プロボウリング情報


2015/01/30

 

Duke, Malott Qualify No. 1 in Defense of Mark Roth-Marshall PBA Doubles Championship Title

Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., and partner Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, will try to repeat as Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship winners after racing away to the No. 1 qualifying position for the stepladder finals on Feb. 15 in Indianapolis.

Duke, who stands 5-foot-6, and Malott, his 6-foot-4 partner, dominated Friday’s match play rounds at AMF Bowlero, averaging a combined 238.44 for 48 games of qualifying and match play to finish with 11,835 pins. The 2011 Roth/Holman doubles champions – the last time the event was held – finished 343 pins ahead of Dino Castillo of Carrollton, Texas, and his partner, Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, Fla.

Also qualifying for the Baker format stepladder finals which will be held at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 15, are Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa.; No. 4 D.J. Archer of Friendswood, Texas, and Shawn Maldonado of Houston, Texas, and No. 5 Dom Barrett of England and Osku Palermaa of Finland.

Throughout the doubles event, Duke was the dominant player, playing a straight down the outside of the lane while most of the field – including Malott – played a big hook, inside-angle power game. Among the field of finalists, three are high-rev two-handed players – Belmonte, Maldonado and Palermaa – and Daugherty gets his power with a “thumbless” release.

The finalists also include two players trying for their first PBA Tour title (Castillo and Maldonado), and two one-time winners (Daugherty and Archer).

“We’re so different, but we just go about our business, and enjoy bowling with each other,” Duke said. “I have so much respect for Wes. I wanted to do well just because of that.”

“What made it work for us is that Norm bowled his butt off and I kinda went along for the ride,” Malott, a nine-time PBA Tour titlist, said. “I know he hasn’t necessarily bowled great the past couple of years, but I have a lot of faith in him and he certainly showed why this week. To have a chance to defend our title is an honor.”

Duke, a 37-time PBA Tour champion, will head to Indianapolis as a finalist in the PBA Players Championship as well as the doubles event. He will have two chances to break his tie for third place on the PBA all-time titles list with fellow hall of famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo. Duke and Weber trail all-time titles leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and the late Earl Anthony (43).

Neither Duke nor Malott is concerned about the two-week interval between Friday’s match play and the Feb. 15 finals, which will be contested at Woodland Bowl at 7 p.m. ET, following the live ESPN finals of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions at 1 p.m. ET.

“Milwaukee has been good to me. I’ve made a lot of TV shows here, but I haven’t won that many times,” Duke said. “It would be nice to stay here, but if we have to go somewhere for the finals, I’d go to Indy. I’ve closed the deal a few times down there.”

Malott felt the same way.

“With all of the bowling we’re going to be doing the next couple of weeks, having a little time before the finals is a good thing,” Malott said, “and I think I’ll be able to strike a little more in Indy.”

The Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship will air on ESPN on March 1 at 1 p.m. ET.

PBA Tour players headed north to Green Bay where they will compete in the United States Bowling Congress Masters Tuesday through Sunday, Feb. 8. The Masters finals will air live on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters will be covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel (visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link for subscription information).

The 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions follows, Feb. 11-15, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will kick off the week on Feb. 10. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Tournament of Champions also will be covered live on Xtra Frame.


 

2015/01/29

 

Torrid Final Round Propels Parker Bohn III into No. 1 Berth for PBA Players Championship Stepladder Finals

Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., won seven of his eight matches and tied the other Thursday afternoon at AMF Bowlero to complete a rally from 69th place after round one to claim the top berth for the PBA Players Championship stepladder finals.

Bohn, a 33-time PBA Tour champion, threw games of 248, 287, 266, 258, 247, 279, 238 and 270 during the final round of match play to finish the Players Championship with a 36-game total of 9,222 pins, claiming the lead for the first time when he defeated Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., 270-220, in the final position round game. Russell, who had led most of the day, finished second with 9,170 pins.

Also advancing to the stepladder finals, which will be contested on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. ET at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis as part of the PBA’s 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions week, were two-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia; 37-time PBA Tour winner Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., and Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, Fla.

The finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET.

“Tonight was one of those nights when I put it into cruise control and just let things happen,” the 51-year-old Bohn said. “After the first eight games, I went to dinner with Ryan Ciminelli, my doubles partner, and we just decided we had to try something different. We were just trying to figure out how we could make the doubles field. We were so far out of it, we had no plans to make singles.”

During the 12 qualifying games, bowlers also were competing concurrently for the top 12 spots in the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship, which moves into its match play finals Friday. Bohn and Ciminelli made the cut in ninth place, but a huge final four games by Bohn moved him up from 69th to 23rd place for the singles match play finals, and he just kept going.

”After every block you bowl, you have to analyze what’s going on, and try to figure out where things are going to happen in the future,” Bohn said. “If your guesses are correct, you stand to be one step ahead of everyone else.

“Today, I was an escalator ahead of everyone,” he added. “Everything worked out. In my match against Belmonte, he threw a 279, which would normally win, and I struck out to tie. Go figure.”

Having to wait until Valentine’s Day for the stepladder finals in Indianapolis doesn’t bother Bohn a bit.

“It’s okay that I have to wait a couple of weeks,” he said. “My kids are at home right now, but they’re already making plans to come to Indy. I’m going to hope I win the tournament, but no matter what, when you get up on the lanes and you mathematically have a chance to win, it isn’t over. We’ll see.”

Competition continues Friday with the match play final rounds in the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship. PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., and his partner, Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., will take a 72-pin lead over Belmonte and his partner, Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., into Friday’s six-game rounds at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT.

In Friday’s doubles matches, the leadoff and anchor bowler from each team will compete head-to-head for 10 bonus pins against the opposing team in each match, and the teams will compete for 30 bonus pins for winning each match, in addition to their actual pinfall totals.

The Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship finalists will meet in a five-game Baker format stepladder finals on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. ET at Woodland Bowl, following the live 1 p.m. telecast of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions finals. The PBA Doubles show will air on ESPN on March 1 at 1 p.m. ET.

