Scroggins Superior in Victory

Mike Scroggins

Mike Scroggins notched the biggest win of his career, defeating 22-time Denny's PBA Tour winner Norm Duke, 245-238, in the title match of the 2005 USBC Masters Sunday at U.S. Cellular Arena.

Scroggins, who earned the $100,000 top prize and a two-season Denny's PBA Tour exemption, got off to a strong start in the title match, striking in frames 2-8. He left a 7-10 split in the 9th frame, however, which let Duke back in the game.

Duke, looking for his third career major title, struck on five straight shots, including a double in the 10th, forcing Scroggins to mark. The left-hander responded by converting the 6-pin in the 10th to clinch his first career major win on Tour.

"Sometimes it's harder to get a mark (in the 10th) rather than having to strike on your first shot," said Scroggins (Amarillo, Texas). "Sometimes you get up there and get tentative...you need throw an aggressive shot.”

Duke, who entered the day as the top seed and lone right-hander in the stepladder finals, had averaged 240.66 in 36 previous title match appearances.

Scroggins advanced to the title match by defeating Art Brown in the semifinal, 240-202. Scroggins was down early but capitalized on Brown's open 6th frame by striking on his final six shots.

Against Brown, Scroggins needed to convert three single-pin spares before switching to a Brunswick Strike Zone in the 7th frame.

Brown defeated Ken Muscato (Canandaigua, N.Y.), 201-180 in the day's opening match. Brown managed a clean game while Muscato opened twice in the match.

Duke (Clermont, Fla.) earned $50,000 for his 2nd place finish while Brown (Lansing, Mich.) earned $25,000 for 3rd and Muscato won $15,000 for 4th.

予選2位の愛甲恵子が準決勝でスコアを伸ばし（準決勝トップスコア（691・720）235AVG）トップでラウンドロビンへ、大会2連覇を狙う。2位にこの大会で通算30勝目を狙う時本美津子、3位に予選16位から浮上した酒井玲佳、4位・5位に今季初優勝を挙げたい吉田真由美と竹内昭子、6位に今季開幕戦「関西オープン」優勝の板倉奈智美、7位にシード権を今大会で確実にしたい加藤八千代、8位に群馬オープン6勝の金田惠子、9位に予選24位から一気に上がってきた溝渕秀美（ラスト280）、10位に初賞金・初Rラウンドロビンを果たした新人西村美紀、11位に今季6回目のラウンドロビン進出谷川章子、そして12位に「軽井沢プリンスカップ」で初優勝を挙げた久保田法美が進出した。

　　【JPBA】　群馬オープンレディースボウリングトーナメント　【予選】

Norm Storms to Top Seed

Norm Duke

He's always had a flair for the dramatic, but Norm Duke may have topped himself Friday night

Duke picked up a difficult 6-7 split in the 10th frame, then barely picked up the seven pins he needed to defeat Art Brown by one pin, 722-721, to earn the top seed for the championship round of the 2005 United States Bowling Congress USBC Masters at AMF Bowlero Lanes.

The 22-time Denny's Professional Bowlers Association PBA Tour titlist will look to become the sixth bowler in history to win two Masters, having won the 1993 Masters.

Duke needed a mark and seven pins in the 10th frame to win in the final game of the three-game match determined by total pinfall. After picking up the 6-7, Duke nearly left the "Big Four" split (4-6-7-10), but the 10-pin fell late to clinch the one-pin victory.

"If you're going to make (the 6-7) split, you're going to have to almost try to miss it. I thought if I just brush the 6-pin, it's going to make it," said Duke, who is looking for his third career Major title. "I knew when it left my hand that I had it."

As the top seed, Duke will have a bye into the title match. The first match features two amateurs appearing in their first Major finals, as Art Brown (Lansing, Mich.) will take on Ken Muscato (Canandaigua, N.Y.). Brown defeated six-time titlist Tommy Jones, 751-656, to drop Jones (Simpsonville, S.C) into the losers' bracket where Muscato sent him home with a 728-715 win.

The winner of the Brown-Muscato match will face the second-seeded Mike Scroggins, who is also looking for his first career Major. The two-time titlist from Amarillo, Texas has made the finals in two of the last three majors.

　　【PBA】　USBC Masters　【Double Elimination Match Play】

Norm in Top Form

Norm Duke

Norm Duke won a battle between two of the PBA's greatest champions, defeating Parker Bohn III, 750-619, to stay undefeated in match play in the 2005 USBC Masters Thursday at AMF Bowlero Lanes.

