second game I threw a couple bad shots so I moved in, which I don't usually do. It turned out to be a good decision."

Justin Hromek, Towanda, Kan., is 3rd with 1,344, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., is 4th with 1,338 and Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., is 5th with 1,336.

日本からは栴檀稔（225位・1,114）、玉井慎一郎（169位・1,151）、ロバート・リー（352位・1,036）、山本勲（51位・1,248）の4名が参戦中。

Dick Weber Will be Missed

Monday morning, Feb. 14, the bowling world received the shocking news that Dick Weber, the bowling legend who left an indelible impression on anyone who knew him, passed away in his sleep Sunday evening.

Words can barely do justice to describe not only Weber's career, but also the effect he had on the many lives he touched throughout his life.

"I'm devastated. We lost a giant of the game and it's such a tremendous loss," said fellow PBA Hall of Famer and close friend Johnny Petraglia. "People will really realize it as months go by how much he meant to all of us. I knew him for 45 years and he is the reason I became a bowler. I can't believe it's over.

"Besides being bowling's biggest ambassador, he is the epitome of class," Petraglia added. "If you're looking for role models, he is it. He is the one. It's that simple."

Weber was a PBA Charter Member, helping jump start the fledgling league in 1958. He won the second and third events the PBA Tour ever held, the 1959 PBA Paramus-Eastern tournament and the 1959 PBA Dayton Open. Weber made it three in a row with the 1960 season-opening Empire State Open in Albany, N.Y.

The 1961 season was special for Weber, who in one stretch won five of six events. He was the first PBA member to capture three consecutive Tour wins in one season, taking home the top prize in the All-American in Dallas, the Shreveport (La.) Open and the Fred Magee Open in Houston.

Weber again etched his name in the record books for his stellar 1961 season by becoming the first PBA member to finish in the top 5 in seven consecutive Tour events - a feat that's been achieved just three other times in PBA history.

The 1960's would prove to be Weber's heyday on Tour, as he amassed 17 of his 26 career PBA Tour titles throughout the decade, as well as four BPAA All-Star wins in 1962, '63, '65 and '66.

Weber's mantle was also filling up as he racked up numerous awards. He was named the BWAA Bowler of the Year in 1961, '63 and 1965, as well as winning the 1965 PBA Player of the Year Award.

The right-hander from St. Louis, Mo., was elected to the ABC Hall of Fame in 1970 and added the PBA Hall of Fame to his accolades in 1975. He captured his 26th and final PBA Tour title in the 1977 PBA King Louie Open in Overland Park, Kan. That wasn't the end of Weber's winning ways, however, as he went on to win six Senior PBA Tour titles, including the major PBA Seniors Championship in 1983, '86, '87 and '88.

In September, 2004, Weber showed that age could not slow him down, as he won the PBA Midwest Region Holiday Lanes Senior Open, leading the 38-bowler field in qualifying before going 5-0 in match play en route to his 44th career PBA title (26 PBA Tour wins, 10 Regional Tour wins, six Senior Tour victories and two Senior Regional Tour victories).

His last PBA Tour appearance came in November, 2004 when he received the Commissioner's Exemption for the PBA BowlersParadise.com Open in Valley Park, Mo. The fans responded to Weber's appearance by giving him a prolonged standing ovation before and after he appeared in the round of 64.

Besides being one of the top players to ever bowl on the PBA Tour, he was also a wonderful ambassador for the sport. He treated friends and fans so warmly and always had time for an autograph or handshake. He had an outgoing personality and could make anyone feel at ease.

"Every time I met the guy, I was more impressed than the last time. It's just unbelievable how much he meant to bowling," said long-time bowling writer Matt Fiorito. "At last year's senior (regional) event, just watching the people, the look on their faces. They didn't have to say hello to him, or shake hands. You could see the reverence on the peoples faces.

"Dick was just a wonderful guy...as much as people loved Earl Anthony, I think Dick Weber was just way beyond that."

Weber was a pop culture icon, even appearing on David Letterman on several occasions. In 1997, Letterman brought Weber on the show to commemorate the Hall of Famer's first appearance on the late night talk show. Weber bowled with Letterman on 53rd street in New York City before taking on comedian Bill Cosby.

It's safe to say that the PBA will never again be graced with the presence of someone who combined pure athletic talent and skill with the personality, compassion and thoughtfulness of Dick Weber.

It's Been a While

Amleto Monacelli

Amleto Monacelli ended a seven-year title drought and a 125-event winless streak by defeating David Traber, 215-195, in the title match of the PBA Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open Sunday afternoon at AMF Riviera Lanes.

Monacelli, whose last win came in the 1997 PBA Ebonite Classic, took home the $40,000 top prize and a coveted exemption for the 2005-06 PBA Tour season.

The 19-time titlist needed to strike and spare in the 10th frame to clinch the win, but after tossing a strike, he left a 7-10 split on his next shot, eventually leaving the 7-pin. That opened the door for Traber, who needed three strikes in the 10th to win. Traber, however, left a 10-pin on his first shot, giving Monacelli the title.

"It's a big relief. I can be more confident, and when you feel that way you can bowl more relaxed," Monacelli, Barquisimeto, Venezuela, said of earning an exemption. "My goal right now is to be focused, because I know how strong I was back in the 1980s and 90s when I had that feeling."