Both doubles match play rounds Friday will be covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel, and on pba.com’s “live scoring” feature. For Xtra Frame subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

 

Ronnie Russell Back on Top in PBA Players Championship After Thursday Morning’s Early Match Play Round

Ronnie Russell leap-frogged back into the lead after the second round of match play in the PBA Players Championship Thursday morning at AMF Bowlero Lanes.

Russell, who had a 1,983 pinfall in Thursday morning’s round had games of 268, 225, 216, 279, 260, 290, 256 and 189 and had a 6-2 match play record.

The two-time PBA Tour titlist leads with a 7,186 overall 28-game pinfall and 11-4-1 match play record ahead of reigning Player of the Year Jason Belmonte in second with a 7,067 pinfall and an 8-7-1 match play record. Wednesday’s leader DJ Archer dropped to third with a 7,045 pinfall despite a 12-4 match play record.

“Things are going right and I just need to stay out of my own way,” Russell said. “Once I get out there I don’t think about the score, just making good shots and let everything else take care of itself.

“I’m at a point now where I’m shifting my mindset to making the show to staying in the lead,” he added. “During the break I’ll kind of clear my mind and not think about bowling and then comeback fresh for this afternoon round.”

Russell, a 35-year-old, 11-year PBA Tour veteran, is coming off a stellar year when he won the PBA Bear Open and was the only player to qualify for three television shows during the recent GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling.

Tom Daugherty moved into fourth with a 7,008 pinfall thanks in part to rolling back-to-back 300 games to open the round that saw five 300 games overall.

The 24-player field will return at 1 p.m. CT for the third and final round of match play. After this afternoon’s round, the top five after 36 games advance to the stepladder finals on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The PBA Players Championship finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET.

Roth/Holman Doubles action returns Friday with the top 12 doubles teams bowling two six-game match play rounds at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT. After a composite total of 36 qualifying and match play games, the top five teams will advance to the Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship finals on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Woodland Bowl, following the live 1 p.m. telecast of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions finals.

 

斉藤茂雄
会場: イーグルボウル


 

2015/01/28

 

DJ Archer Uses New-Found Confidence to Take PBA Players Championship Lead

After 12 years and 159 tournaments before winning his first title, DJ Archer of Friendswood, Texas, put himself into position for a second Professional Bowlers Association Tour title Wednesday as the leader in the PBA Players Championship at AMF Bowlero.

Archer, 34, won his break-through title in the PBA Chameleon Championship during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI in early November in Las Vegas, and used his new-found confidence to take the lead in the PBA Players Championship, winning seven of his first eight matches and averaging 244.25 to finish with 5,065 pins for 20 games, including match play bonus pins.

Archer will take a 42-pin lead over Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., who is going through a similar career renaissance, into the final two rounds of match play Thursday. Australia’s Jason Belmonte was third with 4,997 pins followed by Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., with a 4,881 total and Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., in fifth place with a 4,879 total.

“I have a lot of making up to do,” Archer said with a smile. “I feel more confident, more relaxed knowing I’ve been there. I know what the feeling (of winning a title) is.

“Tomorrow is going to be one of those days when I’m not going to worry about matches, but I’ll try to bowl 240 and see what happens. It’s just confidence bowling against these guys. If you’re relaxed, your ball reaction comes along.

“It’s very much the same way with Ronnie Russell right now,” Archer added. “I figure we’ll go back and forth tomorrow, and hopefully when the day is over, I’ll be in the same place. It’s kinda like a football game where the last team with the ball wins.”

In the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship qualifying which is being held concurrently with the Players Championship, PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., and his partner, Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., combined for a 5,760 pinfall total – a composite 240 average – to maintain their lead with a 72-pin margin over Belmonte and his partner, Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., who finished with 5,688. The top 12 teams after 24 combined games advanced to the match play rounds which will be held Friday.

Williams and Smallwood are an “odd couple” pairing, considering the 55-year-old Williams favors a “straighter is greater” bowling style while Smallwood is a high-rev player who prefers to hook the ball a lot. Williams holds the PBA Tour record with 47 titles while Smallwood, 37, is a two-title winner, including the 2009 PBA World Championship.

“I haven’t been bowling that well the past couple of years so I was pleasantly surprised when (Smallwood) asked me to bowl with him,” said Williams, who hasn’t made a TV show since 2013 and hasn’t won a PBA Tour title since the 2010 USBC Masters. “We’re doing two different things, but we’re making it work. (Smallwood) is able to take advantage of the inside shot as the lane break down and I’m able to stay outside and stay effective there. We’re able to learn some things that we can both benefit from even though we’re playing two different parts of the lane.”

Smallwood said he was surprised that Walter Ray was still available as a doubles partner, so he jumped at the chance to bowl with the Tour’s all-time leader.

“I had already assumed he had a partner, but when I found out he was available I jumped at the opportunity,” Smallwood said. “When Walter Ray’s available you call him. It’s as simple as that.

“We’re basically playing in two different zip codes (on the lanes),” Smallwood added. “Even though we’re playing two different parts of the lane, our adjustments are still surprisingly similar, two boards here, two boards there. We’re just doing what we do best.”

The PBA Players Championship finalists will bowl their final two eight-game match play rounds Thursday at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT, with the top five after 36 games advancing to the stepladder finals on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

The top 12 doubles teams will bowl two six-game match play rounds at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT on Friday. After a composite total of 36 qualifying and match play games, the top five teams will advance to the Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship finals on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Woodland Bowl, following the live 1 p.m. telecast of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions finals.

The PBA Players Championship finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA Doubles show will air on ESPN on March 1 at 1 p.m. ET.

All match play rounds of the Players Championship and PBA Doubles are being covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel, and on pba.com’s “live scoring” feature. For Xtra Frame subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

 

Belmonte Takes Lead in Players Championship, Smallwood and Williams Maintain Doubles Lead After Wednesday’s Early Round

After Wednesday morning’s round in the PBA Players Championship two-time reigning Player of the Year Jason Belmonte surged into the lead and led a field of 24 players who advanced to the first PBA Players Championship match play round which gets underway this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET at AMF Bowlero Lanes.

Belmonte finished qualifying with a 2,972 12-game pinfall averaging 247.67. The 10-time Tour titlist who just earned his second consecutive Player of the Year crown holds a 22-pin lead over DJ Archer who won his first PBA Tour title in the recent Chameleon Championship.