The 22-time titlist from Clermont, Fla., is looking to become the sixth bowler in history to win two Masters titles, as he captured the 1993 Masters. His win does not count as an official Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title, as the Masters did not become an official Tour event until 1998.

Duke fired a 289 in his final game to win the three-game match, which is based on total pinfall. The loss sent Bohn, who has 30 career titles including the 2001 Masters, into the loser's bracket.

"I wanted to apply pressure the whole match. I thought Parker would strike until forever, but he didn't play his best tonight," said Duke. "He usually plays his best against me. We've had a 24-year history and have had some barnburners, but tonight was just my night."

Duke advances to face another left-hander, Dennis Horan Jr. (Temecula, Calif.), who defeated Tom Daugherty (Tampa, Fla.), 651-628.

Tommy Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.) who won the first two events of the 2005-06 season, also remained undefeated as he beat 10-time PBA Senior Tour titlist Dale Eagle (Tavares, Fla.), 724-682. Still alive in the loser's bracket is 40-time titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr., who won the 2004 Masters.

　　【PBA】　USBC Masters　【Round 3】

Scroggins Scorching

Mike Scroggins

Mike Scroggins' day started with a 300 game and ended with the 15-year veteran as the leader after two days of qualifying in the 2005 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters at AMF Bowlero Lanes.

Scroggins, who is looking for his first career Major title in the first major of the 2005-06 Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour season, finished with a 2,425 10-game pinfall heading into Thursday's final five games of qualifying.

The left-hander from Amarillo, Texas, came out of the gates with his first 300 of the season, then averaged 230.50 over the last four games to take the lead using a Storm Trifecta.

"I relaxed a lot more tonight than I did yesterday...shooting a 300 in the first game didn't hurt," said Scroggins, who finished 6th in the 2000 Masters. "My 'A' game is going straight up the boards and I was able to do that tonight. Some lefties can't do that, but that's what I do best."

Brian Himmler (Cincinnati) is 2nd with 2,316 while amateur Ken Muscato (Canandaigua, N.Y.) and Mike DeVaney (Escondido, Calif.) are tied for 3rd with 2,278.

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (N. Richland Hills Texas), a 20-time Professional Women's Bowlers Association (PWBA) titlist, is 6th with 2,272.

Eddie Byrd defeated Dave Wodka, 226-217, in a one-game roll-off for the 116th and final spot into the next round after both tied with 2,071.

The top 116 bowlers advanced to Thursday's final five games of qualifying. The top 63 plus defending champion Danny Wiseman will then advance to match play starting Thursday at 3 p.m. CST. .

Notes
Chris Barnes, a six-time Tour titlist who captured his first career Major last season, had to withdraw from the 2005 USBC Masters Wednesday due to a back injury.

Barnes was 234th after day one. He tried to fight through the pain Wednesday, but after games of 233 and 164, however, he decided not to go on.

"It's disappointing because I take great pride in my record in the Masters," Barnes said. "I don't think there's ever a good time for this to happen, but I certainly wouldn't want it to happen this week. But I take solace in the fact that my wife is kicking butt halfway around the world. I'll ride the wave that she's created."

Barnes was referring to the fact that his wife, Lynda, is currently leading the 41st QubicaAMF World Cup at Gladiator Bowling Centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Lynda, the reigning U.S. Amateur women's champion, holds a commanding lead with a 4,284 after the third of four qualifying rounds.

The QubicaAMF World Cup, which began in 1965 and is held in a different country every year, is the world's largest annual sports event in terms of the number of countries competing - 90 countries are represented this year.

Chris is unsure as to whether he will bowl in next week's 2005 Chicago Classic.

Wild, Wild, Wes

Wes Malott

Despite a pulled muscle in his left leg, the top-ranked bowler in the world fired a 1,205 five-game pinfall to lead the first day of qualifying in the 2005 USBC Masters, the first major event on the 2005-06 Dennyﾕs PBA Tour.

Malott, who has made the championship round in all four Tour events this season, averaged 241.00 in his block Tuesday at AMF Bowlero Lanes. The Austin, Texas native won his first career Tour title two weeks ago and is looking for his first career Major title this week.

"(My leg) started hurting pretty bad the last game," said Malott, who suffered the injury last week in a win over Pete Weber in the round of 8 in the 2005 Greater Omaha Classic. "I'm just trying to ignore it as much as I can. There are more people behind me especially with this being a major, so I'm just trying to perform as best as I can."

Malott got out of the gates fast with a 245 in game one. After making a switch to the high-end, Malott switched to the Columbia Super Trooper for the remainder of the block. After a 236 in game two, Malott fired a 256 in game three and a 253 in game four. He finished off with a 215 in game five to take the overall lead.

