2005/03/19

For the first time in Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour history, a female has advanced to the championship round in a PBA Tour event.

Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., defeated Richard Wolfe, Vienna, Va., four-games-to-three, in the round of 8 Saturday in the 2005 PBA Banquet Open at Spectrum Lanes.

Johnson dropped the first game of her best-of-seven match with Wolfe, 268-225, but came back with a 266-225 win in game two. After Wolfe was nearly perfect in a 299-221 win, Johnson took the next two games to put her one game away from advancing.

She dropped game six, 236-186, made a ball change and then clinched a spot in the semis with a 248-200 win.

"I'm not feeling anything right now, I'm just numb," said Johnson. "It's an awesome feeling and to have so many people behind me is great. I'm normally not an emotional person, especially when I'm bowling, but to have that much support in the bowling center, it broke me down."

Johnson won 11 Professional Women's Bowlers Association titles before the league folded in the fall of 2003. The PBA opened up its membership to women and Johnson, still an amateur, became the first woman to qualify for a PBA Tour event in November in the 2004 PBA Uniroyal Tire Classic, finishing 47th.

She became a PBA member in February and qualified this week for the second time through the PBA Tour Qualifying Round. She finished 11th in the round of 64 Thursday before advancing to match play where she went 12-8 over the last two days to advance to Sunday's semifinals.

Johnson will face Wes Malott, Austin, Texas who knocked off 40-time PBA Tour titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr., 4-3. Malott will be looking to capture his first career PBA Tour title.

Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., who came into the week 54th in the 2004-05 PBA World Point Rankings, defeated Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, 4-0. The cut line for an exemption for the 2005-06 season via the PBA World Point Rankings is 40th.

Jaros will face Tommy Jones, Mauldin, S.C., who defeated Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-3. Jones will be looking to become the first bowler since Parker Bohn III in 2001-02 to win four titles in one season.

Notes
Johnson also becomes the first bowler to make a show after qualifying for a PBA Tour event through the PBA Tour Qualifying Round. The highest previous finish for a qualifier was 10th, accomplished by Tim Mack in the 2005 PBA Cambridge Credit Classic and Jeff Carter in the 2004 PBA Denver Open.

2005/03/18

Looking to make his first appearance in the round of 8 since the 2004 PBA Denver Open, Ritchie Wolfe, Vienna, Va., defeated Brian Kretzer four-games-to-none in the round 16 Friday evening in the 2005 PBA Banquet Open at Spectrum Lanes.

Wolfe, who is looking to advance to the championship round for the first time since the 1999 Bay City Classic, opened the match with a 216-196 win in game one. In game two, Wolfe struck in all but the first frame to win, 290-203. Wolfe, who is still searching for his first career title, won game three 236-193 and closed out the match with a 205-160 win in game four.

"I had good ball reaction tonight. The match could have gone either way and today it went mine," said Wolfe, who's only other round of 8 appearance this season came on the Chameleon pattern, the same pattern being used this week. "I can throw it at a crisp speed on this pattern. Tomorrow 'll need to stay left on the lanes and use soft hands."

Wolfe will face Liz Johnson, who continues to make Tour history by advancing to the round of 8 via a 4-3 win over Mike DeVaney, Escondido, Calif. Despite opening with five consecutive spares in the seventh and decisive game, Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., threw a five-bagger in frames 5-10 and with her only strike in the 10th frame, Johnson sealed the game and match with a 233-214 win.

Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., advanced into the round of 8 after Pete Weber withdrew due to a shoulder injury after game three. Williams, who is looking to advance to the TV finals for the sixth time this season, had a 3-0 lead over Weber prior to the withdrawl. Williams will face Wes Malott, Austin, Texas, who advanced by defeating Jim Pratt, 4-2.

2005/03/17

Patrick Allen averaged 240.29 in the second block of qualifying to take the overall lead in the round of 64 Thursday in the PBA Banquet Open at Spectrum Lanes.

Allen, who sat in 7th place after the first seven-game block, opened tonight's session with a 231, 232 and 254. After a 238 in game six, Allen took the overall lead and held it with a 226 in the 14th and final game of day.

"The lanes were a little different," Allen, who finished with a 3,339 14-game pinfall, said. "I had to make it hook a little more because the lanes got tighter."

Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., finished 2nd with 3,272 while Tom Baker, Buffalo, was 3rd with 3,262.

Liz Johnson continued to make history as she became the first female to advance into the round of 32 in a PBA Tour standard event after finishing 11th with 3,151.

The 32nd and final spot in tomorrow's round of 32 was decided by a sudden-death, one-game roll-off as both Patrick Healey Jr., Flower Mound, Texas, and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla. finished the 14-game block tied with 3,046 each. In the roll-off game, Duke defeated Healey, 220-216.