In the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman Doubles Championship qualifying which is being held concurrently with the Players Championship, PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., and his partner, Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., combined for a 5,760 pinfall total – a composite 240 average – to maintain their lead with a 72-pin margin over Belmonte and his partner, Bill O’Neill, who finished with 5,688.

“I haven’t been bowling that well the past couple of years so I was pleasantly surprised he (Smallwood) asked me,” Williams said. “We’re doing two different things but we’re making it work. He’s able to take advantage of the inside shot as the lane break down and I’m able to stay outside and stay effective there.” We’re able to learn some things that we can both benefit from even though we’re playing two different parts of the lane.”

Smallwood, who was nearly as surprised that Walter Ray was still available as a doubles partner jumped at the chance to bowl with the Tour’s all-time leader.

“I had already assumed he had a partner but when I found out he was available I jumped at the opportunity,” Smallwood said. “When Walter Ray’s available you call him, it’s as simple as that.

“We’re basically playing in two different zip codes,” Smallwood said. “Even though we’re playing two different parts of the lane, our adjustments are still surprisingly similar, two boards here, two boards there. We’re just doing what we do best.”

After this afternoon’s Players Championship match play round players will return Thursday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET, with the top five after 36 games advancing to the stepladder finals on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

The top 12 teams will bowl two six-game match play rounds at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET on Friday. After a composite total of 36 qualifying and match play games, the top five teams will advance to the Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship finals on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Woodland Bowl, following the live 1 p.m. telecast of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions finals.

The PBA Players Championship finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA Doubles show will air on ESPN on March 1 at 1 p.m. ET.

 

 

江頭善文
会場: シチズンボウル


 

2015/01/27

 

Red-Hot Russell Rolls into PBA Players Championship Lead; Williams-Smallwood Duo Top Doubles Standings

Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., arguably the hottest player on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, caught fire after an opening 212 game and rolled into the first round lead in the PBA Players Championship Tuesday at AMF Bowlero.

Russell, who is trying for his third PBA Tour title, finished the eight-game opening round with games of 268, 289, 259, 234, 247, 238 and 269 for a 2,016 pinfall total – a 252 average – and a 135-pin lead over DJ Archer of Friendswood, Texas. Newly-crowned PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia, who threw one of the eight 300 games bowled during the opening round, was third with 1,964 pins.

Russell, a 35-year-old, 11-year PBA Tour veteran, is coming off a stellar-year when he won the PBA Bear Open and was the only player to qualify for three television shows during the recent GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling. He said his hot streak is a matter of confidence and relaxation.

“I’m just throwing it and taking full advantage of it over everything,” he said. “I’m very loose. I feel good. I’m enjoying bowling. I threw 212 the first game, but I didn’t panic. I just kept throwing it, figured it out and pins started falling.

“The players out here are so good, if you start putting expectations on yourself, you’re going to get yourself in trouble,” he said. ““I’m just letting things happen.”

In the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship qualifying which is being held concurrently with the Players Championship, PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., and his partner, Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., combined for 3,855 pins – a composite 240.94 average – to take a 56-pin lead over Russell and his partner, Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, who finished with 3,799 pins.

The final four games of Players Championship and Roth/Holman Doubles qualifying will take place at 8 a.m. CT Wednesday, with the top 24 individuals and top 12 doubles teams advancing to match play. Players Championship finalists will bowl three eight-game match play rounds Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., and Thursday at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the top five after 36 games advancing to the stepladder finals on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

The top 12 teams will bowl two six-game, Baker format match play rounds at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. CT on Friday. After a composite total of 36 qualifying and Baker games, the top five teams will advance to the Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship finals on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Woodland Bowl, following the live 1 p.m. telecast of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions finals.

The PBA Players Championship finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA Doubles show will air on ESPN on March 1 at 1 p.m. ET.

All qualifying and match play rounds of the Players Championship and PBA Doubles are being covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

 

 

谷合貴志
会場: 品川プリンスホテルボウリングセンター


 

2015/01/26

 

 【PBA】 News

Australia’s Jason Belmonte Wins Second Consecutive Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Award

With another outstanding record in 2014 PBA Tour major championships, Australian two-handed competitor Jason Belmonte picked up where he left off in 2012-13 to earn his second consecutive GEICO Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award.

Belmonte, along 2014 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash.; Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner Brett Spangler of Niles, Ohio, and Tony Reyes PBA Community Service Award winner Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, Calif., were recognized during a presentation webcast live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel Monday in advance of the PBA Players Championship/Mark Roth–Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship preliminary rounds which get underway Tuesday at AMF Bowlero in suburban Milwaukee.

An overwhelming winner in balloting among his fellow competitors and a panel of veteran bowling journalists over Mike Fagan of Fort Worth, Texas, and Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., Belmonte won three PBA Tour titles in 2014 including back-to-back majors in the Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions and United States Bowling Congress Masters. He also won the Oklahoma Open during the Grand Casino Resort Summer Swing, and led the PBA Tour in earnings ($163,788), average (226.71) and competition points (136,454).

He is the only two-handed player to win the PBA Player of the Year award. He joined Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli (1989 and ’90) as the second international player to win PBA Player of the Year honors in back-to-back years, and he joined Monacelli and Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi as the third foreign-born player to win PBA’s highest annual honor. Belmonte is the sixth player to win the POY award in consecutive years. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Earl Anthony (twice) and Mark Roth all won the honor three years in a row.

During the 2014 season, Belmonte defeated Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, with a strike on his last shot to win the Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions by a single pin in January at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., 219-218. A month later, he defeated top qualifier EJ Tackett of Huntingon, Ind., 221-177, to become the third player to win back-to-back Masters titles, joining Hall of Famers Billy Welu (1964 and 1965) and Dick Hoover (1956 and 1957) in that exclusive club. The 31-year-old Australian then won four straight matches on a demanding Bear lane condition to win the Oklahoma Open, defeating Tackett in the title match, 193-145, for his 10th career title.

“The PBA boasts the best bowlers in the world and we aspire to be the best of the best,” Belmonte said. “To be standing here, holding this award again, is very special.

“I don’t put myself in the category of the other guys who have won Player of the Year back-to-back,” he added, “but one day I hope I can join that elite group.