Another PBA exempt bowler Mike Scroggins (Amarillo, Texas), who is also looking for his first career major, is 2nd with 1,203. Charles Callan (LaCrosse, Wis.) is 3rd with 1,164, while another Wisconsin native, David Beres, is 4th with 1,161.

Pete Weber (St. Ann, Mo.), who with a win would become the second bowler in Tour history to complete the "Super Slam," is tied for 18th with 1,128. The "Super Slam" consists of victories in the Tournament of Champions, World Championship, U.S. Open, Touring Players Championship and the Masters.

Machuga Wins His First

Mike Machuga

Mike Machuga proved that good things come to those who wait, as he won his first career Denny's PBA Tour title by defeating Bill O'Neill in the final match of the 2005 Greater Omaha Classic, 256-245, Sunday at Thunderbowl.

Machuga entered the week winless in his first 79 career events and was 0-3 in title matches prior to Sunday's win.

The 29-year-old struck on his first five shots before a failed 4-9 split conversion in the 6th frame. O'Neill, a 24-year-old making his first career televised finals appearance, couldn't take advantage, leaving a 9-pin on his next shot. Machuga clinched the match by striking on his first two shots in the 10th frame.

"That's what I've dreamed about, coming through in the clutch," said Machuga (Erie, Pa.), who earned $40,000. "I've been bowling well for quite some time and things are starting to go my way."

Machuga, who bowled at the University of Nebraska from 1994-96, advanced to the title match by defeating David Traber, 225-184, in the semifinals. Using a Brunswick Vapor Zone, Machuga struck in frames 4-7 while Traber, searching for his 5th career Tour title, struck just once over the same span.

In the first semifinal, O'Neill overcame opens in the 7th and 9th frames by striking out in the 10th to defeat Wes Malott, who was making his fourth consecutive televised finals appearance of the season, 223-215.

O'Neill (Levittown, Pa.) earned $20,000 for his 2nd place finish while Malott (Austin, Texas) and Traber (Hebron, Ill.) earned $10,000 apiece for their 3rd and 4th place finishes.

Notes
After Machuga clinched the title match with two strikes in the 10th frame, he surprised everyone by doing his famous "Machuga Flop", hanging onto the ball and flinging himself down the lane. Since he never let go of the ball, there was no official rules violation, so Machuga followed that by striking on his final shot.

"Before I came on Tour I knew for my first title I was going to go down the lane...that was going to be my celebration," Machuga said of his flop.

In the bag
O'Neill used a Columbia Action while Traber featured a Brunswick Ultimate Inferno and Malott used a Columbia Detour.

　　【JPBA】　栃木オープン　【ラウンドロビン】

KPBAからの刺客クォン・ヒョクヨンが日本初優勝に向けトップでラウンドロビン進出。2位にマムシのヒロシ（勝負所で負けない）こと長谷宏、3位にラストゲーム244で13位から一気に10人抜きの原昭彦、4位に唯一レフティーで残った三池丹揮、5位に予選17位から浮上した益田隆司、6位に粋な髪型期待の若手児島都史、7位に予選トップから後退の玉井慎一郎、8位に隣の群馬県出身、殿下こと大谷内高志、9位に後半粘りに粘った黒川靖、10位に初ラウンドロビン進出KPBAのジョン・ソーハク、11位にラストシリーズ何とか堪えた梅田寿雄、そして12位にラストゲームパンチアウトで飛び込んだ地元黒磯ボウル所属の原田政彦が進出した。

　　【JPBA】　栃木オープン　【予選・後半】

Malott Magnificent Again

Wes Malott

Wes Malott ushered in a new era on the Denny's PBA Tour, and he did it by beating one of the Tour's legends.

Malott became the first bowler since Walter Ray Williams Jr. in 2001 to make four consecutive television appearances by defeating 31-time Tour titlist and PBA Hall of Famer, Pete Weber, four-games-to-three, Friday in the 2005 Greater Omaha Classic at Thunderbowl.

Malott, ranked No. 1 in the 2005-06 PBA World Point Rankings, will look to become the second bowler this season to win back-to-back titles. Tommy Jones won the first two events of the season.

The Austin, Texas native averaged 255.14 in the seven games, including a 298 in game seven to clinch the match. He nearly had a triplicate, winning games 3-5 by scores of 268-259, 268-247 and 269-268. He struck in his last six shots in game five to beat Weber by one pin.

