プロボウリング情報


2012/04/25


 

2012/04/24

 【USBC】 USBC Queens 【Finals】

Asbaty claims 2012 Queens title

Diandra AsbatyDiandra Asbaty

Diandra Asbaty

The last time Diandra Asbaty of Chicago reached the championship match of the United States Bowling Congress Queens, she bowled a match to forget. On Tuesday night, she bowled a match she will never forget.

Asbaty defeated USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 244-227, to win her first career major title at the 2012 USBC Queens presented by Storm.

In 2007, Asbaty also advanced to the Queens final but lost to Kelly Kulick, 192-143. This time she would not be denied. Asbaty needed a strike and seven pins in the final frame and threw three perfect strikes to lock up the win at the International Training and Research Center.

"I'm still in shock and literally feel like I'm in a dream," said Asbaty, a 14-time Team USA member. "It's every girl's dream to step in the 10th against a bowler like Carolyn and throw a strike to win. She was one of my idols growing up and really inspired me."

Asbaty said the experience in 2007, when she lost as the Queens top seed, helped lead her to the moment she experienced Tuesday.

"If I could take what happened in 2007 and change it, I still wouldn't do it," said Asbaty, who was the No. 3 seed in Tuesday's finals and picked up $20,000 for the win. "That moment and that heartbreak made this win possible."

Dorin-Ballard, who earned $10,000 for finishing second, got at least nine pins down on every ball in the title match and struck seven times, but a 7 pin in the ninth and a 10 pin in the final frame opened the door for Asbaty, who tossed the final six strikes.

"Am I disappointed, absolutely, but I put the ball in the pocket and you can't control what happens sometimes," said Dorin-Ballard, who won the Queens in 2001. "Now it's time to work a little harder and get ready for the U.S. Women's Open in June."

In the semifinal, Asbaty took down second seed Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, 270-185. Asbaty closed with nine straight strikes as Nation failed to gain any traction in the match.

Asbaty moved on in the night's second match by defeating Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 233-191. Asbaty opened with four consecutive strikes and led by more than 20 pins the entire game.

In the opening match of the night, Johnson started with a spare and six consecutive strikes as she built a 34-pin lead halfway through the game and went on to defeat Josie Earnest of Nashville, 268-223.

A total of 131 of the top bowlers competed in the Queens, which featured a prize fund of $110,000. For more information on the USBC Queens, visit BOWL.com/Queens.

 

Lennie Boresch Jr. Wins PBA Senior Sun Bowl In The Villages In Senior Tour Debut

Lennie Boresch Jr.

Lennie Boresch Jr.

This week will be one not soon forgotten for Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour rookie Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wis.

In his Senior Tour debut, Boresch defeated 2011 Senior Rookie of the Year Ricky Beck of Box Elder, S.D., 278-266, to win the PBA Senior Sun Bowl In The Villages presented by Storm Tuesday at Spanish Springs Lanes. Then, it’s on to Arlington, Texas, where Boresch will be inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame on Thursday.

“This is a dream week and kind of weird the way it’s all playing out,” said Boresch, who just turned 50 on April 19 to become eligible for the Senior Tour. “I can’t believe it’s happening all so fast.”

In the championship match Beck struck on the first nine shots but opened in the 10th allowing an opening for Boresch who was able to string his last eight strikes to clinch the win.
“If he strikes on the first ball in the 10th it’s over but when he didn’t, I thought to myself, well, here’s my chance,” Boresch said.

Boresch is known for his success in PBA regional competition where he has won 25 PBA regional titles. His top finishes on the PBA national tour are a fifth and two sixth-place finishes. He also owns three USBC Open Championships titles.

“I was really hoping to just make the cut and get my feet wet out here,” Boresch said. “I still feel I can be competitive at a high level but never thought I’d win right out of the box on the Senior Tour.”

The road to the championship match wasn’t easy for Boresch, just squeaking out a win in the Round of 8 against Tom Carter of Rockford, Ill., 2-1 in the three-game match. He then faced four-time Senior Player of the Year and PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, N.C. in the semifinal, winning that single-game match, 238-227. Coincidentally, Baker, who was trying for his 10th Senior Tour title, will also be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame on Thursday.

“Tom is such a great bowler and I had to remind myself to stay cool, Boresch said. “But I kept telling myself to keep my footwork slow and just enjoy the experience.”

