Henry the Great

Henry Gonzalez

Henry Gonzalez won the season-opening event of the PBA Senior Tour for the second consecutive season, knocking off reigning PBA Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker, two-games-to-one, in the best-of-three-games title match Tuesday in the 2006 Senior Manassas Open at Bowl America Manassas.

Gonzalez won last season's 2005 Senior Empire State Open for his first career PBA Senior Tour title. He used a clutch performance in the 10th frame of game two to propel him to the win Tuesday.

After Baker took game one, 216-198, Gonzalez bounced back with a 224-215 win in game two. After taking an early lead, Gonzalez fell behind with four consecutive spares in frames 5-9. Baker struck out in the 9th and 10th frames to force Gonzalez to strike in the 10th frame to at least force a tie. Gonzalez stepped up and doubled to send the match to a deciding game three.

Gonzalez started the final game with a spare, then strung together eight consecutive strikes to jump ahead of Baker, but the PBA Hall of Famer responded with seven strikes in eight frames to stay close. Gonzalez could have shut Baker out with a strike in the 10th frame, but a spare and nine pins gave Baker a chance to strike out to win by one pin. Last year's PBA Senior Player and Rookie of the Year left a 10-pin, however, giving Gonzalez the 268-248 win.

"That was work. The second (title) is just validating the first one. Anyone can win the first, but the second one feels so good," said Gonzalez, who is the third bowler to win the PBA Senior Tour season opener in consecutive seasons. "It feels even better when you're beating the best. Tom is the best guy out here, but I gave him all he could handle."

Baker (Buffalo, N.Y.), who won one title last season, finished 2nd for the third time in 12 career Senior Tour events. He took home $4,500, while Gonzalez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned $8,000.

Gonzalez advanced to the title match with a 2-1 win over Ron Winger (Westlake Village, Calif.), winning the deciding third game, 265-235. Baker advanced to the finals with a 2-0 win over Dale Eagle (Tavares, Fla.).

　

　【JPBA】　シーズントライアル 2006 スプリングシリーズ

The Rich Gets Richer

Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes has now taken his money-hungry act overseas.

Barnes brought his earnings in the month of April to $330,000, taking home $30,000 Sunday by winning the World Tenpin Masters at the Barnsley Metrodome in England. Barnes defeated Paul Moor of England, 458-437, in the two-game final match based on total pinfall.

Barnes, who was coming off wins in the 2006 Dexter Tournament of Champions and the Motel 6 Roll to Riches earlier this month, was the first American bowler from the Denny's PBA Tour to participate in the event, which is in its ninth season. Former PBA exempt bowler Tore Torgersen (Norway) has won the event three times.

In the title match, Barnes knocked off the local favorite and left-handed Moor, who was looking to improve on his second-place finish last season. The Flower Mound, Texas native trailed after seven frames in the first match, but finished with five straight strikes while Moor had two spares in the final three frames, giving Barnes a 15-pin lead heading into the final game.

Barnes stayed hot in game two, striking with his first three shots before a spare in the 4th. Moor, meanwhile, made a crucial mistake in the 4th frame, missing a single-pin conversion, and Barnes responded with another three strikes. The Brit showed his toughness, striking with his next four shots, but Barnes wouldn't be denied. A strike in the 9th frame forced Moor to double to have any chance, but a strike and a spare gave Barnes the victory.

Barnes, whose wife Lynda also competed in the 16-bowler event, defeated Malaysian Alex Liew, 515-419, in the semifinals. Moor exacted some revenge in his semifinal, knocking off the defending champion from Germany Jens Nickel, 515-371. Nickel defeated Moor in the title match last season.

The World Tenpin Masters features 16 of the world's best bowlers representing 12 different countries. The format features head-to-head match play with total pinfall over two games determining the winner.

Chris Rocks

Chris Barnes

If anyone knows how to make a season out of one day, it's Chris Barnes.

For the second consecutive season, Barnes won the biggest grand prize in PBA history, winning $200,000 by defeating Mike Scroggins, six-strikes-to-five, in the finals of the season-ending Motel 6 Roll to Riches Thursday night at Main Event - Lewisville in Lewisville, Texas.

The final round consisted of a "Race to Six Strikes," with the first bowler striking six times taking home the top prize.

"It's been a crazy ride. A couple tournaments ago I wasn't event supposed to be here. But I got a Major and everything is coming full circle now," said Barnes (Flower Mound, Texas), who won $100,000 four days ago in the 2006 Dexter Tournament of Champions to qualify for the event. "It's a nerve wracking situation. I just got the luckiest break of all time on that last shot."

Leading 5-4, Barnes had a chance to win and threw a good shot but left a ringing 10-pin. After Scroggins missed on his next shot, leaving a 7-pin, Barnes took advantage of his second chance with his sixth strike in the 12th frame of the match. Barnes' winning shot was a "Brooklyn" strike, which came in high and crossed over to the 1-2 pocket instead of the 1-3.