“I also want to thank the haters,” Belmonte said of those who criticize his two-handed style. “It seems like the more you hate, the better I bowl, so keep it up.”

Kent, one of the Tour’s top young stars at age 23, won the Saudi Arabia Kingdom International Open in December for first PBA Tour title. He defeated Sweden’s Martin Larsen, 257-206, in championship match. Prior to joining the PBA in the summer of 2014, Kent won the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Munich, Germany, as an amateur.

Kent, a former collegiate star at Robert Morris-Illinois University, also finished fourth in the Badger Open, his first television appearance as a PBA member, losing to Brian Valenta in the second stepladder match, 236-165. He dominated PBA rookies for the season, earning $32,528 and averaging 217.03 in only a half season as a professional.

“(Winning Rookie of the Year) was the main goal when I joined and to be able to accomplish that feels great,” Kent said. “It’s an honor and a privilege, and to get my first title, too, makes it even better. It was just in time for me to bowl in the 50th anniversary PBA Tournament of Champions.”

Also during the Xtra Frame webcast, PBA awarded its prestigious Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award, selected by PBA Tour players, to Brent Spangler of Niles, Ohio. The 33-year-old, nine-year PBA member has gained the respect and admiration of his fellow competitors not only on the lanes, but for his help as a representative for MOTIV bowling balls.

“Winning (the Nagy award) was a surprise. Actually, being nominated was a surprise,” Spangler said. “I’ve worked really hard on my physical game in order to become competitive, but the thing I really wanted to do when I came out on tour was to exemplify the principles I believe in – being nice to other people, earning respect, that kind of thing. I guess at least some people took notice.”

In Nagy voting among PBA Tour players, Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., and four-time Nagy winner Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., tied for second place behind Spangler.

Established in 1966, the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award is named after the late PBA Hall of Famer and founding members of the PBA. A colorful and talented performer, Nagy made such an impact on his fellow pros that the award was established shortly after his death.

Parkin, a three-time PBA Regional titlist, earned the second Tony Reyes Award which recognizes a PBA member for outstanding community service, charitable and/or educational contributions over the course of a PBA Tour season. The first woman to join the PBA when the opportunity became available in 2004, Parkin was recognized largely for her work in organizing the Baby Reesa Foundation fundraiser which supports families with children born with Krabbe Disease and has raised more than $20,000.

Parkin is a staunch supporter of the sport, serving as a volunteer USA Bowling and Junior Gold instructor. She regularly donates her time organizing other charity bowling tournaments. She also provides autographed jerseys, bowling balls and photos that are auctioned for charities such as BVL, Ronald McDonald Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

”I’m very surprised,” Parkin said. “Just the fact that the award is named after Tony makes it very special. He was a special guy. His smile would light up any room he walked into. To receive an award named for him is such an honor.”

The Reyes award is named after the popular PBA Tour titlist who died in September 2012 of injuries sustained in a traffic accident near his home in San Bruno, Calif. Parker Bohn III was the first Tony Reyes award recipient in 2014.

 

 

井上直之
会場: 宮崎エースレーン

 

男子優勝・山本 勲、女子優勝・川口富美恵!

1月24日(土)~25日(日)の2日間にわたり、宮崎エースレーンにて開催されました承認大会・U49PROBOWLINGTOUR2015宮崎サンシャインボウリングフェスティバルの男子の部は山本 勲が、女子の部は川口富美恵が優勝致しました。

レフティ対決となった男子の部では、予選でパーフェクトも達成した中村太亮がトップシードの山本に挑みましたが、8連続ストライクを決めた山本に完敗。

また女子の部ではトップシードの阿部聖水と川口のどちらもストライクが続かず我慢大会となりましたが、ノーミスを守った川口がダブルで追い上げる阿部を3ピン差でかわして優勝となりました。


 

2015/01/25

 

Koivuniemi, Kulick Win WBT Finals Titles; Experimental “Frame Play” Scoring System Unveiled

Experimental scoring system or not, veteran professional champions Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich., and Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., proved great bowling prevails as winners of the fourth annual World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals, presented by the Professional Bowlers Association, at the new South Point Bowling Plaza.

The World Bowling Tour Finals, presented by the Professional Bowlers Association, was the concluding event of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI. It featured three men and three women who earned their berths in the finals through a two-year global competition points race conducted jointly by World Bowling, the international governing body for tenpin bowling, and the PBA. The finals aired Sunday on ESPN.

Koivuniemi, a Finnish native and 14-time PBA Tour champion, won his second WBT Men’s title in a tightly-contested 1-up, 12-frame battle against Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., while Kulick won her second consecutive WBT Women’s Finals title with a 3 & 2 decision over Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y.

The scores, reminiscent of Ryder Cup golf competition, were based on a “frame play” scoring system where the primary goal was to win each frame, and then win more frames than your opponent can possibly win in a 12-frame contest. For example, a strike by Player A would win the frame of an opponent who got nine pins on his/her first ball, and if Player A wins seven frames with only five remaining, he/she would win the match, 7 & 5.

The “frame play” system is being tested by World Bowling as an alternative for international match play competition, to make scoring in bowling more easily understood by the non-bowling public and, hopefully, more attractive to the International Olympic Committee.

In the Koivuniemi-Rash match, both players struck in six of their first seven shots to stand “all-square” with five frames to go. Koivuniemi struck in the eighth and ninth while Rash got eight and nine pins, respectively, to take a 2-up lead. Rash got back to within one point when he won the 10th frame, 9-7. Both struck in frame 11. Koivuniemi, protecting his fragile lead, matched Rash’s strike in the 12th frame for the 1-up victory.

In the men’s semifinal match, Rash eliminated Australia’s Jason Belmonte, 3 & 2, taking a 3-point lead after six frames and throwing another string of four strikes to shut out the reigning PBA Player of the Year with two frames to go.

Kulick’s string of three strikes early in the women’s final match gave her a 1-up lead after six frames, and she gained a 2-up edge with a 9-8 win in frame eight followed by a strike-7 win to go 3-up after nine frames. Both players went nine/spare in frame 10 to give Kulick a 3 & 2 victory.