"My concentration has been unbelievable, my ball selection has been excellent and I've been making the right decisions," said Malott, who won his first career title last week in the 2005 Mile High Classic. "Like I've been saying, it's making the shots at the right time and I've been doing that. To do it against one of the best ever is unbelievable."

The 29-year-old primarily used a Columbia Detour in his round of 8 match.

"I was going straighter at first, then I moved left and slowed it down, then I moved further left and slowed it down even more," said Malott. "I made a big move in the middle of the second game and didn't really make a big move after that again."

Malott will take on Bill O'Neill (Levittown, Pa.), who will be looking for his first title in his first career televised championship round. O'Neill, who at 24 is the youngest bowler on Tour, defeated Mike DeVaney (Temecula, Calif.), 4-2.

Mike Machuga (Erie, Pa.) defeated Doug Kent (Newark, N.Y.), 4-1, and will face David Traber (Hebron, Ill.) in the second semifinal. Machuga, who bowled nearby at the University of Nebraska, finished 2nd the last time the Tour came to Council Bluffs in the 2003 Banquet Open. He'll be looking for his first career Tour title in 79 events. Traber defeated Rick Lawrence (Celina, Texas), 4-3.

Notes
Malott defeated two of the games best ever in advancing the finals in Weber in the round of 8 and Williams in the round of 32. The two have a combined 71 titles to Malott's one title.

In the Bag
O'Neill used a Columbia Action and Power Drive to defeat DeVaney. Machuga and Traber both used Brunswick, with Machuga throwing the Vapor Zone and Shock, while Traber used the Ultimate Inferno and the Target Zone.

栃木オープン'05 At 足利スターレーンが栃木県の足利スターレーンで開催され、ミスター900西村了が後半749と爆発しトップ、2位にミスター栃木？（大会5勝）酒井武雄、3・4位にKPBA勢が続く。また地元勢は長信之が13位、岡部直治が15位につけている。

Couch Claims Top Spot

Jason Couch

Jason Couch, looking to snap a 40-event winless streak in Denny's PBA Tour events, fired two perfect games and led qualifying in the 2005 Greater Omaha Classic Thursday at Thunderbowl with a 3,508 14-game pinfall.

Couch, who last won the 2003 Pepsi Open, averaged 242.43 in his second seven-game set Thursday after he averaged 258.78 in his opening seven-game session earlier in the day.

"My timing was really good today," said Couch, who shot 224, 300 and 258 to start his second set. "I've been struggling the past few weeks with timing, but everything came together today."

Couch continued to hook the ball a little more than usual in the second session, using the Ebonite Overtime and Stinger Low-Flair Particle.

A left-hander with 11 Tour titles from Clermont, Fla., Couch enters the best-of-seven-games match play round of 32 as the top seed. He'll face Eugene McCune (Munster, Ind.), who was 32nd with 3,202.

McCune, who finished 2nd in the Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round on Wednesday, beat out Rick Steelsmith (Wichita, Kan.) by three pins for the final match play spot.

Michael Haugen Jr. (Las Vegas) was 2nd with 3,424 and will face Chris Hayden (Orlando, Fla.), who was 31st with 3,203. Haugen had two perfect games and will be looking for his first career Tour win in eight full seasons.

PBA Hall of Famer and 40-time title winner Walter Ray Williams Jr. (Ocala, Fla.) qualified 28th with 3,212. Williams will face last week's title winner Wes Malott (Austin, Texas), who averaged 242.14 and finished with 3,390.

　　【PBA】　Greater Omaha Classic　【Round 1 Qualifying】

Ma-lott of Strikes

Wes Malott

Wes Malott continued his blazing start to the 2005-06 Denny's PBA Tour season, capturing his first career title in dramatic fashion with a 215-211 win over Mika Koivuniemi in the title match of the 2005 Mile High Classic Sunday at Brunswick Zone Lakewood.

Koivuniemi, the 2004 PBA Player of the Year, was up 19 pins before a failed 3-4-6-7 split conversion in the 9th frame opened the door for Malott, who has advanced to the televised finals in each of the first three events this season.

After converting a 10-pin in the 9th frame, Malott struck out in the 10th forcing Koivuniemi to double. The six-time title winner left the 10-pin on his first shot, however, to give Malott the win.

"This is awesome. I don't really know what to say," commented Malott (Austin, Texas). "Finally, some breaks went my way and we got it. That's what I've been working on in the summer, making clutch shots when I need them."

In the first semifinal, Malott flirted with history as a 4-pin on his final shot against Patrick Allen was the only thing that stood in the way of the 17th nationally televised perfect game in Tour history. Malott defeated the 2005 PBA Player of the Year, 299-236.