In the other semifinal match Beck squeaked by Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., 258-257, to advance to the championship match.

The next stop for the Senior Tour will be the PBA Senior Don Carter Memorial Open presented by Ebonite April 28-May 2 at Carter Family Bowl in Winter Garden, Fla.

 

 【JPBA】 第51回 男子プロボウラー資格取得テスト 【第2次テスト・1日目】

 

 【JPBA】 第45回 女子プロボウラー資格取得テスト 【第2次テスト・1日目】

 


 

2012/04/23

Dorin-Ballard leads Queens finalists

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, had a few close calls during Monday's match play at the United States Bowling Congress Queens, but the Hall of Famer made enough clutch shots to grab the top seed for the stepladder finals.

In the final bracket match, Dorin-Ballard edged Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, 596-592, at AMF Euless Lanes in the match that determined the top two seeds for the finals.

Dorin-Ballard now will go after her second career Queens title in Tuesday's finals, which will be held at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. The finals will be televised live on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Eastern.

"It feels like forever," said Dorin-Ballard, who won the 2001 Queens but hasn't made the Queens TV finals since then. "A couple of matches I fell a little behind on the transition, but tried to make shots and put pressure on my opponents, and came through every now and then when I needed to."

After a close victory over Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tenn., to start Monday's match play, Dorin-Ballard sent defending champion Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, Calif., to the elimination bracket with a 662-572 victory, before beating Nation.

Nation, left, who will make her first Queens TV appearance, cruised through her first two matches on Monday. She defeated Lisa Noor of Mound, Minn., 707-598, and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, 697-550.

"I was feeling in the zone," Nation said of her early matches. "Pretty cool stuff. I've made the TV show, so that's one step. Tomorrow, we'll just do what we've got to do."

In a format change for 2012, the last four players in the elimination bracket bowled a three-game match to determine the final three spots for the TV show. Asbaty fired a 706 series to lead the group and earn the third seed, while Liz Johnson (645) of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Josie Earnest (636) of Nashville, Tenn., took the final two spots. Parkin (599) had the low total of the four and was eliminated.

Earnest, right, a 2012 Team USA member competing in her first Queens tournament, faced Hall of Famers Kim Terrell-Kearney, Leanne Hulsenberg, Dorin-Ballard, and top seed Kelly Kulick en route to making the TV show. Only Dorin-Ballard slowed her down, knocking her to the elimination bracket.

"This is a pretty unbelievable experience," Earnest said. "I'm not sure there are many things that can top this ... maybe winning the Queens."

Johnson, left, who won the 2009 Queens and has three other top-five finishes in the tournament, lost her first match on Sunday, then had to win six matches in the elimination bracket just to reach the final four. She averaged an amazing 701 for the six series.

"I had some unbelievably tough matches," said Johnson, who had to get past Elysia Current, Shannon O'Keefe and Kulick in her first three matches in the elimination bracket. "It was a long road, but I got here and it's exciting."

Asbaty, right, who lost to Kulick in the title match of 2007 Queens, was knocked to the elimination bracket by Nation. But in the last group of the day, she started with games of 235 and 266 to wrap up the No. 3 seed in the finals.

"I'm seeking my first major title, so that's special to even have the opportunity to be in this position and have a chance at it," Asbaty said.

The 2012 Queens started with 131 players, and after 15 games of qualifying the field was trimmed to the top 48 for the double-elimination match-play bracket.

 


 

2012/04/22

Kulick is top seed at USBC Queens

Kelly Kulick

Kelly Kulick

Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., averaged 242 during the final five qualifying games on Sunday to earn the top seed for match play at the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Queens.

Kulick had games of 279, 232, 208, 258 and 234 to lead the field with a 3,453 pinfall total at AMF Euless Lanes. Anita Manns of Houston, who led the first two rounds of qualifying, was second at 3,323.

"Once the bracket starts, it doesn't mean anything, but I've never led this event," Kulick said. "Ten years it took me to lead this event; it's about time. But to know you are the No. 1 seed makes your swing feel a little more confident."

The top 64 players in the 131-player field had advanced to the final five qualifying games on Sunday morning. The top 48, including defending champion Missy Parkin, advanced to the double-elimination match-play bracket, which started Sunday afternoon. New for 2012, the top 16 players after qualifying received a first-round bye in match play.