The women’s semifinal match might have been the most dramatic contest under the new system. Andersson struck on six of her first seven shots to take a 3-up lead over Johnson, but Johnson answered with her own string of five strikes to pull the contest to all-square after 12 frames, and then won the match, 1-up in the 13th frame, with a strike while Andersson left a 4 pin.

The six players involved in the WBT Finals had varying viewpoints about the scoring system.

Koivuniemi said, “It was pretty easy to strike on this (lane conditioning) pattern, but you probably have a little more pressure on every shot in this format than normal because every shot means a little more. It’s still bowling and I like to throw more spares because I usually find a way to grind when conditions are tough. I keep myself close by throwing spares.

“I don’t mind (the format), but I’d like to see it on a tougher pattern to see how it goes. Right now, nobody throws spares, but this (format) is made for more non-bowlers. If they like and it helps save bowling, I have nothing against it. But I personally don’t think scoring is the problem (with the sport).”

Rash said, “I liked and enjoyed how every frame had pressure which kept me focused. I don't have a conclusion because this was a test run and I’m sure there will be a few tweaks to help make it even better going forward. The change I hope that is made is to add the spare shooting somehow.
“Overall, I look forward to the changes and look forward to being a part of a future show. If this will help bring more sponsors, more fans, more TV and publicity to our sport, I am all for it.”

Belmonte said, “My strategy, no matter what the scoring format is, is to strike. So from that standpoint, I don’t think it had any impact. I was very open-minded to this scoring system. I didn’t have any preconceived thoughts. I wanted to give it every possible chance to influence my thoughts without bias.

“My personal feeling is that I don’t believe the scoring system has anything to do with the decline in popularity of bowling. It fell a little flat for me, because I didn’t think the fans were into a regular-scored match. What I loved about it was that the World Bowling isn’t afraid to try new things. I admire and respect the leaders of World Bowling and I will always support the organization, even if my personal opinions are different than theirs.”

Kulick said, “You still have to show up, you still have to make shots. Every shot is precious. Usually, under conventional scoring, if you get a three-bagger and get a little ahead, your swing gets loosened up a bit, but frame-for-frame, every shot is crucial.

“As a player, my adrenalin was higher than if we were keeping score normally. I don’t know what my score would have been. Maybe I would have been up by 30 pins or so going into the 10th frame, but frame-for-frame, it comes down to execution. Maybe a little luck, but mostly execution.”

Johnson said, “It was definitely exciting. I honestly wasn’t all for it because I didn’t know much about it, but in the first match, it worked in my favor because I had a 4-9 and a 5-7 (splits that only counted as one lost point). Once I got to the end of the first match, I liked it a little better.

“It kept things exciting for the fans. I don’t know if I’m a fan of it for every week, personally, but it definitely adds a little excitement to the mix. If that’s what it takes to (get put into the Olympic Games program), if that’s what it takes to get more fans for bowling, then, yeah, I’m for it.”

Andersson said, “It was different. I haven’t made up my mind about how I feel about it. But my mindset was still the same. It was one shot at a time. I tried to repeat my shots. As long as I throw it good, there’s nothing more I can do.

“It was hard for me to keep up with the scoring system. I really didn’t know what was going on while I was bowling. It’s new, but it’s missing out on one important thing, and that’s making spare shots. For me, if you can’t make your spare shots, you’re not going to win. That’s bowling in my eyes.”

The PBA Tour returns to action Jan. 19-25 with qualifying and match play rounds in the PBA Players Championship and Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship at AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa, Wis. Preliminary rounds will be covered live by PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame.

The ESPN-televised championship rounds in both events will be contested Feb. 14-15 as part of the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions celebration at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The Players Championship will air on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET and the Doubles Championship will air on March 1 at 1 p.m. ET.


 

2015/01/18

 

Chris Barnes Enjoys Rewarding Day with 300 Game, 18th Career Title in DHC PBA Japan Invitational

Future Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, enjoyed one of the most rewarding days in his career Sunday, winning the DHC PBA Japan Invitational at Tokyo Port Bowl for his 18th career PBA Tour title after rolling a 300 game in his semifinal round match.

The championship round was video streamed live on PBA’s Xtra Frame bowling channel, completing start-to-finish online live coverage of an international PBA Tour event for the first time.

Barnes, 44, won the $43,032 (5 million yen) first prize with a 206-196 victory over top qualifier Mike Fagan of Fort Worth, Texas, who was trying for back-to-back titles after winning the PBA World Championship seven days earlier in Las Vegas. Barnes also won a $43,032 bonus for rolling a championship round perfect game in eliminating England’s Stuart Williams, 300-225, in the semifinal match. For the day, Barnes earned 10 million yen, or $86,064 U.S. dollars.

Williams, the No. 4 qualifier, ended the first-title hopes of two-handed player Shawn Maldonado of Houston, Texas, 242-237, in the first stepladder match, and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 245-222, in the second match.

Earlier Sunday, Australia’s Jason Belmonte and partner Yang Hyeong Kyoo of Japan won the $5,164 first prize in the Scotch Doubles special event with a 236-204 victory over England’s Dom Barrett and Manae Kameshima of Japan. The doubles competition paired a member of the international contingent with a PBA Japan player.

International Team B (Fagan, Sean Rash, Dom Barrett and Barnes) won the Baker team special event with a 239-184 victory over International Team A (Wes Malott, Williams, Eddie Van Daniker and Belmonte), and shared a $10,328 bonus prize. The team event involved four International teams and four Japanese teams bowling eight Baker format games with the top two advancing to the final match.

Barrett won a $4,303 prize in a special “last man standing” event that closed the tournament program.

The DHC PBA Japan Invitational was a cooperative venture between the PBA, the new PBA Japan Region, Japan Bowling Promotions and DHC Corporation, a multi-faceted company that produces cosmetics, health foods and pharmaceuticals among its diverse product line. It featured a field of 16 international players and 16 Japanese players, and it was the first international tournament covered live by the PBA’s exclusive online video streaming channel, Xtra Frame (complete coverage is available in the Xtra Frame archives under”archived tournaments”).

Xtra Frame’s next live event will be comprehensive coverage of the 2014 PBA Tour Awards presentations (Monday, Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. ET) followed by live coverage of the qualifying and match play rounds of the PBA Players Championship and PBA Mark Roth/Marshall Holman Doubles Championship from AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee, Tuesday, Jan. 27 thru Friday, Jan. 30. For a complete schedule of upcoming Xtra Frame programming, click on the Xtra Frame link under the “Schedules” tab on pba.com.

 

Monacelli Avenges PBA50 Tour Loss to Williams in PBA Challenge; Parkin, Blanchard, Coffey Also Win

Venezuelan native Amleto Monacelli defeated fellow Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., with a near-perfect game, 277-219, to win the PBA50 Tour Finals as part of a four-match PBA Challenge presented by the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame at the new South Point Bowling Plaza.

The PBA Challenge Finals presented by the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame aired Sunday on ESPN. The PBA Challenge was a GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI showcase for four different aspects of PBA competition – youth, seniors, women and regional. PBA50, PBA Women’s Regional and PBA Regional qualifying events were held earlier in the World Series, with the top two players advancing to the finals. The Teen Masters boys’ and girls’ division winners were decided during the summer in Tamarac, Fla.

In the opening PBA50 Tour Finals match between 2013 finalists, Monacelli avenged his 224-204 loss to Williams. Monacelli just missed a perfect game, leaving the 3-6-10 in the eighth frame, for his only mistake.

“I told myself this morning that I should shoot 300 on TV,” Monacelli said. “That would have been nice. I shot 287 against Mark Roth one time, but I was really focusing on what I needed to do to win the match. It’s a nice way to end the season.”

Monacelli said he lost his focus in the eighth frame when he rushed himself to avoid a shot clock violation.

“But I don’t use that as an excuse because I know what I was supposed to do when things like that come up,” he said, “and I just didn’t do what I needed to do. It’s my own fault.”

In the Teen Masters Grand Championship that followed, Michael Coffey, 19, of Melbourne, Fla., defeated 18-year-old Kelly Skalacki of Corem, N.Y., 202-156, in a match that involved a long oil pattern on the left lane and a shorter application on the right. In addition, all Teen Masters players are limited to using one “old-school” plastic ball and/or one urethane ball, placing emphasis on player skill over technology.

Coffey, who is bowling for Lindenwood University in St. Louis, started with three strikes and had only one open frame – a missed 10 pin in the sixth frame. Skalacki, a member of the Webber International collegiate team in Lake Wales, Fla., struggled with the demanding environment and didn’t strike until the eighth frame.

Both Teen Masters gender division winners were making their national television debuts.

“I was a lot less nervous than I thought I would be because I prepared really hard and this is something I want really badly,” Coffey said. “It’s like being around family; you’re not nervous when you’re around family and I feel like this is where I belong.”

Is PBA competition part of his future plans? He answered emphatically, “Yes.”

Parkin won match three easily, 266-202. Parkin, who represented the PBA West Region in the inaugural PBA Women’s Regional finals, defeated PBA Southwest Region representative Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas. Parkin struck on nine of her first 10 shots, while back-to-back 4-6-7 splits in the seventh and eighth frames ended Guerrero’s hopes.

“I was extremely excited when I heard about the PBA Women’s Regional program,” Parkin said, “so I jumped on the opportunity right away. I actually cancelled a big trip to Costa Rica in order to bowl one of the regionals, so this definitely made it worthwhile. It was really a great opportunity to be able to come to the World Series.

“On top of that, my focus was on making the TV show,” she continued. “I practiced a lot getting ready and I bowled really well to make it to TV. That’s the grandest stage of all, the reason we all bowl. Today, I came out remembering why we bowl – because we love our sport. I wanted to have fun and I did and the pins cooperated, so it all worked out.”

Match four pitted 2012 PBA Rookie of the Year Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., representing the PBA Northwest Region, against 2013 Rookie of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., representing the Central Region, in the PBA Regional Finals.

Blanchard took the lead with a spare followed by three strikes while Tackett struggled with pin carry in the early frames. Tackett made a ball change in the sixth frame and got lined up, but Blanchard was lined up as well, putting the match away with a late string of five strikes to win, 258-236.

“I had a good ball reaction the whole match,” Blanchard said. “I used a ball I hadn’t thrown until my last shot in practice. I struck with it and made all the right moves, so it made it easy to bowl. I knew (EJ) was going to bowl a good game and the other balls I used in practice, it seemed like I’d bowl a 210, 200, so I needed something different. After that one shot, I knew I was going to stick with it the whole match.”

Blanchard also made it into the PBA Regional field by winning the final Northwest Region event of the season.

“I was supposed to go to (fellow PBA competitor) Andres Gomez’s wedding, but I cancelled – and I ended up winning the regional to get into the field,” he said.

While winning the Regional Finals wasn’t the same as winning his first PBA Tour title, Blanchard feels like he’s getting closer to that goal.

“I’ve been out here for two years and I’m still working at it,” he said. “I change my game every year trying to find the ‘it’ factor to get my first win. Usually when guys do that, they’ll win two or three times, and keep moving along. I’m still waiting for that ‘it’ factor.”

Closing the telecast, the four winners participated in a special one-shot, low-player-out Bonus Knockout Round. Parkin won the event with a strike in the third round to eliminate Blanchard, who left a 10 pin. Coffey was eliminated in the first round and Monacelli was knocked out in the second.

The World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA, the final event conducted during the GEICO PBA WSOB VI, will air Sunday, Jan. 25, on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. ET. The WBT event will be contested using an experimental “best frame” scoring system that is being tested by World Bowling. Finnish native Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich.; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and Jason Belmonte of Australia will bowl for the WBT Men’s title. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J.; Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Sandra Andersson of Sweden will compete in the WBT Women’s final.


 

2015/01/17

 

Fagan, Barnes, Johnson, Williams, Maldonado Battle for Japan Invitational Title

Fresh off his PBA World Championship victory last Sunday in Las Vegas, Mike Fagan of Fort Worth, Texas, will lead the five-player field into the stepladder finals of the DHC PBA Japan Invitational starting at 9:55 p.m. Eastern Time tonight on PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame.

Xtra Frame’s live coverage today will begin with the finals of a special alternate-ball Scotch Doubles and four-player Baker Team events at 6:45 p.m. Eastern. A “last man standing” special event will follow the Japan Invitational finals.

Other Japan Invitational finalists will include No. 2 qualifier Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas; No. 3 Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y.; No. 4 Stuart Williams of England, and two-hander Shawn Maldonado of Houston, Texas.

Fagan, a 34-year-old five-time PBA Tour winner, is trying for back-to-back titles after posting a 23-9 match play record in the 32-game round-robin match play event and winning the top qualifying berth by 328 pins over Barnes.

Barnes, a future PBA Hall of Famer, is trying for his 18th career PBA Tour title and first since winning the H.H. Emir Cup in Qatar early in 2014.

Johnson, who finished fourth in the 2014 Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, is trying to join Kelly Kulick as the second woman in PBA history to win a PBA Tour title.

Williams, who became the first English bowler to win a PBA Tour title in the 2011 PBA Viper Championship, is making his second straight championship round appearance. He finished third in the PBA World Championship last Sunday at South Point Bowling Plaza.

Maldonado, who is beginning his third year of PBA Tour competition, is making his championship round debut. He finished eighth in the 2014 PBA World Championship.

The preliminary Xtra Frame webcast today at 6:45 p.m. ET will feature special events conducted as part of the Japan Invitational, starting with the alternate-ball Scotch doubles finals (No. 1 Wes Malott/Yuka Tsuchiya vs. No. 4 Dom Barrett/Manae Kameshima and No. 2 Jason Belmonte/Yang Hyeong Kyoo vs. No. 3 Shawn Maldonado/Koichi Takahashi; winners bowl for title). The Baker team finale will pit International Team B (Fagan, Sean Rash, Barrett, Barnes) vs. International Team A (Malott, Williams, Eddie Van Daniker and Belmonte).

The tournament includes a field of 11 PBA players who qualified based on 2014 PBA World Championship qualifying scores, three PBA members invited by the sponsoring DHC Corporation, one Korean PBA member and 16 Japan bowlers. Johnson is one of eight women – seven from the PBA Japan Regional program – who participated in the tournament.

The DHC PBA Japan Invitational is the first international tournament to be video-streamed live, around the world, on Xtra Frame. To sign up for an Xtra Frame Season Ticket ($64.99) or monthly ($7.99) subscription, click on the Xtra Frame link on the pba.com home page.


 

2015/01/16

 

Fagan Posts 11-5 Match Play Record, Takes Second Round Lead in DHC PBA Japan Invitational

Newly-crowned PBA World Champion Mike Fagan of Fort Worth, Texas, held the second round lead in the DHC PBA Japan Invitational Friday at Tokyo Port Bowl, posting an 11-5 record for a 16-game match play total of 3,930 pins.

First round leader Stuart Williams of England, who had an 8-0 record for his first-round matches, was second with 3,860 total pins, 70 behind Fagan. Rounding out the top five in the race for Sunday’s stepladder finals were Japan’s Daisuke Yoshida at 3,778 pins followed by Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., at 3,773 and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., at 3,731. Johnson is one of five women in the elite 32-player field.

Fagan won the PBA World Championship on Sunday at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas, defeating top qualifier Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, 252-212, in the title match.

The tournament, which will award a PBA Tour title to the winner, includes a field of 11 PBA players who qualified based on 2014 PBA World Championship qualifying scores, three PBA members invited by the sponsoring DHC Corporation, one Korean PBA member and 16 Japan bowlers.

The Japan Invitational is being video-streamed internationally, live on PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel Xtra Frame. The final two rounds of match play, which will determine the stepladder finalists, will air on Xtra Frame today at 5:40 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. Eastern Time.

Xtra Frame will air the Japan Invitational Finals on Saturday, starting with the special alternate-ball Scotch Doubles and four-player Baker Team finals at 6:45 p.m. Eastern, followed by the DHC PBA Japan Invitational finals and a “last man standing” special event starting at 9:55 p.m. Eastern (6:55 p.m. Pacific).

For Xtra Frame Season Ticket or monthly subscription information, click on the Xtra Frame link on the pba.com home page.


 

2015/01/15

 

 

先日1月13日、品川プリンスホテルにて(公社)日本ボウリング場協会による賀詞交歓会が催されました。

席上にて東京運動記者クラブボウリング分科会の表彰が行われ、プロ最優秀選手賞に三冠王を奪回した川添奨太、優秀選手賞に女子ポイントランキングトップの松永裕美、ニュースター賞には16才5ヶ月でプロテストに合格し、デビューイヤーに史上最年少でシード入りを果たした髙淵常志が選出されました。

また昨年のプリンスカップで優勝を果たし、女子パーフェクト最多達成記録と女子最年長優勝記録を自己更新した時本美津子が特別賞に選ばれ、4名には記念の盾が贈られました。


 

2015/01/13

 

England’s Paul Moor Wins First PBA Title in World Bowling Tour’s Brunswick Ballmaster Open

Paul Moor of England defeated Joonas Jehkinen of Finland, 225-204, to win the 45th Brunswick Ballmaster Open and his first PBA Tour title in the first event on the 2015 World Bowling Tour schedule at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland, on Sunday, Jan. 11.

By winning the PBA International-World Bowling Tour event, the veteran left-hander also became eligible to enter the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions in February in Indianapolis.
The 36-year-old Moor earned the $15,325 top prize and a record 16th European Bowling Tour title. He became the third English bowler to win a PBA Tour title, joining countrymen Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett in the exclusive club.

Jehkinen earned the right to bowl Moor for the title by defeating two-time Ballmaster Open titlist Kimmo Lehtonen of Finland, 238-233, and No. 2 qualifier Martin Larsen of Sweden, 243-183, in the semifinal match. All four players are PBA members.

Jehkinen earned $10,642 for second place, Larsen $7,100 for third and Lehtonen $4,730 for fourth place.

Other PBA cashers included: 5, Osku Palermaa, Finland, $3,550; 7, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., $2,840; 11, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., $2,365; 12, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, $2,250; 13, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, $2,130; 14, Dom Barrett, England, $2,010; 24, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, $1,300; 29, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, $1,300; 35, Sandra Andersson, Sweden, $1,300; 37, Kim Bolleby, Sweden, $1,300; 38, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, $1,300; 41, Mattias Olsson, Sweden, $1,300.

The next event on the World Bowling Tour schedule is the United States Bowling Congress Masters Feb. 1-8 in Green Bay, Wis.


 

2015/01/11

 

Mike Fagan Wins PBA World Championship for Fifth Tour Title and Second Major

In a championship match battle between two players from Texas, Mike Fagan of Fort Worth, prevailed to win the Professional Bowlers Association World Championship Sunday at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas for his fifth PBA Tour title.

Fagan, who qualified second for the stepladder finals, defeated top qualifier Wes Malott from the Austin suburb of Pflugerville, 252-212, in the title match to also record his second major title after winning the United States Bowling Congress Masters in 2012.

“It’s the majors where you can separate yourself from everyone else,” said Fagan, who is originally from Long Island, New York. “These opportunities don’t come around too often so you always have to consider yourself fortunate to be in a position to win and the take advantage of the opportunity you worked so hard for.

“Making it into the (PBA) Hall of Fame is one of my goals,” he continued. “I’ve thought about my place in the sport and while winning my second major is another step in getting there, it’s a big step for sure.”

In the title match, Fagan and Malott traded strikes in the first four frames but then a turning point came when Malott, trying for his 10th title, left the 2-10 split in the fifth which he failed to convert. Fagan had a moment of his own when he left an 8-10 split in the eighth frame but was able to finish strong and hold off Malott for the win.

“As much as you try to relax it’s still very stressful,” Fagan said. “I was concentrating so hard I didn’t know what frame I was in or what the score was. I just wanted to make good shots.”

Malott, who was also trying for his second major after winning the U.S. Open in 2013, admitted to having problems figuring out the left lane in the second half of the game.

“The left lane transitioned a lot for me and I made a move that I was confident in making but I missed my break point,” said Malott, who also finished second in the 2009 World Championship. “Of all the things that could go wrong, that’s something I didn’t think I would do.”

In the semifinal match Fagan defeated No. 5 qualifier Stuart Williams of England, 219-206, to advance to the championship match.

Williams, who was trying to win his second Tour title and become the second consecutive player from England to win the World Championship (Dom Barrett won last year’s World Championship), opened the stepladder by defeating No. 4 qualifier Todd Book, who was trying for his first Tour title, 236-211. Williams then went on to defeat Ronnie Russell of Marion, Indiana, who was trying for his third title in the second match 259-248 to advance to the semifinal.

As the third major and final tournament of the season, the World Championship (formerly called the PBA National Championship from 1960-2001), has distinguished itself as one of the premier showcases for the world’s best bowling talent. In addition to the $50,000 first prize, Fagan took home the Earl Anthony Trophy named after the late PBA Hall of Famer who holds the record for most World Championship wins with six.

Malott earned $25,000 for second, Williams, $15,000 for third, Russell, $12,000 for fourth and Book $10,000 for fifth.

The five finalists advanced to the finals after preliminary qualifying and match play rounds conducted during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling last October at the South Point. The finalists competed in a total of 52 games on five different lane conditions to reach the finals.


 

2015/01/06

 

鶴井亜南がプロの部優勝!

さる12月23日(火祝)に桐生スターレーン(群馬)にて行われました承認大会・第1回群馬プロアマオープントーナメントのプロの部を鶴井亜南が制しましたのでご報告致します。

決勝ステップラダーにて、トップシードで進出した鶴井は3位決定戦で品田順一郎を下した鈴木隆之と対戦。スクラッチ298ピン、女子HD10ピンが加算されてトータル308ピンというまさかの300オーバーで鈴木に圧勝。小さな体でプロの頂点に立ちました。

またアマチュア男子の部では宮澤拓哉選手、女子の部では森田里子選手が優勝されました。


 

2015/01/04

 

Haugen Overcomes 10th-Frame Mental Error, Wins PBA Scorpion Championship for Fourth Career Title

Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix survived a 10th-frame mental error to win his fourth Professional Bowlers Association Tour title in the PBA Scorpion Championship at the new South Point Bowling Plaza, and minutes after his 213-206 victory over Sweden’s Martin Larsen, he got the girl of his dreams.

The Scorpion finals, the fourth of five PBA Tour title events conducted during GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI, aired Sunday on ESPN.

In edging Larsen, Haugen, 47, overcame a self-imposed distraction when he prematurely started thinking about his plans to propose marriage to fiancé Phuong Truong right after he won. With victory only a spare or strike away entering the final frame, the 16-year PBA Tour veteran left the 4-10 split and failed to convert, opening the door for Larsen. He escaped with the victory after Larsen, working on a double, left the 4-6-7-9-10 “Greek church” on his second attempt in his 10th frame.

“I was told I could only (propose on-air) if I won because you don’t want to take anything away from the tournament winner, so I respected that and I was taking really good care of things,” Haugen said. “But in the ninth frame, I started thinking about asking her to marry me rather than I need to make two more good shots, and that’s all it takes. It was a bonehead decision.

“Luckily I was coherent enough to realize I had to get one pin on that split (in the 10th frame) to force him to double. When (Larsen) really needed (a strike), he got a little soft and grabbed on it, which is what usually happens when you get nervous and need one. Luckily I’ve been there before and he hasn’t, and that’s one of the reasons why I made him finish last.”

In the opening three-player shootout, Larsen raced into the lead with five strikes in the first six frames while neither Scott Newell of Deland, Florida, and Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, could put together consecutive strikes until Newell doubled in the eighth and ninth frames. Larsen’s missed 4-9 spare attempt in his eighth frame closed his lead over Newell to nine pins, but Larsen finished with four strikes in a row, advancing to the title match with a 236. Newell had a 213 and Hess, who finally doubled in the ninth and 10th, finished fourth with a 205.

The final PBA Tour title event of PBA WSOB VI will be the live ESPN stepladder finals of the PBA World Championship on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. ET. Top qualifier Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, will bowl for the title against the survivor of three preliminary stepladder matches involving No. 2 qualifier Mike Fagan of Fort Worth, Texas; No. 3 Ronnie Russell of Marion, Indiana, and opening-match opponents Todd Book of Russells Point, Ohio, against No. 5 qualifier Stuart Williams of England. The winner of the final major championship of the PBA season will earn $50,000. Book is the only finalist who will be trying for his first PBA Tour title.