Koivuniemi defeated Patrick Healey Jr. in the semifinals, 226-223. Koivuniemi was in control until a failed 2-6-7-10 split conversion in the 10th frame gave Healey life. Healey failed to strike to start his 10th, however, giving Koivuniemi a 226-223 win.

Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) takes home $20,000 for his runner-up finish while Healey (Flower Mound, Texas) and Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.) both earn $10,000 for their 3rd and 4th place finishes.

In the bag
Malott used the Columbia Action for his strike ball on Sunday.

　

清水弘子

水野成祐

第26回全日本ミックスダブルスオープントーナメントが愛知県の星ヶ丘ボウルで開催され、9G目に300を達成した清水弘子と昨年優勝者の水野成祐（森谷留美子は今大会不参加）コンビが抜群のチムワークを見せトップで準決勝へ!！2位にレフティーチムの森ルミ＆津野泰治チーム、3位・4位に夫婦ペアの林由香＆長谷宏チーム、金田惠子＆石原章夫チームが続く。

Fin-tastic!

Mika Koivuniemi

After a slow start to the 2004-05 Denny's PBA Tour season, Mika Koivuniemi will look to earn an early exemption Sunday as he defeated Robert Smith, four-games-to-none, to reach the championship round in the 2005 Mile High Classic Friday at Brunswick Zone Lakewood.

Koivuniemi, the 2004 PBA Player of the Year, did not win a title last season until the 10th event after winning three titles in 2003-04.

"It's nice to be on the show and have a chance to win a title early in the season," said Koivuniemi, who is originally from Finland. "I've been feeling really good about my game. I worked on a lot of small things this summer and I've been bowling smart. One more day and then I'll be happy."

Against Smith (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Koivuniemi averaged 238.75 in the four-game sweep. He started the match with a 264-189 win and ended it with a 257-192 win, his two highest games of the match.

Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) will face Patrick Healey Jr. in the semifinals. Healey (Flower Mound, Texas) defeated Brian Himmler (Cincinnati), 4-3. Healey came back from an 0-2 deficit and clinched a spot in the final rounds with a 232-206 win in game seven.

Wes Malott defeated Ryan Shafer (Elmira, N.Y.), 4-3, to become the first bowler since Mike Scroggins in 2003 to make three consecutive television appearances. Malott lost to Tommy Jones in the title match last week in the 2005 Tulsa Championship, 289-245.

Malott will face 2005 PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen in the first semifinal. Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.) defeated Mike Edwards (Tulsa, Okla.), 4-2.

In the Bag
Koivuniemi used the Brunswick Vapor Zone in his round of 8 match.

Streak Stopper
Brian Himmler put an end to Tommy Jones' hot streak in the round of 16 Friday. Himmler is now 5-0 in his career in match play against Jones.

Tommy on Top

Tommy Jones

Looking to become just the fourth bowler to win three consecutive Denny's PBA Tour events, Tommy Jones heads into the 2005 Mile High Classic match play round of 32 as the top seed.

Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.) finished qualifying with a 3,304 14-game pinfall Thursday at Brunswick Zone Lakewood, including a 226.71 over his second seven-game set.

"It never crosses my mind," said Jones of his chances to become the first bowler to win three consecutive Tour singles events since Johnny Petraglia in 1971. "There are three matches tomorrow and I'll take them one at a time."

Jones' second qualifying set began slowly as he averaged just 191.0 over his first two games. The 27-year-old responded by shooting 225, 268 and 258 over his next three games. Jones will face Dino Castillo (Carrollton, Texas) in the round of 32 after Castillo beat out Blaise Bedolla (Roseburg, Ore.) by four pins for the final match play spot.

Jeff Carter finished 2nd with 3,265 and will face Chris Barnes (Flower Mound, Texas), who was 31st with 3,030, in the round of 32. Carter (Springfield, Ill.) barely qualified for the round of 64, beating out Bob Learn Jr. by five pins in Wednesday's Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round to advance.

Both Castillo and Bedolla shot 300 games, as well as Chris Loschetter (Olmstead Falls, Ohio) who finished 24th with 3,056.

In the bag
Jones said he's basically been using two strike balls which Ebonite has recently come out with - the Overtime and the One. Thursday, he used the One.

Notes
Wes Malott finished 3rd after qualifying with 3,215. The 29-year-old has fired a 300 game in each of the first two Tour events of the season. If he tosses one this week, he'll become just the sixth bowler to throw a perfect game in three straight events, and the first since Randy Pedersen did it in 2002.

　　【PBA】　Mile High Classic　【Round 1 Qualifying】