Monacelli advanced to the title match by defeating fellow PBA Hall of Famer and 23-time titlist Brian Voss, 229-191. Monacelli struck in frames 5-9 while Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., struck just twice over the first nine frames.

Traber dropped Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 191-147, in the other semifinal. Traber, McHenry, Ill., struck twice in his first six frames then fired four strikes over his next five frames while Wolfe suffered five open frames in the match.

Traber won $20,000 for 2nd while Voss and Wolfe tied for 3rd and took home $10,000 apiece.

Voss is Boss

Brian Voss

Brian Voss has returned to form and will bowl in his fourth championship round of the season after derailing left-hander Jason Couch, four-games-to-one, in the PBA Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open round of 8 Friday evening at AMF Riviera Lanes.

Voss, who this time last season was ranked 32nd in both the PBA World Point Rankings and Tour earnings, averaged 225.20 in his victory over Couch, Clermont, Fla., and is now 5th on the points list and 4th in Tour earnings this season.

"I've just gotten my life back in order a bit," said Voss, who went through a divorce last year. "Sometimes things happen that you just can't control and you need to weather the storm. I've just gotten focused, really. I still have a good work ethic and still study the game. I have a much clearer mind this season."

Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., will face fellow PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli in the semifinals Sunday after Monacelli beat Tony Reyes, San Jose, Calif., 4-1. Monacelli, Barquisimeto, Venezuela, overcame a 300-224 loss in game one and won the next four games by an average of just 11.50 pins per game.

In other round of 8 matches, David Traber, McHenry, Ill., defeated Mike DeVaney, Henderson, Nev., 4-0. Traber averaged 251.50 for the match, including a 276-234 game four victory.

Traber will face Mike Wolfe, who dropped six-time PBA Tour title winner Robert Smith, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 4-0. Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., won the 2004 PBA Earl Anthony Medford Classic earlier this season, and shot games of 223, 237, 260 and 223 Friday while Smith averaged just 198.50 in the match.

Notes: Jason Couch struck on a PBA Tour season-high 30 consecutive shots in his round of 16 match against Tommy Jones. Couch struck on his final nine shots of a 258-227 game two win. The left-hander then fired a 300 (12 strikes) in game three before striking on his first nine shots in an eventual game four, 276-190 victory to complete the sweep.

Earlier this season, Mike Edwards had struck 27 consecutive times in match play in the PBA Uniroyal Tire Classic at Freeway Lanes in Wickliffe against Michael Fagan in the round of 16.

Traber on Top Again

David Traber

David Traber averaged 242.24 over his final seven games and finished with a 3,421 14-game pinfall to maintain his lead in the round of 64's 14-game qualifying session Thursday in the 2005 PBA Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open at AMF Riviera Lanes.

Traber, Bull Valley, Ill., led the first of two seven-game qualifying blocks and never dropped below 2nd during the second seven-game block. Traber fell to 2nd after a 235 in game nine, but came back with a 258 in game 10 to take a lead he would not relinquish.

"I didn't change a thing after the first session. I used the same ball, same everything," said Traber. "The lanes were a little tighter to start the second session, but they came back to me and opened up like they did this morning."

Traber will face 30-time PBA Tour titlist Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., in Friday's round of 32, which features single elimination, best-of-seven games match play. The 32 players will be seeded based on point totals from the last 20 PBA Tour events.

Wes Malott, Austin, Texas, was 2nd with 3,404, while Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, was 3rd with 3,378.

Doug Wilcox, Sacramento, Calif., who earned a spot in the round of 64 through Wednesday's PBA Tour Qualifying Round, finished 4th with 3,364. He will face Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., in the round of 32. Williams, who made the semifinals in last week's 2005 PBA Atlanta Classic, is one title shy of tying Earl Anthony's all-time PBA Tour career titles record of 41.

Williams will try for the third time this season to tie Earl Anthony's all-time Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour record for career titles as he defeated Paul Fleming, 4-3, Friday in the 2005 PBA Atlanta Classic at Brunswick Zone Norcross.

Williams, who won the 2004 PBA Uniroyal Tire Classic in the season's third event for his 40th career title, has made two televised finals since then, losing both times in the semifinals.

"In months past I've thought that it would be nice to break the record, but the more it's been talked about the more I want it," said Williams, who will be making his PBA Tour record 148th career television appearance. "I still don't think it's the same as what Earl did, but I've got a chance to do it so I'm a little more into it."

Anthony won 41 career titles in just 387 PBA Tour events, while Williams has won 40 titles in 613 events.

Williams will face Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., in Sunday's second semifinal. Shafer defeated Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 4-2, to advance to his first championship round this season.

The first semifinal will feature 21-time titlist Norm Duke, who defeated Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa., 4-2. Duke, Clermont, Fla., who like Williams will be making his Tour-best fourth television appearance this season, will be looking for his first title in his last 22 events.

Duke will face Tony Reyes, San Jose, Calif., who defeated PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, 4-1. Reyes, who has not made a television show since 2002, will be looking for his first career PBA Tour title in 119 events. Reyes' last show came on Super Bowl Sunday, 2002, when the New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams.