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2018/06/30 |
【USBC】 U.S. Women’s Open 【Finals】 Kuhlkin earns her first major title at U.S. Women's Open
The road to the U.S. Women’s Open finals is long and tedious, especially if you start back in the pack. Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, in 64th place after the opening round of the U.S. Women’s Open, completed an epic climb Saturday with a 218-196 victory over top-seed Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, to capture her first major title. Kuhlkin used two big games in the final round of qualifying to make the first cut, and a 299 game in the final round of match play to make the finals, televised live on CBS Sports Network. As the fifth seed, Kuhlkin had to win three matches for the chance to bowl Johnson for the title. She then would enter the final frame with the chance to close out Johnson, and finished the climb with a strike and a 9-count. The emotion of knowing what she had accomplished was evident. “This is the U.S. Women’s Open, the top event of every sport,” Kuhlkin said. “It’s the biggest major of the year. A lot of prestigious players have worn this jacket, have stood in this spot – hall of famers. It’s just an incredible feeling. Everything you work toward, you practice hard, go through the 56 games, and it’s just a big relief. You are overcome with emotion.” Johnson, who bowled and worked at Boardwalk Bowl while attending the University of Central Florida, was seeking her first major title. She led after qualifying and, despite a brief hiccup in match play, grabbed the top seed. “At this moment it’s tough, but I can’t hang my head over this week,” Johnson said. “This is the major of our tour stops, and I battled my way to be the No. 1 seed. All you can do is put yourself in position to win.” Johnson said it’s one game where anything can happen, on either side of the equation. Kuhlkin said that’s why she actually likes being a lower seed. “I think being the fifth seed or the fourth seed is actually an advantage,” Kulhkin said. “You’re out here, you’re bowling, you know the lanes, the adjustments … I’ve been in this position before. My first title in Topeka in 2015 (PWBA Topeka Open), I ran the ladder just like I did here. I think it’s beneficial.” In the semifinal match, Kuhlkin and Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, each had open frames in two of their first three frames. Kuhlkin, however, strung together strikes in frames 4-8 to take a 213-186 victory. Kuhlkin produced her biggest game of the day against No. 3 seed Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York. Kuhlkin struck on her first five shots and nine times overall in a 246-172 victory. In the opening match, Kuhlkin faced Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Illinois, who was seeking her third consecutive major title. O’Keefe opened with a trio of spares while Kuhlkin struck on five of her first six shots. A missed 10-pin in the seventh frame by O’Keefe allowed Kuhlkin to take a 21-pin lead, and she went on to a 235-214 victory. Competition at the 2018 U.S. Women's Open consisted of three days of eight-game qualifying rounds before the field was cut to the top 36 players for an eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals determined the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. The 56-game totals, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play, will decided the five players for the stepladder finals.
EJ Tackett Uses 300 Game, 200 Bonus Pins to Lead PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open After First Round
EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., rolled the only 300 game in the opening round to lead a group dominated by rising 20-something stars after the first eight qualifying games in the Professional Bowlers Association’s Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open Saturday. Tackett, a nine-time PBA Tour champion and already a former PBA Player of the Year at age 25, took advantage of his 300 game and 200 bonus pins to finish the eight-game round with a 2,086 pinfall total and an 87-pin lead over 26-year-old Canadian left-hander Graham Fach. The PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open, a Go Bowling! PBA Tour event, is the inaugural tournament in the PBA’s new live streaming relationship with FloSports, and features multi-lane condition challenges as well as a unique scoring system that awards bonus pins based upon how players score in relationship to the other players on their respective pair of lanes each game. With heat index hovering in the 110-degree range outside Parkside Lanes, Tackett rolled games of 259, 218, 224, 232, 300, 215, 225 and 213 for an actual 235.75 average. Fach, the first Canadian ever to win a PBA Tour title (2016 Barbasol PBA Players Championship), finished with 1,999 pins. Jason Sterner of Rockledge, Fla., the oldest player among the leaders at the age 34, was third with 1,992 pins, Tied for fourth were 23-year-old Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich.; 25-year-old Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., and 25-year-old AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., all with 1,985 pins. Anderson and Australia’s Jason Belmonte are the only two-time PBA Tour title winners in 2018 (Belmonte isn’t competing in Aurora). Johnson is the only player among the leaders without a PBA Tour title. With PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling following the action from start to finish, the event includes eight-game qualifying rounds Saturday and Sunday, with the top 27 qualifiers after 16 games advancing to Monday’s eight-game cashers round. Saturday’s qualifying was contested on the PBA Chameleon lane condition. Sunday’s 10 a.m. qualifying round will be bowled on the Don Carter lane condition and Monday’s cashers round, also at 10 a.m., will involve the PBA Bear oiling pattern. All three involve 39-foot applications of oil with variations in the amount of oil applied as well as how it is distributed across the lanes. After 24 games plus bonus pins, the top five will bowl in the stepladder finals at 3 p.m. CDT with the top qualifier selecting the oil pattern for the finals. The “bonus pin” scoring system for qualifying works like this: with four players on each pair of lanes, the player who bowls the highest score each game will earn an additional 30 bonus pins. The second highest player will earn 20 bonus pins, and the third-high player will get an extra 10 pins. The lowest scoring player on the pair won’t get any bonus pins. In case of ties, bonus pins will be divided. All PBA Xtra Frame events for the rest of the season will be covered live, from first ball to last, by PBA’s new live streaming partner, FloBowling.com. Subscriptions are available at FloBowling (existing Xtra Frame subscribers can transition their current subscriptions by visiting https://www.flobowling.com/claim-account). |
2018/06/29 |
Stefanie Johnson earns top seed for U.S. Women's Open TV finals
The fact Stefanie Johnson is quite comfortable competing at Boardwalk Bowl, the site of this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and her self-described home away from home, was a big advantage. But a surprise visitor likely helped push her to the top on Friday. Johnson, of McKinney, Texas, grabbed the No. 1 seed for Saturday’s finals of the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be televised live on CBS Sports Network at 5 p.m. Eastern. Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, is the No. 2 seed for the second consecutive year. Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, is the No. 3 seed while Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Illinois, winner of the last two majors, is the fourth seed and will face Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, in the opening match. “I’m very comfortable here, it’s my home away from home,” said Johnson, who bowled and worked at Boardwalk Bowl while attending the University of Central Florida. “I’m really at a loss for words. It feels surreal. I’m obviously seeking my first major and if I could do it here on my old home turf, that would be the icing on the cake.” That does not mean it was an easy road for Johnson. Tied for the lead after the cashers’ round on Thursday, she went 1-7 in the opening round of match play to drop to eighth place. “Last night was tough, I was very frustrated,” Johnson said. “I got back to the room and I wrote in my journal. I believe in positive thinking and I wrote all these positive things about how grateful I am for this opportunity. It got my mind set in the right place today.” She also had a surprise visitor show up during Game 2 of Friday morning’s match-play round. She turned around to see her husband, Chris, the 2004 Professional Bowlers Association Rookie of the Year, sitting behind her. “This calmness came over me,” Johnson said. “I just thought, ‘It’s OK, let’s just bowl and whatever happens today is going to happen.’ I have my family and all my support at home .. it just made all the difference. It was such an amazing surprise.” Kuhlkin making the TV show also might be considered somewhat of a surprise, only because she seemed to flirt with the cut line each round. She was in 20th place after the cashers’ round but continued to creep up through match play. “It feels amazing to be back in this position, especially having to bowl my way up,” said Kuhlkin, who made the USBC Queens show in 2015. “It has been an incredible day. I’m exhausted, but it’s all worth it.” In the fourth game of the final match-play round, Kuhlkin made a big jump with a 299 game. “When you have a good look, you have to take advantage of it,” Kuhlkin said. “I haven’t had the front 11 on tour in a while, so I was definitely nervous.” Four-time defending champion Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, tried to make a charge but fell just short. Since winning the event in 1996, Johnson has made the finals of the U.S. Women’s Open 10 of the 16 times it has been held. “I battled every single day,” Johnson said. “It is what it is. It’s a tough tournament, tough conditions. I didn’t feel like I, physically, was 100 percent, but I can’t hang my head. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win everything. ” Competition at the 2018 U.S. Women's Open consisted of three days of eight-game qualifying rounds before the field was cut to the top 36 players for an eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals determined the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. The 56-game totals, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play, will decided the five players for the stepladder finals. 18位：姫路 麗 $3,300 獲得
Danielle McEwan 18位：姫路 麗 |
2018/06/28 |
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Erin McCarthy 21位：姫路 麗
17位：姫路 麗 （ラウンドロビン進出）
【USBC】 U.S. Women’s Open Japanese bowler excited for opportunity to compete at U.S. Women’s Open
It’s expected that the U.S. Women’s Open features the biggest names in women’s bowling. One of the biggest names in the field, however, might not be too familiar to fans in the United States. Early Thursday at Boardwalk Bowl, site of this year's U.S. Women's Open, the top 24 players for match play were determined during the cashers’ round. Among those advancing was Urara Himeji of Japan, who averaged 219 during the eight-game round, including a closing game of 248. But the possibility of competing in the United States always intrigued her, and this year the time was right. “The U.S. tournaments are something a lot of professional bowlers are talking about and they have been looking up to,” Himeji said through her translator, Hideko Kamitsu. “It was always in my mind to play here. This year, my daughter turned 16 and so I thought it was time.” Himeji, who has 17 career titles, is a big fan of Shinobu Saitoh, the Japanese bowler who won 74 titles in her career, including the 1982 U.S. Women’s Open. Himeji was excited to see Saitoh’s presence at Boardwalk Bowl. “She won the (U.S. Women’s Open) title in 1982 and I see her name on one of the flags,” Himeji said. “She was someone I always looked up to. My numbers may not compare to her, but it was something I always wanted to achieve.” A professional for 18 years, the U.S. Women’s Open is her second PWBA stop in 2018. She finished 40th at the season-opening PWBA Las Vegas Open in April. Of course, the U.S. Women’s Open presents a much more difficult challenge. Asked what has been the toughest thing to deal with at this event, the first two words of her reply came quickly and in English. “Lane conditions,” Himeji said. “It’s very different from Japan and I’m really impressed with how the players adjusted. I see the level of the young players here is higher than in Japan. The players can curve the ball more.” Himeji said she definitely would encourage the young women bowlers in Japan to come and try their hand at the PWBA Tour. “I want as many young professional players in Japan to come to the U.S. and challenge themselves, not only for the technical part, but for the mental part,” Himeji said. Competitors in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open bowled three eight-game qualifying blocks before the field was cut to the top 36 players for the eight-game cashers’ round. The 32-game pinfall totals determined the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play, which started Thursday. Players earn 30 bonus pins for each win in match play and the 56-game totals will decide the five players for the stepladder finals. Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association, is live streaming all preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open, with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of the stepladder finals on Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m. (Eastern). |
2018/06/27 |
Stefanie Johnson holds U.S. Women’s Open lead after qualifying
Stefanie Johnson does know a little something about the host center for this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. Johnson, of McKinney, Texas, holds a 90-pin lead after a 1,762 eight-game set during Wednesday’s third round of qualifying gave her a 5,341 total after 24 games. The top 36 bowlers will return to Boardwalk Bowl, the place where Johnson said she really fell in love with the sport while competing for the University of Central Florida, on Thursday morning for the cashers’ round. Thursday’s eight-game cashers’ round will determine the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play that begins Thursday evening. “Having a lead is great, but there are still a lot of games left to bowl,” Johnson said. “Match play is a whole other ballgame. I just have to stay in every moment. There’s still a lot of tournament left.” Last season’s Professional Women’s Bowling Association Orlando Open at Boardwalk Bowl marked Johnson’s season debut, following the birth of her second child, daughter Kenzie. She not only made the stepladder finals, but won the event as the fourth seed. “I love this bowling center,” Johnson said. “I spent a lot of time here during my UCF days. It’s my home away from home. So there’s a comfort level there, but I still have to bowl.” Johnson’s Team USA teammate Shannon O’Keefe also seems to be getting comfortable after a rough start. In her first eight games, she posted a 1,529 pinfall total before posting sets of 1,807 and 1,818 for a 5,154 total. She moved from 86th into ninth place. “Obviously, something wasn’t right,” said O’Keefe, winner of the last two majors. “I just had to forget that happened and think of it as a normal tour stop – I have 16 games to get there. Yesterday, I just wanted to come in and have fun. It’s been a long time since I bowled just for fun.” Daria Pajak of Poland, the No. 1 seed for last year’s U.S. Women’s Open stepladder finals, had to wait out the last squad of the day to see if she would make it to Thursday’s cashers’ round. Her final game on Wednesday, a 258, was her highest game in qualifying and was just enough to get her the final spot. Pajak said it was too tough to watch the final squad. She went car shopping – “mine is actually falling apart” – and she kept checking scores. She returned to Boardwalk Bowl for the final game. “It was stressing me out,” Pajak said. “But it’s quite cool to see everyone fighting to make the cut. There were at least six or seven girls that had a chance. It was cool to see them battling those tough conditions.” Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, was one of those trying to get above the cut line during the final squad. She started the round 55 pins outside the cut but fired back-to-back 268 games early in the final block and, knowing she needed at least a 200 in her final game, she shot 227. “The thing that made it interesting is there was two or three girls that were clumped together and we were right next to each other,” Kulkin. “Everybody knew what was going on, everyone could see what everyone was shooting. That made it more intense.” Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, is in eighth place with a 5,169 pinfall total. Johnson is seeking her fifth consecutive U.S. Women’s Open title, which would tie a record. She has won the event six times overall. Competitors in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will bowl their third eight-game qualifying block Wednesday after which the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals will determine the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. Players earn 30 bonus pins for each win in match play and the 56-game totals will decide the five players for the stepladder finals. Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association, is live streaming all preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open, with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of the stepladder finals on Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m. (Eastern). 33位：姫路 麗 （予選通過） |
2018/06/26 |
Stefanie Johnson retains lead after two rounds at U.S. Women’s Open
Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, started a little slow during Tuesday’s second round of qualifying at the U.S. Women’s Open, but a strong finish allowed her to keep the lead for another day. Bowling on the second squad of the day, Johnson finished her eight-game block at Boardwalk Bowl with a 279 game for a 1,736 total. While her 217 average on Tuesday was a little off the pace she set in the opening round, her 3,579 pinfall total was enough to hold off Shannon Sellens of Copiague, New York, for the lead. “Today didn’t start out of the gate very well,” Johnson said. “The key for me today was staying patient. It got me to that big game at the end.” Sellens posted the second-highest block of the day (1,857, a 232 average) to jump from 28th place to second. “I watched a lot yesterday, so I kind of had an idea how people were playing the lanes,” Sellens said. “My definite goal is to make match play because I did not make the cut last year. I really wanted to come back and have a good showing and make all my spares. Literally, through 16 games, I’ve missed one, so that’s a win in my book.” Also making big moves were Brandi Branka of Fairview Heights, Illinois, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York. Branka posted two 278 games and averaged 233 during the final squad of the day to move from 62nd into eighth. Her 1,867 set not only was the highest for all squads, it was 251 pins more than her opening-round block. “I used the same ball the whole block and just kept creeping left,” Branka said. “Luckily, I was able to carry a lot, and I was mostly clean. That was a big thing. I had quite a few clean games today, unlike yesterday. I knew I had to have somewhat of a big block.” On the opening squad, McEwan, a four-time titlist on the PWBA Tour, used a 1,848 block (231 average) that included games of 279 and 299. “Other than that, I just kind of grinded,” said McEwan, who moved from 65th to 11th. “I had a couple of low games in there where I got lost in transition. I took good notes and, hopefully, I’ll see fresh (conditions) again later in the event and not make the same mistakes.” Four-time defending champion Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, followed her opening set of 1,740 with a 1,759 set and sits in sixth place with a 3,499 total. Competitors in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will bowl their third eight-game qualifying block Wednesday after which the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals will determine the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. Players earn 30 bonus pins for each win in match play and the 56-game totals will decide the five players for the stepladder finals. Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association, is live streaming all preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open, with CBS Sports Network providing live coverage of the stepladder finals on Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m. (Eastern). 49位：姫路 麗
総合優勝は斉藤 悦子！
さる6月14日（木）、品川プリンスホテルボウリングセンターにて承認大会・第11回JLBCオープン第11回HANDA CUPプラチナレディースが開催されました。 一年に一度、往年の名花が集うプラチナレディース。今年もプロアマ揃って元気な姿を見せてくれました。 予選6G、決勝2Gを投げてプロの部は斉藤悦子、アマチュアの部では生田アサヨ選手、65歳以上を対象としたプラチナシニアの部は河崎憲子が優勝。またプロアマ含むスクラッチトータルでの総合優勝は斉藤悦子となりました。 |
2018/06/25 |
Stefanie Johnson grabs lead in opening round of U.S. Women’s Open
The first-round leader of the U.S. Women’s Open wasn’t determined until the final frames of the final squad were thrown at Boardwalk Bowl on Monday. 44位：姫路 麗 |
2018/06/24 |
【PWBA】 Go Bowling PWBA Challenge COTÉ CAPTURES GO BOWLING PWBA CHALLENGE TITLE
Bryanna Coté nudged her way into the four-player field for the Go Bowling PWBA Challenge, taking the final spot with a fourth-place finish at last week’s PWBA event. She then proceeded to take full advantage of the opportunity in the special event. Coté defeated Josie Barnes, 248-233, in the title match of the Go Bowling PWBA Challenge to pocket the $5,000 top prize. Go Bowling, the consumer-facing brand of the bowling industry, sponsored the special competition for PWBA Tour competitors. The finalists were determined based on PWBA points earned in the first six PWBA standard events. Coté, of Red Rock, Arizona, edged Colombia’s Maria Jose Rodriguez by 50 points to make the Go Bowling PWBA Challenge semifinals. Coté knew heading into last week’s PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open that she needed several pieces to fall into place if she was going to make the field. “I knew it was close, that I needed to make the show or the top five and other things had to happen (at the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open),” Coté said. “It was close – I thought I was in, but I wasn’t celebrating until I saw it was official. I was excited. We all want to be a part of the special events.” The Go Bowling PWBA Challenge title match also went down to the wire. Coté needed to strike on her fill ball to close out Barnes, of Nashville, Tennessee, and did exactly that. “Since my TV shows have not gone the way I’ve wanted them to go, and though this was more of a fun event, there’s still that pressure of performing,” Coté said. “I told myself I want to bowl the best two, hopefully, games that I can. I did and was fortunate to come out on top. “That final against Josie was high scoring; you can never count her out. You just have to keep doing what she’s doing and try to do a little better.” As the fourth-seed for the event, Coté first had to get past top-seed Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, in the semifinals. Coté took the match, 222-187, while the third-seeded Barnes took a 228-171 victory over No. 2 seed Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Illinois. The semifinals and finals of the Go Bowling PWBA Challenge were live streamed on Xtra Frame, the online bowling channel of the Professional Bowlers Association. |
2018/06/23 |
【USBC】 U.S. Women's Open 【PTQ】 BOWLER SWAPS MUSIC TRIPS FOR SHOT AT PWBA TOUR
It should not come as a surprise that Danaka Heekin was bowling in Saturday’s U.S. Women’s Open pre-tournament qualifier at Boardwalk Bowl, as she’s made every stop of the PWBA Tour season in 2018. 5位：姫路 麗 |
2018/06/19 |
【PBA】 PBA Tour Finals 【Finals】 Jason Belmonte Wins 2018 PBA Tour Finals for 18th Career PBA Tour Title
In a hotly-contested rematch between the last two Professional Bowlers Association Players of the Year, Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte defeated defending champion EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., in a two-frame roll-off to win the 2018 PBA Tour Finals, earning his 18th career Go Bowling! PBA Tour title. The finale was telecast Tuesday on the CBS Sports Network from suburban Detroit’s famous Thunderbowl Lanes. Bowling on the 45-foot Dick Weber lane condition chosen by Belmonte, the 2017 PBA Tour Finals runner-up held the upper hand in the best-of-two-game match after defeating Tackett in the first game, 239-205. But Tackett, the 2017 PBA Tour Finals winner, rebounded to win game two, 219-170, to force the 9th and 10th frame roll-off for the title. “I didn’t know what to do,” said Belmonte after appearing to be lost following his 170 game. “I tried playing outside and then I went back to playing inside. I think I probably was overplaying my adjustments and making too radical of changes, so I went back to my original ball and started playing in the middle of what I was trying to do earlier in the game.” In the roll-off, Belmonte started with a strike and finished with a spare/strike in his 10th frame while Tackett, who was trying for his 10th career title, spared in his ninth but left the 2-8-10 split on his first ball of his 10th frame, resulting in a 40-26 loss and giving the title to Belmonte. Belmonte stressed the importance of his strike on his fill ball in the 10th frame of the second game leading into the roll-off. “That (final ball) in the 10th was huge because that was the only indicator I had that I could find some kind of shot going into the playoff.” The PBA Tour Finals was draining for Belmonte because it followed an especially grueling travel schedule for him just prior to the event. After competing in the Oceanview at Falmouth PBA League in Portland and then traveling to Florida to visit with Hannah Carbocci, a member of Stoneman Douglas’ high school bowling team, he returned home to Australia for a short four-day break before flying all the way back to Detroit for the PBA Tour Finals. “I’m exhausted, but I wouldn’t miss this event in this historic venue and the great Detroit bowling fans,” Belmonte said. “This is a great event that I believe really puts a spotlight on our top players so I really enjoy competing in it. Plus, I had some unfinished business after last year’s runner-up finish (when he lost to Tackett).” The PBA Tour Finals featured an elite field of the top eight players in combined PBA earnings from the 2016, 2017 and first four months of 2018. Competition consisted of four games of total pinfall positioning round competition on four different lane conditions, followed by a semifinal stepladder round for each four-man group. Belmonte won Group 1 over Anthony Simonsen, Dom Barrett and Sean Rash while Tackett topped Group 2, topping Jesper Svensson, Marshall Kent and Tommy Jones. As the high average leader heading into the title match, Belmonte got to select the lane conditioning pattern out of the four patterns used in the event: Johnny Petraglia 36, Mark Roth 42, Don Carter 39 or Dick Weber 45 (the numerical distinction behind each pattern name refers to the distance in feet oil is applied to the lanes). Coincidentally, Tackett also favored the Weber pattern. Preceding the title match, a match to decide third- and fourth-place featured the No. 2 qualifiers from each semifinal round. Sweden’s Svensson, a left-handed two-hander, defeated Simonsen, a right-handed two-hander from Austin, Texas, in another best-of-two-game match that also resulted in a 9th and 10th frame roll-off. Svensson won game one, 248-204. After Simonsen came back to win the second, 229-201, Svensson won the roll-off, 49-39, to finish third. For Belmonte, the title was his second of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season after a win with partner Bill O’Neill in the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship in February. Belmonte is trying to defend his 2017 PBA Player of the Year title and win PBA’s most prized individual honor for the fifth time in six years. Tackett disrupted Belmonte’s reign when he won the 2016 PBA Player of the Year award.
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2018/06/16 |
Jordan Richard Wins First Career Title at PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open
In just her fourth career Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour event, Jordan Richard of Tipton, Michigan, rolled to a dominating win Saturday at the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open. Richard earned the top seed through qualifying and defeated eight-time PWBA Tour champion Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, in the title match at ABC West Lanes, 222-194. The stepladder finals were streamed live on Xtra Frame, the Professional Bowlers Association's online bowling channel. The 22-year-old right-hander looked at home in the early stages of the title tilt, delivering strikes on three of her first four shots. Although she opened in the fifth frame after leaving the 4-6-7 split, Richard showed the poise of a veteran as she bounced back with strikes in the eighth and ninth frames. "I tried not to worry about what everyone else was doing," said Richard, the 2018 U.S. Amateur champion and a member of Team USA. "I could only focus on what I could control and see how it played out after that. I saw the lanes completely different, and I played them a little farther right than I had all week. When I split in the fifth, it was left off my hand, so I knew it was just a bad shot, and I adjusted from there." O'Keefe, a 39-year-old right-hander in search of her third title of the season, stayed clean to force Richard to mark in the 10th frame. Richard rolled a strike to seal the victory and earn her spot in the season-ending PWBA Tour Championship. "I wanted to make a good shot and tried to keep my emotions in check," Richard said. "I did just that and it ended up falling my way this time. I'm excited, but I sure didn't think I'd win out here this soon. It's definitely humbling." Richard's trek from a collegiate standout at Arkansas State to becoming a PWBA Tour champion happened with the support of her family members, who were on-site at ABC West Lanes for her victory. In addition to her parents, she was joined in the celebration by her sisters and nephew, including fellow PWBA Tour rookie Haley Richard. "This win is just as much theirs as it is mine," Richard said. "They push me every single day to be better." Richard joined the PWBA Tour just before the United States Bowling Congress Queens in May, and now finds herself as one of the front-runners for PWBA Rookie of the Year. "I've tried to just play my own game and do what's best for me so far," Richard said. "And stay patient. That was the biggest thing I wanted to focus on coming out here. I didn't think I would win out here right away, because these girls are phenomenal and hard to beat. But, I knew if I stayed patient, my time would come, and it has been very exciting." O'Keefe, who made her fourth championship-round appearance of the season, benefitted from a pair of 10th-frame miscues from her opponents on the way to the title match. In the semifinal, O'Keefe finished with 170, forcing Lindsay Boomershine of Perry, Utah, to roll nine on the first shot of the 10th frame to advance. Boomershine left the 1-2-10 combination and was unable to convert, finishing with 167. In the opening game of the stepladder, O'Keefe finished with 157, giving Bryanna Coté of Red Rock, Arizona, the chance to move on with a mark in her final frame. Coté left a 7 pin and missed the spare to finish with 150. Competition this week at the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open included two eight-game qualifying blocks on Friday to determine the 32 players for Saturday's Round of 32. An additional eight-game block Saturday morning narrowed the field to 12 players, who bowled six additional games to determine the stepladder finalists. The 2018 PWBA Tour season will continue June 23 with the second major of the year, the U.S. Women's Open. The event will be held at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Florida, with the stepladder finals airing live on CBS Sports Network on June 30 at 5 p.m. Eastern.
Jordan Richard
Jordan Richard |
2018/06/15 |
Mika Koivuniemi Wins Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open For First PBA50 Tour Title
Known as Major Mika during a 16-year career on the PBA Tour, 14-time PBA Tour winner Mika Koivuniemi lived up to that nickname by winning the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm Friday for his first title on PBA’s tour for players 50 and over. The 51-year-old native of Finland, who was top qualifier for the stepladder finals, reeled off the first six strikes in a 259-237 win over Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, in the title match at the Suncoast Bowling Center to win the season’s third PBA50 Tour major. “We may be getting older but winning never gets old,” said Koivuniemi, who won three majors during his PBA Tour career. “There’s a lot of great bowlers out here and many of them are bowlers who I bowled against on the PBA Tour so the competition is still tough.” With the first six strikes in the title match, Koivuniemi was able to build a lead that was just too much for Kretzer to overcome. “I really felt good mentally and couldn’t have thrown the ball better considering I don’t bowl as much as I used to,” said Koivuniemi. “I used a ball that I felt good about but it’s one that I either throw a lot of strikes with or throw a lot of splits. Fortunately, it was strikes today. “My attitude has always been to focus on what I can do to win,” he added. “Even though Brian was bowling well it didn’t have any effect on what I needed to do going into the (title) match.” Koivuniemi, who has been retired from the PBA Tour for three years, isn’t able to bowl as much because he is the full-time head coach for the United Arab Emirates national bowling team. “I’m fortunate that I’m still able to get time off to bowl these tournaments,” Koivuniemi said of competing in the Senior U.S. Open and USBC Senior Masters. “I believe I can win these tournaments so that’s why I make the trip.” Koivuniemi’s previous best PBA50 major finishes were seventh in the 2017 Senior Masters and ninth in the 2017 Senior U.S. Open. Kretzer, who qualified fifth for the finals after making a big move from 14th after Friday’s first match play round, started by winning the opening match against No. 4 qualifier five-time PBA Tour winner Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., 208-196. He then went on to beat PBA Hall of Famers Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., 243-193, and Brian Voss of Centennial, Colo., 257-196, on his way to the title match. Kretzer, who owns one PBA Tour title, was trying for his first PBA50 Tour title. Bohn was trying for his fifth PBA50 Tour title and Voss was trying for his third and second of the season. In danger of missing the cut to match play, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., who was trying to become the Senior U.S. Open’s first three-time winner rallied in the final two rounds of match play with an 11-1 match play record but fell just short of making the finals finishing sixth. The PBA50 Tour will take a four-week break and return to action with the PBA50 River City Xtreme Open presented by Ebonite in Monticello, Minn., July 17-20.
Lindsay Boomershine 60位：板倉奈智美
Missy Parkin 70位：板倉奈智美
プロの部・田沢 広也、アマチュアの部・阪本 和江 選手 優勝！
さる6月3日（日）に小嶺シティボウル（福岡）で開催されました承認大会、第14回「伊藤園カップ」ABSファミリープロアマフェスティバルにて、プロの部は田沢広也、アマチュアの部では阪本和江選手が優勝致しました。 予選6G、準決勝6Gのトータル12Gを投げてアマチュア選手のみ上位5名が決勝シュートアウトへ進出しますが、渡邊美和選手や阪本和江選手らの、数々の大会で上位に名を連ねる強豪女子アマチュア選手達が活躍し、男子選手を抑えて上位を独占。 優勝決定戦は渡邊選手を下して勝ち上がった阪本選手と、先日の宮崎プロアマオープンでベストアマを獲得した中島瑞葵選手による優勝決定戦は、252対260という手に汗握る名勝負の末、阪本選手の優勝となりました。 |
2018/06/14 |
Bad Game Doesn’t Prevent Ryan Shafer from Taking Top Qualifier Honors In Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open
Despite bowling 154 in his final game of qualifying in the fourth round, Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., earned top qualifier honors in the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm Thursday to lead 40 players who advanced to Friday’s match play rounds. Shafer finished the qualifying portion of the third PBA50 Tour major of the season with a 5,340 24-game pinfall total (222.5 average) to lead 14-time PBA Tour winner Mika Koivuniemi who surged into second from 10th in the third round, with 5,256. “You have to put that experience in your memory bank for the future,” said a frustrated Shafer. “I used four different balls on the right lane alone and just couldn’t get anything going.” While he ended the round poorly, Shafer, a five-time winner on the PBA Tour who is trying for his first PBA50 Tour title, did bowl well the rest of the round with games of 279, 221, 210, 227 and 212 before the 154 game. “I felt good about all the decisions I made for playing the lanes and my equipment choices for the whole round,” he continued. “Even in the last game I don’t think there’s any decision I would change — I just got to a pair (of lanes) where I couldn’t figure it out.” Trailing by 164 pins heading into the final round of qualifying, Koivuniemi bowled a 1,383 six-game pinfall in the fourth round with games of 268, 186, 279, 236, 218 and 196. Koivuniemi, a native of Finland, is currently the head coach of the United Arab Emirates national bowling team and has been retired from PBA Tour competition for three years, but still manages to bowl an occasional professional event. “Of course, you can find places where you could have scored higher but I’m really happy with the way I’m bowling,” said the 51-year-old Koivuniemi who has won three PBA Tour majors. “Today was a little better because I could play further inside and loft the ball more which is more the game I like to play.” PBA50 Tour rookie Rolando Sebelen of the Dominican Republic finished qualifying in third with a 5,210 pinfall. He bowled a 1,246 in Thursday’s round with games of 212, 211, 244, 161, 185 and 233. Sebelen, a member of the Dominican Republic national bowling team for more than 30 years, is a multi-medalist in international competition, most notably winning a doubles bronze medal in the 2007 Pan Am Games and a team gold medal in the 1989 World Bowling Championships. Qualifying fourth was defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix with a 5,205 pinfall, followed by three-time PBA50 Tour winner Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Twp., Mich., who bowled the tournament’s first 300 game, in fifth with 5,204. The top 40 players will bowl two six-game match play rounds Friday beginning at 8 a.m. PT. At the end of match play the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals schedule for 4:15 p.m. PBA Hall of Famer and 2014 Senior U.S. Open winner Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., finished qualifying in sixth with 5,188, followed by fellow hall of famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., in seventh with 5,167. Two-time Senior U.S. Open winners hall of famers Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, who finished 10th with 5,149, and Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., who finished 31st with 4,942, are trying to become the tournament’s first three-time winner. Monacelli won back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 and Weber won consecutively in 2015 and 2016. 57位：矢島純一 $1,100 獲得 |
2018/06/13 |
Ryan Shafer Has Big Third Round to Move into Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open Lead
Five-time PBA Tour champion Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., averaged 239.5 in the third round to surge into the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm lead Wednesday at the Suncoast Bowling Center. With a 4,037 pinfall total (228 average) for 18 games after three rounds, the 51-year-old Shafer took a five pin lead over defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, who led after the first two rounds. Trying for his first PBA50 Tour title on the tour for players 50 and over, Shafer bowled a 1,437 six-game pinfall in the third round with games of 258, 236, 247, 228, 276 and 192. “Until today it seemed like I was starting the rounds making the wrong decisions and then had to scramble to make the adjustments I needed to make,” said Shafer, who was 17th after the first round and 10th after the second round. “Today, I had a good look right from the start so I was able to get in a comfort zone and play my ‘A’ game pretty much the whole round. Shafer, who finished fifth earlier this season in the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick for his career best PBA50 Tour finish, has been using a different ball on each lane for every pair of lanes he has bowled on since early in the first round. “It’s a tool I like to use quite a bit because my wrist isn’t as strong as it used to be,” Shafer said. “Because of that, I can’t make as many adjustments as I used to with my hand position so I can make up for it by changing my equipment more often to get the desired ball reaction.” Haugen, the 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year and the winner of the Johnny Petraglia BVL Open, bowled 1,263 in his third round with games of 241, 221, 183, 200, 183 and 235 to finish with 4,032 after three rounds. PBA Hall of Famer and 2010 Senior U.S. Open winner Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, who was second after the first two rounds managed to hold on to third with a 3,998 pinfall for 18 games. He bowled 1,253 in the third round with games of 269, 178, 193, 197, 191 and 225. “After that first game I really didn’t have a good feel until the end of the round,” the 60-year-old Williams said. “I was having a problem reading the lanes and not getting a good ball reaction for most of the round. But it’s all good. If I can be around the top five heading into match play I’d be happy with that.” PBA50 Tour rookie Rolando Sebelen of the Dominican Republic finished the day in fourth with a 3,964 18-game pinfall and PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., rounded out the top five with 3,933. With one qualifying round remaining, the scramble is on for players to make the top 40 for Friday’s first match play round. Other big movers in the third round were PBA Hall of Famers Brian Voss of Centennial, Colo., Venezuelan native Amleto Monacelli and Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla. Voss, who was 17th after the second round moved up to seventh with a 3,915 pinfall, Monacelli moved from 19th to eighth and Duke vaulted from 40th to ninth. Monacelli, along with hall of famer Pete Weber, who finished the day in 41st, are trying to become the Senior U.S. Open’s first three-time winner. Monacelli won back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 and Weber in 2015 and 2016. After Thursday’s fourth and final six-game qualifying, the field will be cut to the top 40 players for modified round-robin match play which will begin Friday at 8 a.m. PT. After Friday’s second match play round at noon the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. 59位：矢島純一 |
2018/06/12 |
Tackett Wins Group 2 Semifinal Round, Set for PBA Tour Finals Title Rematch with Belmonte
PBA Tour Finals defending champion EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., won his Group 2 stepladder semifinal round, which aired on CBS Sports Network Tuesday from Thunderbowl Lanes, to set up a rematch with last year’s runner-up Jason Belmonte of Australia in the PBA Tour Finals title match which will air June 19 at 8 p.m. ET. As the top seed for the Group 2 semifinal round, Tackett, a nine-time Go Bowling! PBA Tour winner, defeated Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, 2-0, in the best-of-two-game final match, winning the first game, 235-206, and the second game, 245-203. “I just made good shots down the stretch,” said Tackett, the 2016 PBA Player of the Year. “When you have four of the top performers over the past couple seasons, I wasn’t so much worried about the conditions but having to beat the great opponents I had in my group.” Like Belmonte did for the Group 1 semifinal, as top seed in Group 2, Tackett chose the 45-foot Dick Weber lane condition. Even though Svensson appeared to be making good shots, the seven-time tour winner was having trouble carrying which was illustrated by six nine-pin counts in the second game of the match on seemingly good pocket hits. “The way the lanes broke down worked in my favor,” Tackett said of his match against Svensson. “The way we started I thought it was going to be anyone’s match because he was able to get to the pocket consistently despite not being able to carry the 7 pin. I was able to string five strikes in the middle of the first game and started with the first four in the second game which gave me good momentum in each game.” Belmonte, who will be trying for his 18th tour win, won last week’s Group 1 semifinal by beating fellow two-hander Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, 2-0 (265-259, 239-216). In the opening Group 2 match, four-time tour winner Marshall Kent defeated 18-time winner Tommy Jones, 246-236. Svensson then beat Kent, 279-233, in the second match to advance to the final match against Tackett. The semifinal stepladder rounds, as well as the championship round, feature the best-of-two-game format with ties broken by a 9th and 10th frame roll-off. As runners-up in the semifinals, Simonsen will take on Svensson in the PBA Tour Finals third-place match which will precede the title match. Tackett and Belmonte earned their positions in the semifinal as the total pinfall leaders in two previous positioning rounds bowling on the Petraglia 36, Roth 42, Carter 39 and Weber 45 PBA lane conditions.
Haugen’s Ability to Adjust Put to the Test In Retaining Lead After Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open Second Round
Defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, put his ability to adjust to the demanding Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm lane conditions to the test but still managed to retain his lead after Tuesday’s second round of qualifying. After a 1,370 six-game pinfall total in Monday’s first round, Haugen bowled 1,399 with games of 267, 223, 193, 276, 244 and 196 in the second round at the Suncoast Bowling Center to finish with 2,769 for 12 games good for a 230.7 average. “Those 190 games could very easily have been 170s,” said the two-time PBA50 and five-time PBA Tour titlist. “In those two games I just wasn’t playing the lanes right to start, I changed to another ball and fortunately I was able to bail them out. “In qualifying it feels like a grind but you have to remember we’re only a third of the way through,” the 51-year-old Haugen continued. “Getting off to a fast start is beneficial because you don’t want to give anything back. I’ll take a couple 190s for a bad game.” Haugen extended his lead over PBA Hall of Famer and 2010 Senior U.S. Open winner Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, who finished 24 pins behind Haugen with a 2,745 pinfall after two rounds. Williams, a seven-time PBA Tour winner, including two Tournament of Champions titles and winner of three PBA50 Tour titles, trailed Haugen by one pin after the first round, but stayed close with 1,376 in the second round on games of 268,215, 192, 269, 212 and 220. PBA50 Tour rookie Rolando Sebelen of the Dominican Republic finished the day in third with a 2,722 pinfall. He bowled 1,396 in the second round with games of 221, 226, 255, 231, 235 and 228. “I love it because I’m bowling with all my idols,” said the 50-year-old Sebelen, who has been a member of the Dominican Republic’s national team for 32 years. “When I started I was nervous but eventually I found a line and got comfortable. I have a lot of expectations and I’m hoping to meet them.” Vaulting from 20th after the first round to fourth was PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., who finished the second round with a 2,681 pinfall. After Monday’s first round bowling 1,295 for six games, he came back in the second round with 1,386 on games 237, 235, 210, 268, 266 and 170. “Those two 260 games looked better on paper than they actually were,” said the four-time PBA50 Tour and 35-time PBA Tour winner. “I had my share of strikes from crossovers and high hits so I have to admit I had my share of breaks, but I’ll take it.” Also making big moves were 2016 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Eddie Graham of Kettering, Ohio, who improved from 19th to fifth and PBA Hall of Famer Mika Koivuniemi who jumped from 28th to sixth. Graham finished with a 2,634 two-round total and Koivuniemi with 2,632. Qualifying continues Wednesday and Thursday with six-game rounds beginning at 9 a.m. PT. The field will then be cut to the top 40 players for modified round-robin match play which will begin Friday at 8 a.m. After Friday’s second match play round at noon the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. 85位：矢島純一
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2018/06/11 |
Defending Champion Michael Haugen Jr. Edges Mark Williams For First Round Lead in Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open
Defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, got his title defense off to a good start by taking the first round lead in the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented Storm Monday at the Suncoast Bowling Center. The 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year bowled a 1,370 six-game pinfall total (228.3 average) to edge out PBA Hall of Famer and 2010 Senior U.S. Open winner Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, who finished one pin behind in second with 1,369. “I’m just trying to keep it simple,” said the 51-year-old Haugen. “I have my equipment where I want it to be, which makes it a lot easier to make the adjustments I need to make. I don’t have a lot of balls in my arsenal but the ones that I do have I’m really confident in.” Haugen, who won the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick in May for his second career PBA50 Tour title and finished third in the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters Sunday for his second third-place finish of the season, bowled games of 255, 166, 235, 237, 247 and 230 in the first round. “The 166 game was just a pair (of lanes) I couldn’t get a good read on,” said the five-time winner on the PBA Tour. “I wasn’t really worried about it at that point. I just had to make sure I got back to basics in the third game – make good shots, wash, rinse and repeat.” Like a lot of bowlers on the PBA50 Tour, the experience gained over a long successful career many times substitutes for the lack of practice and regular competition. Such was the case for Williams who bowled games of 225, 245, 238, 215 247 and 199 in his first round. I’m thrilled with the start but it’s early yet,” said the 60-year-old bowling proprietor. “At this point in the tournament, you can’t win, you can only lose because of the challenging format and conditions. “Because I don’t bowl as much as I used to I really have to rely on a good start to raise my confidence level for the rest of the tournament,” he added. Rounding out the top five after the first round of the third major of the season were non-member Bob Baer of Henderson, Nev.; 1,340; PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 1,336 and Marty Deh, San Jose, Calif., 1,327. Qualifying continues Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with six-game rounds beginning at 9 a.m. PT. The field will then be cut to the top 40 players for modified round-robin match play which will begin Friday at 8 a.m. After Friday’s second match play round at noon the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. 44位：矢島純一 |
2018/06/10 |
【USBC】 USBC Senior Masters 【Finals】 Chris Warren wins 2018 USBC Senior Masters
For more than 40 years, Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Oregon, has looked up to and learned from United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Florida. Warren was able to put those lessons to work Sunday at the Sam's Town Bowling Center as he defeated his childhood friend, live on BowlTV, two times to win the 2018 USBC Senior Masters for his first PBA50 title. He earned $20,000 for the victory and became the third bowler in history to win both the USBC Masters and Senior Masters, joining Dave Soutar and Walter Ray Williams Jr. in the exclusive club. Warren's Masters title came in 1990 as one of his six career wins on the PBA Tour. As the undefeated top seed in the double-elimination format, Duke had a second chance at the title after falling 269-220 in the first game of the title tilt. Duke got out to an early lead in the rematch after Warren left, and failed to convert, a 7-10 split in the second frame. Warren rallied to finish with seven consecutive strikes and a nine-count on his fill ball, forcing Duke to strike on the first shot of his final frame and get at least eight and a spare to win by a single pin. After delivering the strike he needed, Duke left the 3-4-6-7-9-10 combination to fall short, 246-241. "There's no words to describe how good Norm Duke is," said Warren, a PBA journeyman whose last national title came in 1992. "Norm beat me at what I do best, which is throwing strikes, but it came down to one error. I outscored him, but he bowled an incredible game. You never want to see that happen to your buddies, and it happened. I just feel fortunate to have been there, and winning really is incredibly special." Prior to making the deciding shot, Duke did the math, knew what he needed to win, or at least tie, and used his decades of experience to make the best shot he could. "I trusted myself to make my shot, and I didn't," said Duke, who has 38 PBA Tour titles and four PBA50 wins. "But, I look back and say, 'Norm, you made the greatest shot in the history of your lifetime for the win, and you won it there, and then you lost it.' I won it with one shot and lost it with another. That is sport. This is hurting right now, and it's supposed to. If it didn't hurt, we wouldn't care. And if we care, it hurts. This is a tough one, but Chris is an excellent, excellent, excellent player, and a well-deserving champion, and I'm so happy for him. Warren, Duke, hall of famer Del Ballard Jr. and a slew of other Southwest standouts grew up bowling together in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They've pushed each other for decades and shared countless successes and defeats. In Warren's recollection, they beat up on him pretty handily, but it helped make him the bowler he is. That's still true today, along with the continued support of his six brothers, three sisters, wife, Michelle, and mother, Mary, who turned 92 this weekend. "Norm is someone who could always execute and make his spares, and I learned a lot from him in those areas, and Del is someone I always looked up to because he had no fear," Warren said. "Del still helps me work on a lot of things, both mentally and physically, and Norm has helped me with my spare game tremendously. It's amazing. Yes, we're competitors, but we're also lifelong friends. We're family." On the way to the 2018 Senior Masters title, Warren broke four tournament records. Including the shootout round that helped him earn his spot in the stepladder finals, and the second game with Duke on Sunday, Warren bowled a record 14 matches at the Sam's Town Bowling Center. He collected 13 wins, which were consecutive, both records, after losing his first match to Jerry Smith or Englewood, Colorado, 511-501. The streak includes surviving the shootout round. In his 14 matches, Warren averaged a record 243.9, including a high series of 847 in a win over Noel Vazquez of Sacramento, California, and a 300 game on the way to eliminating Williams, the defending champion, 772-756. Two-time Senior Masters champion Tom Baker of King, North Carolina, previously held the tournament records for most matches (13), most wins in one tournament (12) and most consecutive wins (nine), all set in 2006 on the way the first of his two consecutive Senior Masters wins. Ross Packard of San Jose, California, averaged 243.8 in match play at the 2005 event. As he climbed his way to the title from the No. 4 position Sunday at Sam's Town, Warren averaged 255 for his five games, shooting 236, 234, 290, 269 and 246. In the semifinal Sunday at Sam's Town, Warren defeated 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year and 2018 PBA50 Player of the Year frontrunner Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, 290-197. Warren left a 2 pin in the first frame and then rattled off 11 consecutive strikes, while Haugen left a 7-10 split on his first offering and only was able to throw one double the rest of the way. Warren earned the meeting with Haugen by defeating PBA50 newcomer Keith Lesko of Prosper, Texas, who was competing in the first major event of his career, 234-168. The opening match of the stepladder was a nail-biter against two-time PBA50 Player of the Year Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, in which Mohr had an opportunity to shut out Warren with two strikes and nine pins in his final frame. Instead, Mohr left a ringing 10 pin on his first shot, allowing Warren to strike on his first shot to seal the win. He achieved that and tossed two more strikes to escape with a 236-217 victory. The Senior Masters is the premier event for USBC members age 50 and older, and the 2018 edition featured 272 entries. All competitors bowled 15 games over three days to determine the 63 bowlers who joined Williams in the double-elimination match-play bracket. All rounds of qualifying and match play also were broadcast live on BowlTV.
Hall of Famer Chris Barnes Wins PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open for 19th Title, First Since 2016
Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, struck out in the 10th frame to defeat top qualifier Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Ariz., 207-206, to win the PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open Sunday at South Plains Lanes. With his first title since the 2016 DHC PBA Japan Invitational, Barnes improved his overall PBA Tour titles total to 19, moving into 15th place on the all-time titles list. “They don’t get any more fun than that,” the 48-year-old Barnes said. “For a lot of reasons, (winning in Lubbock) is really special. As an experienced player, I know I’m not going to have a lot more moments like this, so it’s pretty special to stand up here. This one went the right way. “Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of failures to learn from in situations like that,” Barnes added. “You learn how to breathe, how to enjoy the moment. When Jakob got that bad break, you ask yourself, how cool would it be to pull this off?” Neither player could get a sustained string of strikes going, and both made a key mistake early in the match, but Butturff, the 2016 Lubbock Sports Open winner, failed to lock up the title when he struck and then left a 10 pin on his second ball in the 10th frame. That gave Barnes a chance to win with three strikes in his 10th frame. “I’d like to get to 22 titles. That’s Marshall (Holman’s) number and he’s an idol of mine, but for now, to be one title ahead of Tommy Jones is fine with me,” said Barnes, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame earlier in the year. He and Jones are long-time rivals, but also close friends and frequent doubles partners who are in a good-natured, on-going contest to see who can win the most PBA Tour titles. In the first stepladder match, Barnes won the battle between former PBA Players of the Year, defeating Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, 258-223. One pin separated the two until the 10th frame when Malott left and failed to convert the 3-4 split. Barnes then advanced to the championship match by throwing strikes on nine of his first 10 shots to race past PBA rookie Nick Pate of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 269-214. Pate, the 2017 Male Collegiate Bowler of the Year with Midland University, couldn’t match Barnes’ strike pace. The Lubbock Sports Open was the fourth of eight PBA Xtra Frame events that are part of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule. The next Xtra Frame event will be the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open June 30-July 1 at Parkside Lanes in Aurora, Ill., launching PBA’s new relationship with FloBowling.com. Monthly and annual Xtra Frame subscription packages are available for $7.99 and $64.99, respectively, through June 29. Three-day passes for $3.99 are available through June 25. Visit xtraframe.tv to enroll. After June 29, FloSports subscription rates will apply. |
2018/06/09 |
Duke earns top seed for finals at 2018 USBC Senior Masters
United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Florida, says he doesn't necessarily have an A-game. Instead, he has multiple games, and the key to picking the right one is paying attention to what the lanes are telling him, a practice that has earned him a reputation as one of the world's most versatile bowlers and helped him secure the top seed for the stepladder finals of the 2018 USBC Senior Masters. The 54-year-old right-hander averaged nearly 238 at the Sam's Town Bowling Center on the way to a 6-0 record in the event's double-elimination match-play bracket, and he locked up the No. 1 seed Saturday with a 706-660 win against 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix. Haugen will enter the stepladder in the second position, and he and Duke will be joined by No. 3 Keith Lesko of Prosper, Texas, No. 4 Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Oregon, and No. 5 Ron Mohr of nearby North Las Vegas, Nevada. The championship round will be broadcast live on BowlTV on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern, with the winner taking home a $20,000 top prize and the second major title of the 2018 PBA50 season. "I'm very happy with how things went, as this is what we work for and train for," said Duke, owner of 38 PBA Tour titles and four PBA50 wins. "And, yes, I'm in the enviable position, but I haven't won anything yet. There's still work to do." Duke considers his opening match Saturday morning against Michael Calvin of Warren, Michigan, to be the most pivotal moment of the week for him because it was close throughout and came down to the final frames. The win tested him both mentally and physically and set the tone for the rest of the day. "I know that match was the one that got me here," Duke said. "It came down to the ninth and 10th, and while I was on the approach, I told myself, 'Norm, this is what major championships are about. You either rise now in the middle of this, or you may not last to the end.' I was able to lift myself and finished out strong to get that victory." Duke noted that in the matches that followed, his opponents struggled early, and he was able to put