2005/05/20

There's just something about the Detroit area that brings out special moments for Tom Baker.

Baker, who won the 2004 PBA World Championship in Taylor, Mich., defeated Dennis Psaropoulos, 234-214, Friday to win the 2005 PBA Senior U.S. Open at Sunnybrook Lanes to capture his first career Senior Tour title.

Baker, who is the only PBA exempt bowler on the Senior Tour, wins the season's first major title in just his fourth career Senior Tour event. He is the second consecutive rookie to win the PBA Senior U.S. Open, following David Ozio who won the event last season.

Baker, Buffalo, N.Y., had to win three matches in the championship round as he came in as the No. 3 seed.

"My wrist hurts, my foot hurts and my head hurts," said Baker, who bowled the maximum 54 games in the four-day event. "In the position round, I didn't have much energy but as soon as the lights came on for the finals I got serious...(the Detroit area) has great bowling fans. I just really enjoy it here."

In the title match, Baker struck in the first five frames before a spare in the 6th frame and an open in the 7th let Psaropoulos, Lake Worth, Fla., back in the match.

Psaropoulos, however, left a 4-6-7-9-10 split and opened in the 7th frame helping Baker maintain his lead. Baker then struck with his first ball in the 10th to clinch the title.

Baker advanced to the title match by defeating the defending champion Ozio, Beaumont, Texas, 220-158, in the second match of the stepladder finals. Ozio could never find his line in the match, leaving five open frames.

Baker earns $20,000 for his victory and assured himself a spot in next season's PBA Dexter Tournament of Champions. Psaropoulos takes home $10,000 for 2nd, Ozio earned $7,000 for 3rd and Roger Kossert, Brandon, Fla., takes home $5,000 for 4th.

2005/05/19

Tennelle Milligan, Yorba Linda, Calif., knew what she had to do -- strike and spare in the 10th frame to clinch the title at 2005 Women's International Bowling Congress Queens Tournament, presented by Reno Tri-Properties, a United States Bowling Congress Event.

Standing in her way was Riverlanes' lane 35 -- the left lane that had been giving her fits during Wednesday's stepladder finals.

Milligan earned her strike and spare to defeat WIBC Hall of Famer Anne Marie Duggan, Edmond, Okla., in the second championship game 202-177 -- but not without adversity -- to claim her third major title.

"I didn't want to end on the left lane," said Milligan, who won the Professional Women's Bowling Association Players Championship and U.S. Open in 2000. "That's why I picked to end on the right lane in the first game because I wanted to get it over with. Anne Marie had a better reaction on the left lane than I did."

Milligan struck on her first ball in the 10th of the second game, a rare shot of hers that went flush into the pocket on lane 35. Her next shot, however, went light -- getting five pins and leaving the 2-4-5-7-8 combination.

"I was so happy I made a great shot on the first ball," Milligan said. "I thought I threw the next one pretty well, too -- and I got five. So I might as well get the other half while I'm at it."

She converted the spare to shut out Duggan, a 15-time PWBA winner who won the WIBC Queens title in 1994.

"I'm just overwhelmed right now. It's all so unreal," Milligan said. "Being the last WIBC Queen -- that's exciting in itself."

Next year's event at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., will be renamed the USBC Queens (formerly the WIBC Queens Tournament).

For her victory, Milligan was awarded $25,000 in addition to the Queens tiara, pendant and crystal trophy. The 2005 WIBC Queens, presented by Reno Tri-Properties, participating sponsor Miller Lite, awarded $167,775 in prize money. Duggan earned $20,000 for second place.

A second championship game was needed after Duggan used six strikes late to earn a 219-205 over Milligan in the first game, who went undefeated during the three-game, double-elimination match play portion of the tournament.

Duggan, seeded No. 2, moved into the championship match by defeating No. 5 seed Jennifer Swanson, Shelton, Conn., 266-191, Swanson opened the stepladder finals with a 239-172 victory over No. 4 seed Karen Morris, Logan, Ohio, then turned back No. 3 seed Michelle Feldman, Skaneateles, N.Y., 225-201.

2005/05/14

久保田法美プロ10年目で涙の初優勝！

久保田法美

　【JPBA】　軽井沢プリンスカップ　【ラウンドロビン】

　

2005/05/13

遠藤千枝

2005レディースオープンボウリングトーナメント軽井沢プリンスカップが長野県の軽井沢プリンスボウルで開催され、昨年東海オープンで復活の優勝を遂げた遠藤千枝がトップで準決勝へ。2位は前後半とも安定したスコアの大山由里香、そして3位に今大会に意気込みを感じる中谷優子がつけている。なお前半出遅れた時本美津子・吉田真由美が37位・41位、今季開幕戦優勝の板倉が38位で予選落ちとなった。
また、昨年ベストアマの池田美葉選手も22位で通過し2年連続のベストアマを狙う。

2005/05/04

Bob Glass is big fan of Shawnee Lanes.
Glass, who won his last PBA Senior Tour title in the same bowling center exactly a year ago, captured the 2005 PBA Senior Chillicothe Open when he defeated Gene Stus in the title match two-games-to-one Wednesday.

The 2004 PBA Senior Player of the Year dropped the opening game, 255-179, before switching his game plan.

"I started out playing outside and I looked like a clown. Stus was whacking them inside," said Glass, who won the $8,000 top prize. "So, I moved deep inside and I started to play a lot better."

Glass, who captured his 9th career PBA Senior Tour title, won game two, 280-194. In game three, he struck once in the first three frames before firing four straight strikes. After Stus left a 4-pin in the 9th frame, Glass struck twice to seal the victory with a 236-196 game three win.

"There are certainly places I feel very comfortable bowling, and Shawnee Lanes is one of those places," Glass said of his success there. "No matter what they do here or what oil [pattern] they put out...this lane surface seems to play well with my roll. Plus, I like the area. I'm more comfortable in a smaller town."

Glass defeated Don Sylvia, Discovery Bay, Calif., 2-1, in the semifinals after falling behind 1-0. Glass began the match playing inside, but soon moved outside towards the gutter to match Sylvia's shot.

Stus, Taylor, Mich., advanced to the title match by defeating Roger LeClair, Clackamas, Ore., 2-0, in the semifinals.