Barnes advanced to the title match by defeating Walter Ray Williams (Ocala, Fla.), 158-117, in the second of two six-frame semifinals. Scroggins (Amarillo, Texas) defeated Tommy Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.), 132-101. The semifinals and elimination rounds consisted of six-frame matches with a maximum score of 180.

The event started with the Challenge Round, where bowlers participated in one-ball roll offs with the lowest score after each frame moving into the first elimination round. Pete Weber (St. Ann, Mo.) had an eight count in the 1st frame and was the first bowler to move into the elimination round.

Jones was the next bowler eliminated from the roll-off with a nine-count in the 2nd frame. After all four remaining bowlers struck in the 3rd frame, Norm Duke (Clermont, Fla.) was eliminated with a nine-count in the 4th frame. Williams was the final bowler eliminated with an eight count in the 5th frame, while Scroggins and Barnes both struck for the fifth time in a row to earn byes into the second elimination round.

In the first elimination round match, Jones knocked out Duke, 158-156, when Duke only needed a nine-spare with his second shot in the 10th frame to win, but he left a 4-6-7 split. In the second match Williams eliminated Weber, 149-138.

The $200,000 Barnes won does not count toward official Denny's PBA Tour earnings, but brings his total season earnings to $374,700.

Barnes Bounces Back

Chris Barnes

An up-and-down season for Chris Barnes couldn't have ended on a higher note.

Barnes won his second career Denny's PBA Tour Major title, defeating defending champion Steve Jaros, 234-227, in the title match of the 2006 Dexter Tournament of Champions Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Barnes, who withdrew from five events early in the season with a back injury and was in danger of not winning a title for the first time since 1998, won $100,000 for his seventh career title.

"My belief in everything turning out holds true," said Barnes, who came in having lost 12 of his last 13 matches on TV. "There was an opportunity for it to go the other way. I bowled a good game but sometimes it seems like the way my luck goes, the other guys just bowl a little better. He had a chance and I thought I was going to have to strike out, but I was fortunate he gave me an extra miss."

After starting the match with a strike, Barnes left a 6-7 split and opened in the 2nd frame, but he responded with six consecutive strikes to take the lead. After Barnes' run ended with a spare, Jaros - working on three straight strikes - could have pulled even with a strike, but he spared in the 9th, then struck and spared in his 10th frame. Barnes then picked up a spare and knocked down eight pins in the 10th to win.

Barnes advanced to the title match with a 255-191 win over Amleto Monacelli. Barnes was perfect through the first seven frames, but his bid for a 300 game ended when he left a 10-pin in the 8th frame. Monacelli, who was trying to become the oldest bowler to win a Tournament of Champions, never got on track.

Jaros defeated Tommy Jones, 247-233, in the first semifinal. Jones led early after Jaros had back-to-back spares in the 3rd and 4th frames, but Jones opened in his 4th frame after a 4-7-10 split. Jaros took advantage with five consecutive strikes and his spare in the 10th frame shut Jones out.

Jaros took home $30,000 for 2nd, while Jones and Monacelli earned $10,000 apiece for the 3rd and 4th place finishes, respectively.

The Tournament of Champions offers a two-season exemption on the Denny's PBA Tour, but Barnes was already exempt through 2007-08 due to his U.S. Open win last season.

The 2006 Dexter Tournament of Champions concludes the 2005-06 Denny's PBA Tour season. Next week, six bowlers will compete in a special event, the "Motel 6 Roll to Riches" which features a winner-take-all $200,000 prize. The event is comprised of the four Major winners from the 2005-06 season (Barnes, Mike Scroggins, Jones and Walter Ray Williams Jr.) as well as two PBA stars chosen by the fans via an on-line vote (Pete Weber and Norm Duke).

　

　　【JPBA】　日本シニアチャンピオンボウリング　【準決勝】

Monacelli Magnificent

Amleto Monacelli

Amleto Monacelli will look to win his first Denny's PBA Tour Major title in 17 years Sunday as he defeated fellow PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, three-games-to-one, Friday in the round of 8 in the 2006 Dexter Tournament of Champions at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Monacelli's lone Major win came in the 1989 Touring Players Championship, an event which is now defunct. He has finished 2nd in all three of the Tour's "Triple Crown" Majors (U.S. Open, World Championship, Tournament of Champions), including 2nd in the 1991 Tournament of Champions.

A win Sunday would give Monacelli the Denny's PBA Tour record for most years between Major titles. The record would smash previous droughts by Dave Husted and Mike Durbin, who went 10 years between Majors.

The 19-time titlist is making his first TV appearance of the season, and his first since winning the 2005 Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open last season.

"It's been a long year. I feel like I have been bowling so well but I had to withdraw from a couple events and I still have a leg injury, and I've had trouble making the round of 8 this season," said Monacelli (Venezuela). "I came into this week with no expectations. When I set my expectations too high, it becomes frustrating when I don't meet them. I just came here to give 100 percent and see what happened."

Monacelli will face six-time titlist Chris Barnes (Flower Mound, Texas), who will be looking to win his second Major in as many seasons. Barnes, who won the 62nd U.S. Open last season, defeated Mika Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.), 3-2.

The other semifinal will feature Tommy Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.) taking on defending champion Steve Jaros. Jones all but wrapped up the 2006 PBA Player of the Year award by advancing to the finals with a 3-1 win over Ritchie Allen (Columbia, S.C.). Jones has won four titles this season and captured his first career Major in the 63rd U.S. Open in February. He's looking to become just the sixth bowler in Tour history to win two Majors in a season.

Jaros defeated 2005 PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.), 3-2, by winning the decisive game 299-257. Jaros will look to become just the second bowler to defend a Tournament of Champions crown.

　

　　【JPBA】　日本シニアチャンピオンボウリング　【予選前半】

Mohegan Magic

Patrick Allen

Reigning PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen came back from a two-games-to-none deficit to defeat Walter Ray Williams Jr., 3-2, Friday in the round of 32 in the 2006 Dexter Tournament of Champions at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Williams, a PBA Hall of Famer with a Tour record-tying 41 career titles, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with wins of 276-259 and 256-193. In game three, Williams had a chance to strike out to end the match as he took a one-pin lead into the ninth frame. Williams had a strike and a spare in the 10th frame, however, and Allen matched him to send the game to a one-ball roll-off.

In the roll-off, both bowlers struck with their first two shots before Williams got nine with his third shot. Allen followed with a strike to force a fourth game, and the momentum of the match shifted.

Allen struck in 21 of his next 23 frames - including 20 in a row at one point - over the final two games to knock Williams out, winning game four, 280-177, and an exciting game five 289-277.

"If you had told me I'd come back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Walter Ray, I'd say you'd have 50- or 100-1 odds," said Allen, who won last week's 2006 Great Lakes Classic for his second title this season. "I knew I had to strike every shot that last game."

Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.) advanced to face 23-year-old Sean Rash, who knocked off Wes Malott (Austin), 3-2. Rash made history earlier this season when he became the first bowler to advance from a Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying and win a title.

In another exciting match, 32-time titlist Pete Weber (St. Ann, Mo.) defeated 23-time titlist Norm Duke (Clermont, Fla.), 3-1. Weber won the first two games of the shootout 279-269 and 290-279, before Duke came back to win game three, 238-234. Weber moved on with a 267-236 win in game four.

Three-time Tournament of Champions winner Jason Couch (Clermont, Fla.) shot one of two 300 games on the day in defeating Patrick Healey Jr. (Flower Mound, Texas), 3-1.

Seventh Heaven

Patrick Allen

Patrick Allen isn't quite ready to relinquish his PBA Player of the Year title just yet.

The 2005 PBA Player of the Year won his second title of the season, defeating Patrick Healey Jr., 259-193, in the title match of the 2006 Great Lakes Classic at Spectrum Lanes.

Allen, who won four titles last season including the 2005 Denny's World Championship, captured his seventh career title.

"Obviously it's been a long season. This was a tough week with guys trying to get exempt for next year," said Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.), who took home $40,000 for the win. "To make the show and get a title this late in the season after the season I had last year is very gratifying, and hopefully silences the critics who said I was a one-year wonder."

Allen started the title match with strikes in the first three frames, and after a spare in the 4th and a strike in the 5th, he got a huge break in the 6th. Allen left a 7-10 split, but the 7-pin fell late, helping Allen avoid a possible open frame.

Healey, meanwhile, suffered through five-consecutive nine-spares in frames 3-7, then opened in the 9th frame. Allen took advantage by striking on his final six shots to clinch the title.

Allen advanced to the title match with a 248-245 win over Pete Weber. Weber took the early lead with four straight strikes in frames 3-6. Two straight spares, however, gave Allen a chance to take control and he did with five consecutive strikes. Allen struck with his first ball in the 10th and knocked down nine on his next shot to shut Weber out.

Healey advanced to the title match with a 258-188 win over Chris Barnes. Healey struck in nine of his last 10 shots, while Barnes opened in the 6th frame to fall to 1-12 in his last 13 matches on TV. The win for Healey broke a four-match losing streak on TV.

Healey (Flower Mound, Texas) took home $20,000 for 2nd, while Barnes (Flower Mound, Texas) and Weber (St. Ann, Mo.) earned $10,000 apiece for the 3rd and 4th place finishes, respectively.

Notes
Allen, who used Ebonite's The One, is the first No. 1 seed to win a standard Tour event since Pete Weber won the 2004 Medford Open, defeating Tommy Delutz Jr., 265-256.