together some big games, allowing him to build a lead from the start. That's exactly how his meeting with Haugen went. Duke started with a 257 game, while Haugen finished with 178, a deficit he could not recover from, despite responding with a 269 effort the following game. Haugen is the frontrunner in the 2018 PBA50 Player of the Year race after winning the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick in early May. A win at the Senior Masters this week would give him his third career PBA50 title and second major victory. He won the 2017 Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open, which came on the heels of an early exit from the 2017 Senior Masters. It was Duke who handed him the first of his two consecutive losses at the Senior Masters last year. "I'm happy to be on the show, but now I have to win two games to win the title, and I'd definitely have to bowl Norm again to do it," Haugen said. "But, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and he's one of the best in the world. I'll bring my game tomorrow and try to get it done." Before getting a shot at redemption against Duke, Haugen will have to face one of the other three talented players who made the stepladder. Lesko, Warren and Mohr emerged from a four-player shootout round Saturday that featured the last players in the Elimination Bracket. Lesko, a 52-year-old right-hander competing in his first major of any kind, finished the three-game match with a 279 effort, including a rolled 2 pin late in the game, to catapult from third place after two games, to the top spot in the shootout with a 732 set. Warren followed with a 724 series, while Mohr grabbed the final spot with 722. Mohr held a slim lead over Warren after two games, but a fourth-frame washout in the finale proved to be the difference. PBA titlist Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pennsylvania, finished fourth in the shootout with a 609 series and was eliminated, finishing sixth overall at the event. Warren, a six-time PBA Tour champion who is seeking his first PBA50 title, had the most noteworthy run in match play this week, having won seven consecutive matches in the Elimination Bracket, just to earn a spot in the shootout round. Shortly after receiving an award Friday for having the highest block in the third round of qualifying, the 54-year-old right-hander lost his first match, 511-501, to the No. 56 seed, Jerry Smith of Englewood, Colorado. Over his next 24 games at Sam's Town, Warren averaged 251, rolled an 847 in a victory over Noel Vazquez of Sacramento, California, and used the second perfect game of the 2018 event to outlast and eliminate defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., 772-756. Williams, who was looking to become the first bowler in more than a decade to win the Senior Masters in consecutive years, as well as become the event's first three-time winner, finished in a tie for ninth place. His first loss came to Lesko in the Winners Bracket. If Warren or Duke can win the 2018 Senior Masters, the victor would add his name to the short list of bowlers who have won both the USBC Masters and Senior Masters. Only Dave Soutar and Williams have achieved the feat, with Williams winning each one twice. Warren is the 1990 Masters champion, while Duke claimed the title in 1993. Duke also has his sights set on a bigger prize - a second PBA50 Player of the Year Award. "There's a couple things I'm thinking about, and the first is player of the year," said Duke, who won the award in 2014. "I'm always thinking about that, and the longer you can stay in that race, the better. There are some really good players with titles already. I have a second and a third place, but you have to win to win player of the year. The second thing is the majors. When people look over your career at the end, they're going to look there first, and I want make sure I represented myself well." The Senior Masters is the premier event for USBC members age 50 and older, and the 2018 edition featured 272 entries. All competitors bowled 15 games over three days to determine the 63 bowlers who joined Williams in the double-elimination match-play bracket. All rounds of qualifying and match play were broadcast live on BowlTV.
McCarthy Wins First Title at PWBA Louisville Open
Since the relaunch of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour in 2015, Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, has been knocking on the door of becoming a champion, and she walked through Saturday after winning the 2018 PWBA Louisville Open. McCarthy, the top qualifier, defeated No. 3 seed Maria Jose Rodriguez of Colombia, 259-210, to capture the win at Fern Valley Strike and Spare for her first career PWBA title. The stepladder finals were streamed live on Xtra Frame, the Professional Bowlers Association’s online bowling channel. McCarthy came out on fire in the championship match, tossing seven consecutive strikes before a 10 pin ended her run at perfection in the eighth frame. Rodriguez also started strong with three consecutive strikes, but she quickly found herself down after an 8-10 split in the fifth frame. Rodriguez wouldn’t go away as she countered with strikes in frames six, seven and eight to keep it close, but an open frame in the ninth sealed the victory for McCarthy. It’s incredible,” said McCarthy, who became the first player this season to win as the No. 1 seed. “I’m still on cloud nine. I’m speechless. You know, Maria made a great shot in the middle of that game and she left an 8-10. It still was a pretty close match depending on what I was going to do, and it kind of just helped take some of the pressure off and allow me to breathe for at least a frame or two. Again, it was a great shot, just a bad break.” McCarthy is no stranger to stepladder finals, with three top-five finishes since 2015, including two of those finishes coming at major events (2015 United States Bowling Congress Queens and 2017 U.S. Women’s Open). But, this week felt slightly different for McCarthy because she’s been busier with life off the lanes and has only competed in three events. The 27-year-old right-hander has been busy working two jobs as a registered nurse and enhancing the new home she’s recently purchased. In an odd way, the time away from the PWBA Tour has helped her feel more relaxed, which is different in comparison to previous attempts at winning. “I’ve just been more relaxed coming into it,” said McCarthy, who is a three-time Team USA member. “I keep myself busy with work, and I just bought a house so that’s been distracting me a bit. I’m not putting as much pressure on myself. I still want to perform to the best of my abilities, but I don’t get down as often. I don’t stress out, so I can stay in the moment and stay true to that statement.” The busy schedule means McCarthy spends many days at one of the two hospitals she’s employed at, which also means she spends many days with her inquisitive co-workers. Those individuals have helped McCarthy by being supportive of her goals and dreams on the lanes. “It means a lot to me,” McCarthy said. “My co-workers back home are very supportive and some of them were probably watching. They always ask me about bowling and how it works, and they always want to learn more about the game when I get back home. It kind of makes it easier to compete knowing that they’re behind me 100 percent.” Rodriguez advanced to the title match by defeating Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, 228-149. McEwan was looking for her second title of the season. In the opening match, Rodriguez defeated Esther Cheah of Malaysia, 265-168. Cheah was looking for her first career PWBA Tour title. Competition this week at the PWBA Louisville Open at Fern Valley Strike and Spare included two eight-game qualifying blocks on Friday to determine the 32 players for Saturday's Round of 32. An additional eight-game block Saturday morning narrowed the field to 12 players, who bowled six additional games to determine the stepladder finalists. The 2018 PWBA Tour season continues next week with the seventh stop of the season at the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open at ABC West Lanes in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Erin McCarthy
Erin McCarthy
Hall of Famer Chris Barnes Leads Qualifying in PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open
Recently-inducted Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, averaged 240.5 for eight games to lead the PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open at the end of qualifying Saturday at South Plains Lanes. Barnes, an 18-time PBA Tour title winner who hasn’t won since 2015, rolled games of 276, 254, 217, 235, 258, 279, 215 and 190 – his only sub-200 game - for a 1,942 pinfall total and a nine-pin lead over Roger Petrin of Arlington, Texas. Petrin, 27, is a fifth-year PBA member who has won three regional titles, but is still trying for his first PBA Tour title. Barnes, a 20-year PBA member, and Petrin are among the several Wichita State University collegiate bowlers in the field of 121. In third place heading into Sunday’s cashers round is two-handed player Shawn Maldonado of Houston with 1,909 pins. Former PBA Players of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., with a 1,906 total, and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., at 1,904, rounded out the top five as the 40 high qualifiers who remained in the running. After the six-game cashers round, the top 16 based on 14-game pinfall totals will advance to an eight-game modified round-robin match play round. The top four after 22 games will advance to the stepladder finals. At stake Sunday is a $12,500 first prize and a PBA Tour title if the winner is a PBA member. Sunday’s cashers round, match play and stepladder finals will be live-streamed on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel at 8:30 a.m., 12:15 and 4:15 p.m. CDT, respectively. Monthly and annual Xtra Frame subscription packages are available for $7.99 and $64.99, respectively, through June 29. Three-day passes for $3.99 are available through June 25. Visit xtraframe.tv to enroll. After June 29, FloSports subscription rates will apply. The Lubbock Sports Open is the fourth of eight PBA Xtra Frame events that are part of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule. The next Xtra Frame event will be the PBA Parkside Lanes Open June 30-July 1 at Parkside Lanes in Aurora, Ill., launching PBA’s new relationship with FloBowling.com. |
