【PBA】　PBA Senior Epicenter Classic　【Final】

Brenner Bowls a Record-Breaker

Jim Brenner

After a decade of waiting, Jim Brenner made history Wednesday, in the 2006 PBA Senior Epicenter Classic at the Epicenter Bowling Complex, taking his first title in ten years and becoming the oldest player ever to win a Senior Tour title.

"I'm elated," said Brenner. "I never thought this would happen again. In the ninth and tenth frame my heart was just racing."

After qualifying in sixth place and eliminating Roger LeClair (Clackamas, Ore.) in the round-of-eight, Brenner rolled past Bob Kelly (Dayton, Ohio) in the semifinals before taking the championship match 2-1 against Henry Gonzalez (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

"Jim had a great shot and he made great shots," said Gonzalez. "It was definitely his turn."

Brenner, who turns 67 on July 5th, broke the record previously held by Hall of Famer Dave Soutar (Bradenton Fla.) who won the PBA Senior U.S. Open in 2003 at the age of 63.

A native of LeClaire, Iowa, and father of six, Brenner even took time to bowl a few extra games after the championship match with some of the junior scorekeeping volunteers.

Senior Tour titlist Tom Baker (King, N.C.) also had a chance to make PBA history and become the first player to win four consecutive titles, but was eliminated in the round-of-eight by ninth seeded Jimmy Young (Pasadena, Texas).

　【PBA】　Senior U.S. Open　【Final】

The Fabulous Baker Boy

Tom Baker

After 51 games of grueling competition and ever-changing lane conditions, another win is in the books for PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker in the Senior U.S. Open Friday at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

Tom Baker defeated Dick Baker, 215-176, in the championship match, becoming the first bowler in PBA Senior Tour history to win three consecutive titles.

"I went out there and I knew that today I was going to have tough competition," said Baker, who became the first bowler to defend a Senior U.S. Open title. "I really didn't think about (the record). I was just thinking about winning the tournament."

There was no catching the King, N.C. native as he dominated the field, finishing 51 games of qualifying and match play with a 214.47 average and a 195-pin lead. He struggled, however, in the title match with a 6-7-10 split in the first frame and some high pocket shots that left a number of single-pin spares to be converted.

"I was having some trouble with the conditions and the way my body felt," said Tom Baker. "My feet were tired and as I was bowing, I was leaning a little bit more than normal, trying to keep my weight back."

Dick Baker started the stepladder finals in third place, defeating fourth-seeded Roger Kossert (Lithia, Fla.), 217-181, and second-seeded David Ozio (Beaumont, Texas), 238-227, before losing in the final. The local favorite from Henderson, Nev. has been a PBA member since 1992 and has yet to win a title.

Tom Baker earns $20,000 for his victory and assures himself a spot in next season's PBA Tournament of Champions. Dick Baker takes home $11,000 for second, Ozio earns $7,000 for third and Roger Kossert takes home $5,500 for fourth.

　【USBC】　USBC Queens　【Final】

Pluhowsky wins USBC Queens title

Shannon Pluhowsky

Shannon Pluhowsky of Lincoln, Neb., made four clutch shots down the stretch Wednesday as she defeated Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., to win the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Queens.

Pluhowsky, a three-time U.S. Amateur champion, threw four strikes to come from behind and steal a 203-178 victory from Johnson in the second championship match at the National Bowling Stadium. Pluhowsky defeated the top-seeded Johnson 228-210 to force the second match in the double-elimination format.

"This is another step in my bowling career," said Pluhowsky, a 23-year-old left-hander and six-time member of Team USA. "To beat a field of the best women bowlers in the world is just an incredible feeling."

Trailing most of the deciding match, Pluhowsky struck in the eighth frame and then watched as Johnson left a 6-7-10 split in the ninth frame. Pluhowsky stepped up and labeled three consecutive shots to clinch the victory.

"I was disappointed because I thought I made a good shot; it just jumped on me a little bit," said Johnson, a three-time Team USA member. "Maybe I could have made a better shot, but I just got it in a hair."

On the way to the title, Pluhowsky defeated fourth seed Dana Miller-Mackie of Albuquerque, N.M., 211-205. Needing just a mark to advance, Miller-Mackie left a pocket 6-8 split to hand the match to Pluhowsky, who then knocked off No. 2 Kim Terrell of Antioch, Calif., 180-169.

In the opening match of the stepladder finals, Miller-Mackie defeated Mandy Wilson of Dayton, Ohio, 216-197.