The final five players will advance to the televised stepladder finals. The final two players in the winners bracket will be assured a spot on the television show, while the final three spots on the show will come from the contenders bracket.

 

 【JPBA】 宮崎プロアマオープントーナメント 【決勝トーナメント】

長谷川真実、涙の初優勝!

長谷川真実

2012年女子開幕戦にてニューヒロイン誕生!

2日にわたる予選ですべての選手をたっぷり観戦した後は、組合せの運や相性が見える準決勝ブロックラウンドロビン、そして各ブロック上位2名ずつが選出されて行われる決勝トーナメントのガチンコ勝負と、ボウリングの見どころを詰め込んだ宮崎プロアマオープン。

会場の宮崎エースレーンが40周年、エースランドに生まれ変わってから5周年と、記念すべき節目の今年、TVファイナルのステージに森 彩奈江、長谷川真実、姫路 麗、高橋美貴ら4名が出揃いました。

誰が勝っても宮崎初制覇、何より姫路以外の3名は初優勝がかかるとあって、場内の興奮もひときわ高まります。そんなファイナルに相応しい盛り上がりの中、森VS長谷川の対戦がスタート。

予選後半から勢いをつけた森でしたが、TV決勝を前にリオイルしたレーンに捕まってしまい、オープンフレームを3つ出して撃沈。50ピン以上の大差をつけて長谷川が優勝決定戦へ一番乗りを決めます。

姫路VS高橋の2試合目、初めてのTV決勝で堅くなってしまった高橋が中盤にミスを続出。滑り出しから5連続ストライクを決めた姫路が高橋を大きく突き放して長谷川との対戦にのぞみます。

昨年9月のMKチャリティカップで初優勝まであと一歩に迫りながら逃してしまった長谷川は、滑り出しの1フレーム目をスプリットからオープンフレームに。対する姫路はおよそ一年半ぶりの優勝をかけて、スペアからダブルへ繋ぐ慎重なゲーム展開で序盤のリードを取ります。

しかし準優勝の雪辱から経験を積み上げた長谷川は、再び初優勝を目前にして落ち着きを取り戻し、中盤でターキーに成功して先行していた姫路を捉えました。そこからなんと9フレームまで両者同点のまま進み、勝敗の行方はとうとう最終フレームに持ち込まれます。

そして運命の10フレーム目、まずは姫路が投球して9ピンカウントだったのに対し、長谷川の1投目はストライク。姫路もカバーしましたが、長谷川はダブルに成功。追い詰められた姫路は3投目もストライクが取れず、ここで長谷川の勝利が確定します。

そして3投目、すでに涙がにじむ長谷川でしたが、投げたボールは見事ストライク。初シード入りを果たしてから2年、着実に経験を重ねて成長してきた姿を師匠の杉本勝子や、姉妹のように仲の良い朋友の阿部聖水と中村美月、そして多くのファンに見守られながら、長谷川がプロ入り9年目にして涙なみだの初優勝を果たしました!

 

 

 


 

2012/04/21

Manns maintains lead at USBC Queens

Anita Manns

Anita Manns

Anita Manns of Houston might have slowed her pace slightly during the second round of qualifying at the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Queens on Saturday, but she continues to lead the field.

Manns averaged 206 during the second round, and her 2,265 total after 10 games leads Diandra Asbaty of Chicago by 14 pins. Manns had games of 194, 178, 214, 207 and 237 during the morning block and was a little surprised she was able to hold onto the lead.

"I definitely thought the scores were going to be a lot higher on the last squad, but I know they were tough out there," Manns said. "So, I'm surprised (to be leading), but happy all at the same time."

Asbaty closed with a 247 game and has a 2,251 total, while Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., started the afternoon squad with games of 256 and 248 and is third with 2,242.

Lindsay Baker of Brigham City, Utah, averaged 231 on the morning squad to move from 19th to fourth with games of 247, 211, 223, 252 and 223 for a 2,236 total.

"I felt like I was doing the right things, tried to buckle down, make my spares, make good shots and it worked out today, so I'm excited," Baker said.

USBC Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg, who won Bowling's U.S. Women's Open last year, made an even bigger move. She averaged 242 in the second round to jump from 87th to 10th place at 2,153. She said her young son, Barrett, has been a little sick, and she finally was able to get a good night's sleep.
 
"No excuses, we were just more ready to bowl today," Hulsenberg said.

The 131-player field was cut to the top 64 after Saturday's second round. The remaining players will bowl five additional qualifying games on Sunday morning before the field is cut to the top 47, who will join defending champion Missy Parkin in the double-elimination match-play bracket, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The final five players will advance to the televised stepladder finals.

 

 

 【JPBA】 宮崎プロアマオープントーナメント 【予選後半・Aシフト】

 

2012/04/20

Manns leads 2012 USBC Queens

Anita Manns

Anita Manns

Anita Manns of Houston totaled 802 for her first three games en route to the lead after the opening day of qualifying at the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Queens on Friday.

Manns posted games of 270, 268, 264, 215 and 218 for a 1,235 total (247 average) during the afternoon squad at AMF Euless Lanes in Euless, Texas. She leads Diandra Asbaty of Chicago by 18 pins.

"I was just trying to stay focused on making good shots, one at time," said Manns, who had to miss last year's USBC Queens because of work commitments. "Every frame is its own game, so make a good shot, and if you leave something, you spare it up and move on to the next frame."

Asbaty stayed close to Manns throughout the day, rolling games of 258, 254, 269, 191 and 245 to total 1,217. She said bowling in the recent Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions helped her prepare for the Queens.

"The one hiccup game, I just really didn't want to change balls because I loved the look," Asbaty said. "But it was screaming at me to throw another ball. My last game, I switched balls and finished pretty strong."

Stefanie Nation of Grand Prairie, Texas, fired a 289 in her final game and sits in third at 1,196. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., who won the Queens in 2007 and 2010, is in fourth place with 1,148. Kulick started the day with nine consecutive strikes and was the top performer on the morning squad. Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas, is fifth at 1,140, while defending champion Missy Parkin had a 298 game and is in sixth place at 1,133.

The Queens continues Saturday with five more qualifying games, after which the field of 131 will be cut to the top 64 for five additional qualifying games Sunday morning. The top 47 then advance to join Parkin in the double-elimination match-play bracket, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The final five players will advance to the televised stepladder finals.

In a change for 2012, only 48 players will advance to the bracket portion of the event with the top 16 players after qualifying receiving a first-round bye. The final two players in the winners bracket will be assured a spot on the television show, while the final three spots on the show will come from the contenders bracket.

 

 

岸田有加

岸田有加

 

 

 

松永裕美

松永裕美


 

2012/04/15

Sean Rash Learns from Mistakes, Ends Five-Year Title Drought with PBA Tournament of Champions Win

Sean Rash

Sean Rash

Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., won the PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes Sunday, ending a five-year, 14-tournament television drought with a 239-205 victory over Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y.

Rash, who hadn’t won a title since the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters, started the title match with four strikes and bowled an almost error-free game to win the $80,000 first prize and the fifth title of his career.

“This one ranks right up there with the most important titles I’ve ever won,” Rash said. “Your first title is always special, and so is your first major, but this tournament is special because everyone who bowls in it is a champion. The other guys in the finals are all great young players.

“The biggest thing is learning from your failures. I learned that a long time ago, and I’ve worked hard to overcome my mistakes,” the 29-year-old said. “The great thing about winning a title like this is we’re all family out here. Every other player wants the other guy to succeed. It really feels good.”

With his title, Rash also inserted himself into the PBA Player of the Year chase. He unofficially led the Tour in earnings, average and competition points while finishing in the top 10 in 11 of 14 tournaments.

Ciminelli had nothing but praise for Rash’s performance after eliminating two PBA Player of the Year candidates in his first two matches.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t win, but Sean bowled a great game. He earned it,” Ciminelli said. “Getting to the title match was another step in my career. I won by far the biggest check I’ve ever gotten ($40,000), I qualified for the Japan Cup and I’ll get to bowl in the PBA Summer Series, so it was a big week for me.

“And I think I handled the pressure well,” the 26-year-old left-hander said. “I usually beat myself up, but this week I’m proud of myself. There are going to be many, many more opportunities. I’m very young.”

In the semifinal match, Ciminelli missed a 7 pin in the first frame but raced away to a 257-223 victory over Australia’s Jason Belmonte, striking on nine of his next 10 shots. Belmonte couldn’t solve the right lane until the 10th frame and by then it was too late. Belmonte came into the finals with three victories during the 2011-12 PBA Tour season and was considered a leading contender in the PBA Player of the Year race.

In the opening match, Ciminelli defeated another Player of the Year contender, Mike Fagan of Dallas, 190-182, in a mistake-filled match. Fagan opened in three of his first five frames before rallying with a late turkey. Ciminelli also survived a pair of unconverted splits, throwing the first string of three strikes in the match to protect his slim lead and converting a 7 pin in the 10th frame to lock up the win. Fagan had won a pair of 2011-12 titles including the United States Bowling Congress Masters, one of the PBA Tour’s four major championships.

With Ciminelli’s loss, the PBA Tour completed its first season since 1962 without a left-handed title winner.

While the PBA Tour’s regular season ended with the Tournament of Champions, a special post-season PBA Summer Shootout is planned for Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. Details will be announced soon.


 

2012/04/14

 【PBA】 News

PBA Inducts Couch and Stus Into Hall of Fame During Ceremonies in Las Vegas

Sixteen-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour titlist Jason Couch and 11-time PBA Senior Tour winner Gene Stus were inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame during ceremonies Saturday evening at the Red Rock Resort.

The 42-year-old Couch is the only player in Tour history to win three consecutive PBA Tournament of Champions titles, an event many players consider one of the most demanding to win because a player must win a PBA title to be eligible to compete.

In addition to his Tournament of Champions titles, which came in 1999, 2000 and 2002 (the tournament was not conducted in 2001), Couch won a fourth Tour major in the 1993 PBA Touring Players Championship.

The Clermont, Fla., left-hander began his Tour career in 1992 when he earned Rookie of the Year honors. His first title would come the next season in Windsor Locks, Conn.
Couch’s career path was probably a foregone conclusion as the son of parents who owned a Florida bowling center.

“I lived my life dreaming of this day,” Couch said. “From the time I was a kid bowling in junior leagues I couldn’t wait to get back home to watch the pros on the PBA Tour telecasts to not only watch them but also try to do what they did.

“I went out and did my best and when I achieved one milestone, I continued to work hard and went on to the next goal.”

Throughout his 20-year Tour career, Couch had a string of winning at least one title in six straight seasons (1998-2004) and he won multiple titles in five seasons. Still active on Tour, he has more than $1.6 million in career earnings and was ranked 24th among PBA’s 50 greatest players in history as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary in 2009. He also won 25 PBA regional titles.

As a competitive bowler for most of his adult life, the 71-year-old Stus wondered how he might have done on the PBA Tour. But the opportunity to compete in Tour competition didn’t present itself until he retired from General Motors after 32 years at the age of 50 and became a regular on the Senior Tour.

Stus’ 11 Senior Tour titles rank fourth on the all-time list behind fellow Hall of Famers John Handegard with 14 titles, and Gary Dickinson and Dale Eagle each with 12.

In 1992, Stus, who currently resides in Taylor, Mich., earned Senior Player of the Year honors thanks in part to winning two titles. In July of that year he became the first Senior Tour player to bowl a 300 game on national television, defeating Don Gilman, 300-188, in the Pacific Cal Bowl Senior Open in Lakewood, Calif.

Stus was not able to attend the ceremonies for health reasons but good friend and fellow Senior Tour competitor Dave Bernhardt accepted the honor on his behalf.

“I always wanted to bowl on Tour and it was the Senior Tour that allowed me to fulfill my dreams,” Stus said through his video acceptance. “I wasn’t able to bowl on Tour when I was younger but I was still fortunate to have the honor to bowl with the sport’s greats.”

“I hope that bowlers like myself who didn’t have the opportunity to bowl on Tour when they were younger will give the Senior Tour a try because it’s a great opportunity to fulfill their dreams.”

The PBA Hall of Fame ceremonies were held in conjunction with the PBA Tournament of Champions which concludes Sunday at Red Rock Lanes. Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill.; Jason Belmonte of Australia; Mike Fagan of Dallas and Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., will compete in the live stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. The TOC concludes the PBA’s 2011-12 season.


 

2012/04/13


 

2012/04/12


 

2012/04/11

 

 【JPBA】 第51回 男子プロボウラー資格取得テスト 【第1次テスト・2日目】

 

 【JPBA】 第45回 女子プロボウラー資格取得テスト 【第1次テスト・2日目】

 

Sean Rash Leads 25 Elite Field Survivors as PBA Tournament of Champions Heads into Round of 36

Sean Rash

Sean Rash

Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., completed the Elite Field qualifying portion of the Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions Wednesday at Red Rock Lanes with a 20-game total of 4,845 pins, leading a group of 25 players who will join 11 current-season title winners for the final dash toward Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals starting Thursday morning.

Competition for the TOC title and the $80,000 first prize starts fresh Thursday with two nine-game qualifying rounds. After Thursday’s 18 games, the top 18 will advance to two nine-game rounds of head-to-head match play on Friday. The top four players after 36 games will advance to the finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Rash, a four-time PBA Tour title winner, averaged 242.25 to finish 43 pins ahead of 2011 TOC runner-up Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich.

Leading the group of Elite Field qualifiers was no more meaningful than finishing 25th as far as Rash was concerned, other than giving him an opportunity to get his game fine-tuned for the 36-game dash to the finals.

“My tempo is what I’ve worked on all year and that’s what I worked on,” Rash said. “Leading right now doesn’t matter. There’s no added prize money, no points. We drop pins and start over. The goal was just to survive these two days.

“Tomorrow is when the tournament starts. It’ll be a lot different tournament tomorrow - different players, a different level of talent, different approach.”

The final five games in the Elite Field resulted in an intense battle for the final spots. With one game to go, nine players were within 33 pins of the 25th spot. After 20 games, four players wound up tied for 24th place, resulting in a one-game roll-off with two of the four advancing. In the roll-off, Eddie VanDaniker of Essex, Md. (256) and defending champion Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich., with a strike on his final ball in the 10th frame (226), advanced. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., who became the first woman ever to win a PBA Tour title in the 2010 Tournament of Champions, lost by a pin to Koivuniemi with a 225. Jim Pratt of Glendale, Ariz. (213) also was eliminated.

Joining the Round of 36 field Thursday are three-time 2011-12 titlists Jason Belmonte of Australia and Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.; U.S. Open champ Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo.; two-time winners Osku Palermaa of Finland and Mike Fagan of Dallas; England’s Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett; Colombia’s Andres Gomez; Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas; Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind., and Scott Newell of Deland, Fla.

Two of the longest-running streaks of television appearances in PBA history ended Wednesday night when PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., missed the cut to the Round of 36, assuring that his PBA record streak of 26 consecutive years of TV appearances has ended. Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill., also saw his streak of 20 consecutive years with at least one television final come to an end.

Bowling fans can follow progress in the Tournament of Champions through the PBA’s exclusive coverage on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel; through live scoring on pba.com, and through the Professional Bowlers Association on Facebook and Twitter. Subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on the pba.com home page.


 

2012/04/10


 

2012/04/08

Australia’s Belmonte Wins Third 2011-12 Title in Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship

Jason Belmonte

Jason Belmonte

Australia’s Jason Belmonte won his third Professional Bowlers Association Tour title of the 2011-12 season, and the fourth of his career, when he defeated Mike DeVaney of Murrieta, Calif., 255-238, to win the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship at South Point Casino and Hotel.

The finals of the eighth and final event in the PBA World Series of Bowling aired Sunday on ESPN.

The victory tied Belmonte with PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke for current season titles as the PBA Tour heads into its final event of the 2011-12 season, the PBA Tournament of Champions, which gets underway Monday at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The TOC, the fourth major championship of the season, offers an $80,000 first prize. The finals will air live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Belmonte, whose only PBA Tour title prior to this season was in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Open, wrapped up a stunning PBA World Series of Bowling performance with his Elite Players Championship. He won titles in three of his six WSOB television finals, plus he had a third-place finish in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA which kicked off the World Series.

As he had done in previous World Series eliminator-format events, the Australian two-handed star got off to a modest start in the Elite Players Championship. DeVaney, a two-time PBA Tour title winner, led the four-player opening match with a 257 game. Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, was second with a 247. Belmonte was third with a 237. Duke’s hopes for his 38th career title, and fourth of the 2011-12 season, ended when he left a 7-10 split followed by a “big four” 4-6-7-10 split in the eighth and ninth frames, respectively, bowing out of the competition with a 222.

DeVaney again led the three survivors in game two with a 234. After finishing with a 205, Belmonte got a break when Scroggins, needing a strike in the 10th frame to advance, left the 4-6-7-8-10 “Greek Church” and opened for a 190.

If there was one player in the field who wasn’t concerned about Belmonte’s dominating performance in the World Series, it was DeVaney.

"I won't be watching Belmo. (His two-handed technique) doesn’t impress me,” DeVaney said before the match. “I’m not interested. I don't care. I throw it the right way. I put my thumb in there the way I was taught and how everybody should throw it."

In a classic title-match battle, Belmonte and DeVaney both pounded the pocket, but DeVaney left an 8 pin in the fifth frame, a 9 pin in the seventh and a 10 pin on his first ball in the 10th, and Belmonte capitalized with a late string of five strikes to take charge of the contest.

“Anyone who wins has a little luck go their way,” Belmonte said, “but to win three times during the World Series, I had a lot of luck go my way. Osku (Palermaa) missed a 10 pin (allowing Belmonte to reach the Chameleon Open title match)…Chris Barnes shooting 300 (in the second game, not the title match of the GEICO Shark Open)…Scroggins opening in the 10th…a lot of things really fell into place.

“I’m just overwhelmed right now.

“That second game might be the best 205 game I ever bowled,” he continued, referring to seven single pins he left standing during that game. “The pins were brutal to knock over. I didn’t know how I was going to double. But in the final game, I got the pins to fall.

“My expectation coming into the World Series was just to bowl well, and if I bowled great, to make a TV show,” Belmonte added. “To come home with a title was the ultimate dream, but to have exceeded that three times over? There’s no way I would have predicted it. I’m seriously overwhelmed.”

With Belmonte’s Elite Players victory, the international players in the World Series field completed a sweep of seven individual titles awarded (PBA World Championship: Osku Palermaa, Finland; Bayer Viper Open: Stuart Williams, England; Chameleon Open: Belmonte; Scorpion Open: Dom Barrett, England; GEICO Shark Open: Bemonte; Carmen Salvino Classic, Andres Gomez, Colombia, and Elite Players Championship: Belmonte). The only title won by American players was the Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship (Norm Duke and Wes Malott).

Competition in the Tournament of Champions gets underway with Champions Field qualifying on Monday. Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel, will webcast all of the preliminary qualifying and match play rounds beginning with the Champions Field and continuing through Friday night’s Round of 36 match play finals when the four stepladder finalists will be decided. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.


 

2012/04/05

 

2012/04/01

Duke Wins Hall of Fame Strikefest Over Bohn, Claims 37th Career Title in Dick Weber PBA Playoffs

Norm Duke

Norm Duke

Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., won a hall of fame strikefest with Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., Sunday night to win the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer at Woodland Bowl and secure his 37th career title, third best in PBA Tour history.

Duke’s third victory of the 2010-11 season also put him into the thick of the PBA Player of the Year race with only the PBA Tournament of Champions remaining on the schedule. The TOC will be conducted April 9-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

Duke put on a stunning performance Sunday, including his 836-766 victory over Bohn, a 32-time PBA Tour title and a fellow PBA Hall of Famer.

“If you would have told me this morning I would shoot 800 in the title match, I’d have said I was going to win the title,” Duke said, “but I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Just like he had done in three previous elimination rounds, Duke started his match against Bohn with nine strikes for a 289 game and a 60-pin lead with two games to go. It was too much for Bohn to overcome, even though he answered with games of 279 and 258 for his 766 series. Duke followed his 289 with games of 268 and 279.

“That was a match people are going to remember for awhile,” Bohn said.

Duke, a two-time PBA Player of the Year, will take his bid for a third honorary title into the Tournament of Champions, a tournament he last won in 1994.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won the TOC, but I’d like to do something about that,” Duke said. “It’s a very, very difficult tournament to win, but I’ve been training hard and I live for the majors. I’m ready.”

Four other contenders in the PBA Player of the Year race – two-time 2011-12 title winners Jason Belmonte of Australia, Osku Palermaa of Finland and Mike Fagan of Dallas along with five-time U.S. Open champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo. – were eliminated earlier Sunday.

Duke’s march to the title match began in the Regional Championships round when he struck on 17 of his first 19 shots, racing away from Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, Ariz., to win the Southwest Region championship, 792-616.

In the Conference Championship round he defeated Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore., 751-657, and he advanced to the championship match with a 789 series in the semifinal round. Bohn won the second spot in the title match with a 632 series, edging Sweden’s Martin Larsen by 14 pins.

With his 37 career title, Duke broke a tie with Pete Weber for third on the PBA Tour titles list. Walter Ray Williams Jr. is the all-time leader with 47 titles and the late Earl Anthony is second with 43.

The PBA playoffs involved six groups of PBA Tour, Senior Tour and regional players bowling a series of elimination rounds. Champions from six Regional groups advanced through Regional and Conference Championship rounds leading up to the semifinals and championship rounds. All rounds of the final Xtra Frame Tour event of the season were webcast live on the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame.

 

Colombia’s Andres Gomez Becomes Fourth First-Time Title Winner with Carmen Salvino Classic Victory

Andres Gomez

Andres Gomez

Colombian native Andres Gomez became the fourth player to win his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title during the 2011-12 season when he defeated Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, 246-207, to win the Carmen Salvino Classic.

The finals of the seventh of eight events in the PBA World Series of Bowling, conducted at South Point Casino and Hotel, aired Sunday on ESPN.

Gomez, who began pursuing his dream of winning a PBA title 30 years ago as an 8-year-old living in Bogota, watching PBA Tour videotapes given to the family by American friends, finally added his coveted title after nearly 20 years of success in the international arena, individually and as a member of Colombia’s national bowling team.

“I had the experience in international tournaments, I had the experience in open tournaments, but I needed the experience with the PBA in order to win,” Gomez said. “It was going to take time.”
Gomez, who joined England’s Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett, and Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., on the current season’s first-time winners list, joined in the PBA in 2005. He bowled full-time for one season but then left touring life for three years before returning for the 2009-10 season. During the 2010 PBA World Series, he made his first PBA television appearance, finishing second in the Pepsi Viper Championship. Later in the season, he finished fourth in the PBA Tournament of Champions.

Winning the Salvino Classic title “means everything to me,” he said. “Since I was 8 years old, I watched tapes of Mike Aulby, Walter Ray (Williams Jr.), (Norm) Duke, Pete Weber…and then I’d go practice for six hours (at a four-lane bowling center in a Bogota country club managed by his father). To be able to come here and bowl with these same guys, most of whom are still bowling, means the world to me.”

Gomez came out firing, winning the first “eliminator” round with a 253 game. Malott posted a 250, Australia’s Jason Belmonte was third with a 247 and Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., was “low man out” with a 215 game.

As the lane conditions changed in round two, Malott rose to the top with a 227. Gomez struggled to a 189, but Belmonte ran into split problems, exiting the finals after a 162 game.
Gomez put his recently-found experience to good use in the title game, changing to a more aggressive ball and moving farther left on the lane. After converting a 10 pin for a spare in the first frame, he ran off a string of six strikes to build a 31-pin lead that Malott couldn’t overcome.

With his victory, Gomez became the first Colombian to win a PBA Tour title and he became the sixth international winner in seven PBA World Series of Bowling events. Although he has lived in Florida for nearly 15 years, where he attended Central Florida University and obtained a degree in business administration, Gomez remains the pride of his homeland.

“The international dominance at the World Series is tough to explain,” he said. “I don’t think anyone expected it. You saw great players like Duke and Weber and Sean Rash and (Chris) Barnes make TV shows. These guys are very, very good. But what happened in title matches is really hard to explain.

“I guess right now I’m just glad I’m Colombian, and not American. Maybe I would have lost.”

PBA World Series of Bowling telecasts on ESPN conclude with the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship finals on Sunday, April 8, at 1 p.m. ET. Finalists are Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.; Australia’s Jason Belmonte; Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, and Mike DeVaney of Murrieta, Calif.

Duke, who has won two titles during the 2011-12 season, will be trying for his 37th career PBA Tour title which would break a tie with Pete Weber and put him alone in third place on the all-time PBA titles list. Belmonte, a leading candidate for 2011-12 PBA Player of the Year honors, is trying for his third title of the season. Scroggins, an eight-time PBA Tour winner, is trying for his first title in two years. DeVaney is seeking his third career title and first since the 2009 PBA World Series of Bowling.

A free pre-finals preview will be webcast on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel, beginning Wednesday afternoon and a post-event recap show will air on Xtra Frame immediately following the ESPN telecast. To subscribe, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.