Allen, Tarrytown, N.Y., will be the top seed heading into match play as he has the highest point total of the remaining 32 bowlers over the past 20 PBA Tour events. He'll take on No. 32 Art Brown, East Lansing, Mich., who finished 27th with 3,067.

　

2005/03/11

2005/03/10

2005/03/09

2005/03/08

2005/03/06

Mika Koivuniemi won his second title this season to jump back in the thick of the PBA Player of the Year race as he defeated Jim Pratt, 267-226, in the title match of the 2005 PBA Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic at Woodland Bowl.

Koivuniemi, the 2004 PBA Player of the Year, began the game with five strikes before leaving the 10 pin with his sixth shot. Back-to-back spares by Koivuniemi let Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., back into the match. Pratt had a turkey in frames 7-9 to put the pressure on Koivuniemi but he stepped up and struck in the 9th and doubled in the 10th for his sixth career title.

"I'm not there yet but if I do really well in the last two majors I have a chance," Koivuniemi said regarding his Player of the Year chances. "I knew I needed to strike on my first ball in the 10th to lock him out. You never like to give anyone a chance by leaving something there. I tried to focus on my routine and make a good shot."

In the first semifinal, Koivuniemi defeated Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 194-154. Reyes began the game with three spares, two open frames and a strike giving Koivuniemi a 25-pin lead after six. With a 40-pin lead heading into the 10th frame, Koivuniemi needed to mark to advance to the championship round. The Hartland, Mich. resident threw a spare and strike to place himself in the title match for the third time this season.

Pratt advanced to the title match for the first time in his career via a 211-207 win over Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, in the second semifinal. Pratt left the six pin standing after throwing a 4-6-7 split in the 8th, letting Wiseman back in the match. Wiseman's three marks to end the game forced Pratt to strike with his first shot in the 10th to clinch the win. Pratt struck and then converted the spare to advance into the title match.

Koivuniemi picked up $40,000 with the win. Pratt won $20,000 for his 2nd place finish while Reyes and Wiseman won $10,000 a piece.

2005/03/04

Tony Reyes advanced to the championship round for the second straight week and the third time in the last five weeks after defeating Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, four-games-to-none in the round of 8 Friday in the 2005 PBA Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic at Woodland Bowl.

Up 1-0 in the match, Reyes got out to an early lead in game two striking in seven of the first eight frames but a spare in the 9th gave Buchan a three-pin lead heading into the final frame. Buchan threw a strike followed by a 9-spare forcing Reyes to double and knock down seven to win the game. Reyes threw two strikes and a nine-count to go ahead 2-0 in the match. Reyes took control of the match with a 244-199 win in game three and sealed the win with a strike with his first shot in the 10th frame of game four.

"I lost a couple matches in the first half of the season when I was up 3-0. That ate my up inside during the first swing," Reyes, who sat in 44th place in the PBA World Point Rankings at the end of the first half of the season, said. "In the second half in match play, I've just taken the attitude of take no prisoners. Any opportunity I have I seize it."

Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., will face Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., who advanced to the championship round by defeating Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif., 4-1. In the final game, Koivuniemi opened in the 10th giving Horan a chance to strike out to send the game to a roll-off. Horan struck with his first two shots but left a solid 7 with his final shot, placing Koivuniemi in the championship round for the fourth time this season.

Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., defeated Michael Haugen Jr., Las Vegas, 4-1 to advance to his first career finals appearance. Pratt, who throws the ball thumbless, made a technical adjustment in the 4th frame of game five which enabled him to throw a seven-bagger and clinch the win.

Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, defeated Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 4-3 to advance to the finals for the third time this season.

2005/03/03

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Point Rankings leader Patrick Allen averaged 264 over his last three games Thursday night to take the lead after qualifying in the round of 64 in the 2005 PBA Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic at Woodland Bowl.

Allen, Tarrytown, N.Y., was 27th after the first of two seven-game sessions after averaging 227, but he slowly made his way up the standings by averaging 249.57 in the second seven-game session. He shot 299 in game 12 and 257 in game 13 to take the lead for good, finishing with a 3,350 14-game pinfall.

"I switched balls after the second session and that made the difference," said Allen, who has two titles as well as two 2nd-place finishes in major events this season to put himself in the thick of the PBA Player of the Year race. "As always, the lanes get a little tighter as the week goes on and I just found a good line."

First-session leader Hugh Miller, Seattle, finished 2nd with 3,340 while Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, was 3rd with 3,314. Last week's 2005 PBA Cambridge Credit Classic champion Tommy Jones, Mauldin, S.C., was 4th with 3,313. Jones is the only bowler this season to capture three Tour titles.

　

2005/03/01

　

佐藤　清