Pluhowsky took home $30,000 for first place in addition to the Queens tiara, pendant and crystal trophy. Johnson earned $18,000 for second.

　【PBA】　PBA Senior Tucson Open　【Final】

Back-to-Back for Baker

Tom Baker

Tom Baker's domination of the PBA Senior Tour has reached an all-time high.

Baker, last year's PBA Senior Player and Rookie of the Year, became the first bowler since Bob Glass in 2001 to win back-to-back PBA Senior Tour titles, defeating Pete Couture, two-games-to-one, in the title match of the 2006 Senior Tucson Open at Golden Pin Lanes.

The 51-year-old finished second in the season-opening Senior Manassas Open, then won the following week's Senior Chillicothe Open. The Tour then took a five-week hiatus, but Baker didn't lose his momentum. He led the field this week after 16 games of qualifying, then went 10-3 in match play.

"I've been on a roll lately and when you get on a roll you just try to keep it going as long as you can and not think about it too much," said Baker, who is the 10th bowler in PBA Senior Tour history to win consecutive titles. "Every week when you bowl, your goal is to win and I accomplished my goal this week."

Baker (King, N.C.) won the first game of the best-of-three-games title match, 259-210, after starting the game with six consecutive strikes. Couture bounced back with a 254-232 win in game two, but Baker would not be denied in the final game.

The PBA Hall of Famer who is exempt on the Denny's PBA Tour started game three with eight straight strikes, but a 10-pin denied him a perfect game. Nevertheless, Baker coasted to the 279-202 title-clinching win.

Couture (Titusville, Fla.) was vying for his 10th PBA Senior Tour title, which would have made him just the fifth bowler all-time with at least 10 titles. He advanced to the title match with a 2-1 win over Guppy Troup (Taylorsville, N.C.).

Baker, who finished second last season at Golden Pin Lanes, advanced to the title match with a 2-1 win over Ross Packard (San Jose, Calif.).

　【JPBA】　下半期女子トーナメント出場優先順位決定戦　【第２日目】

　【JPBA】　下半期女子トーナメント出場優先順位決定戦　【第１日目】

　【PBA】　PBA Tour Trials　【Final】

Kulick Makes History

For the first time in PBA history, a woman will bowl full time on the Tour.

Kelly Kulick averaged 224.04 in 45 games over five days to finish sixth in the 2006 Denny's PBA Tour Trials Sunday at Stardust Bowl I to earn one of 10 exemptions for the 2006-07 Denny's PBA Tour season.

The PBA opened its membership to women in April 2004 after the Professional Women's Bowlers Association (PWBA) folded. Kulick was the 2001 PWBA Rookie of the Year and won the 2003 Women's U.S. Open before the league folded.

In 2004-05, the Denny's PBA Tour went to an all-exempt field with 58 bowlers earning full-time exemptions for each season. While two women - Liz Johnson and Cathy Dorin-Lizzi - have qualified for single Tour events through weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds, no woman had ever earned a full-season exemption.

"To be the first woman is huge... words can't even describe the feeling," said Kulick. "I feel confident I can be a good enough competitor to stay out on Tour. My next goal is to make a television show and become the first woman to win a PBA Tour title."

Kulick came into Sunday eighth overall with the final day taking place on the Tour's highest-scoring oil pattern. Each of the five days featured one of the PBA's five different oil patterns.

The 29-year-old from Union, N.J. averaged 232.89 over the final nine games - including a 300 in game four - to finish sixth with a 10,082 45-game pinfall.

Leading the field was Mark Scroggins (Amarillo, Texas), whose twin brother Mike is also exempt on Tour. Scroggins finished with 10,301.

Michael Haugen Jr. (Las Vegas), a 10-year Tour veteran, finished second with 10,279.

Making his way back on Tour after a two-year hiatus was 12-time Tour titlist Del Ballard Jr. (North Richland Hills, Texas), who finish 10th with 10,009. Needing a 186 in his final game to qualify, Ballard shot a 219 to earn the final spot.

Jim Pratt (Glendale, Ariz.) finished third with 10,189, Chris Hayden (Orlando, Fla.) finished fourth with 10,188, while David Tessman (Tampa, Fla.) rounded out the top five with 10,109.

The 2003 PBA Rookie of the Year Chris Johnson (Garland, Texas) made his way back on Tour, finishing seventh with 10,065. Also qualifying were Patrick Girard (Jonquiere, Quebec) and Ritchie Wolfe (Vienna, Va.).