2018/06/08 |
Siti Rahman 69位：板倉奈智美
Siti Rahman 61位：板倉奈智美
Defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. unbeaten at 2018 USBC Senior Masters
In nearly 40 years of Professional Bowlers Association competition, Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, has been able to find continued success by navigating through constant changes in equipment and oil patterns and striving to be as versatile and prepared as possible. This year, he is one of the early frontrunners in the PBA50 Player of the Year race and looking to pull ahead with a win at the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters, where he is one of 16 unbeaten players at the Sam's Town Bowling Center. There's also 16 competitors remaining in the Elimination Bracket. Williams, the defending champion this week, is looking to become the first person since Tom Baker in 2007 to successfully defend a USBC Senior Masters title. He also can become the event's first three-time winner, having won for the first time in 2014. "I'm in the Winners Bracket after two matches, which is good, because that's where you want to be," Williams said. "Being in the (elimination) bracket is the long road. I've done that before, but I'd rather not have to go that route. If I can win six straight matches, I lead the tournament and only have to win one match on TV. That's the ultimate goal, but I need to take it one match at a time, and hopefully, I can continue winning. I had a couple good matches today, that were close after two games, but I was fortunate to win." Among the other winners are USBC Hall of Famers Norm Duke of Clermont, Florida, and Harry Sullins of Chesterfield, Michigan, 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Michael Haugen of Phoenix, new PBA Hall of Famer Ron Mohr of nearby North Las Vegas, Nevada, and No. 64 seed Michael Calvin of Warren, Michigan, who won a one-game roll-off to earn his place in match play, after tying for the final spot. Competition resumes Saturday at noon Eastern with both winners-bracket and elimination-bracket matches, and Calvin is excited for a chance to keep the momentum going, even if his first match Saturday will be against Duke, who is aiming to become the third player to win both the USBC Masters and Senior Masters. "I feel great, and I'm excited," said Calvin, the 2018 Michigan State Senior Masters champion. "This is more than I ever expected, and I probably won't sleep well, but tomorrow, I'll come out on the fresh, and I'll have a shot. I realize I'm bowling Norm Duke, one of the greatest of all-time, but I'll give it my best." The Senior Masters is the premier event for USBC members age 50 and older, and the winner this year will take home $20,000. When Williams returns to the lanes at Sam's Town on Saturday, he'll face the red-hot Don Breeden of Urbandale, Iowa, who averaged 215.13 in qualifying and then tossed sets of 775 and 781 in wins over Steve Smith of San Diego and Brian LeClair of Delmar, New York, respectively. This week, Williams used one of his newest tools, a work-in-progress two-handed approach, in tandem with the classic style and dead-eye spare shooting that have helped him win more than 100 combined PBA titles, to average more than 222 in qualifying. He then dispatched Australia's Andrew Frawley (750-611) and Robert Brown of Cody, Wyoming (683-593), to remain unbeaten. Having the two-handed approach gives Williams another option to help him stay competitive in an ever-changing game. In addition to PBA50 events, he still competes regularly in PBA Tour and PBA regional competition. "I'd been trying out bowling two-handed, and this year, I decided to get semi-serious about it and work at it a little bit," said Williams, who said he bowled seven of the 15 qualifying games this week two-handed. "I've got the fundamentals down, and now it's about minimizing my misses. I think that's what's holding me back from doing it a lot more. When the lanes break down and get a little nicer, my scores are probably just as good, if not better." All 272 competitors at the 2018 Senior Masters bowled 15 games over three days to determine the 63 bowlers who joined Williams in the double-elimination match-play bracket. All rounds of qualifying and match play are being broadcast live on BowlTV, and the five players who advance through the bracket will battle for the title and $20,000 top prize in the stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Now 58, the USBC and PBA Hall of Famer said he'll continue to practice bowling two-handed, as being multi-dimensional is a key to success. "It's a matter of knowing when to do it and doing it right," Williams said. "If I can continue to get better at it, which I am, I think it will help me continue to compete with the young guys. Right now, though, I've still got a lot to go, because they're really, really good. It gives me a little something else to look at. Obviously, one-handed is my forte, but when the lanes open up a little bit, it's a very viable way for me to strike." Coming into the 2018 Senior Masters, Haugen is just ahead of Williams in the PBA50 points list. The 2018 PBA50 season is nearing its halfway point, and in five events, Williams has three runner-up finishes. Up next is the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm, being held next week at Las Vegas' Suncoast Bowling Center. Haugen is the defending champion, and Williams never has won the event. "I'm having a really good season, and I'd like to be the player of the year, but I need to have some really good finishes," said Williams, the PBA50 Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013 and PBA Player of the Year on seven occasions. "It would be great to win here, and we also have a lot tournaments left this season. I just want to keep bowling well and keep plugging along and maybe improve a little bit more."
【JPBA】 第7回 S・フルール杯 【承認大会】 上田 晋也が優勝！
先日の6月3日（日）に承認大会・第7回S・フルール杯がイーグルボウル（大阪）にて開催され、上田晋也が優勝しましたことご報告致します。 予選6G、準決勝2Gに続いて行われた決勝シュートアウトを一回戦から勝ち上がった上田は、優勝決定戦で近藤菜帆選手と対戦。 ジュニア選手ながらも愛知の強豪として数々の承認大会で頭角を現している近藤選手でしたが、優勝決定戦ではストライクが決まらず大苦戦。上田は中盤にターキーを決めてリードを取るも、大事な8・9フレームを連続でオープンフレームに。ひやりとさせられましたが最後はまとめて近藤選手を撃破。大会初優勝を飾りました。 |
2018/06/07 |
Match-play bracket set at 2018 USBC Senior Masters
After three days of qualifying at the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters, the 64-player match-play bracket is set. James Campbell of Clearwater, Florida, and reigning Professional Bowlers Association 50 (PBA50) Player of the Year Brian LeClair of Delmar, New York, again took turns occupying the top spot in the standings Thursday, as they have all week, with Campbell settling into the lead for good late in the final qualifying block. Campbell, a 54-year-old right-hander making his second appearance at the USBC Senior Masters, paced the 272-player field with a 15-game total of 3,571, a 238.07 average. He posted sets of 1,221, 1,171 and 1,179 this week at the Sam's Town Bowling Center. LeClair finished qualifying with 3,527 total and was followed by 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix (3,386), Noel Vazquez of Sacramento, California (3,384), and two-time Senior Masters champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, Missouri (3,369). The final spot in the double-elimination bracket went to Michael Calvin of Warren, Michigan,, who defeated Johnny Manzella of McCalla, Alabama, 204-155, in a one-game roll-off after the two tied for 64th place with 3,141, a 209.4 average. Calvin will take on Campbell in the first round of match play Friday morning. Three-game total pinfall will determine the winners in each match. Matches will continue throughout the day Friday and Saturday, after which, five players will remain in contention for the $20,000 top prize. The stepladder finals of the 2018 Senior Masters will be broadcast live on BowlTV on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. "My goal when I came here, like it is every year, was just to make the top 64, and it was nice to have a couple good days and some room going into today's block, especially with the start I had this morning," Campbell said. "I'm glad I was able to eventually find something, and I'm hoping what I found today, and what I learned, I can take forward with me into match play." Defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, who was guaranteed the final spot in the bracket regardless of his performance in qualifying, averaged 222.27 over his 15 games on the way to a 3,334 total and will enter the bracket in the No. 15 spot. He'll face Australia's Andrew Frawley in the opening round. Because the Sam's Town Bowling Center only has 56 lanes, the left side of the bracket, including Campbell and Calvin, will bowl at noon Eastern, and the right side of the bracket will get underway at 2:30 p.m. EDT. All first-round matches will be contested on the fresh 41-foot oil pattern. Campbell admitted to having struggled in the past when the lanes were fresh, but it's something he has been working to overcome and definitely focused on Thursday at Sam's Town. Calvin considers his best look to be on the fresh condition. "I hope because today I bowled well on the fresh, it means I figured something out, but I also have to be prepared to try something different, if what I start with doesn't work," Campbell said. "I might even just start left sooner. I'll just see how practice goes and make the best decision I can. Today, I tried a couple balls in practice, and my game plan was to try some different things during the block, but it's really hard to switch balls after you just fell into the shot and shot 250." The 272 competitors at Sam's Town this week all bowled 15 games of qualifying over three days, giving each the chance to experience the fresh, burn and double-burn variations of the challenging lane condition. The 15-game pinfall totals determined the 63 players joining Williams in match play. All rounds of qualifying and match play are being broadcast live on BowlTV. The Senior Masters is open to USBC members age 50 and older. 96位：矢島純一 |
2018/06/06 |
Brian LeClair leads after two days at 2018 USBC Senior Masters
A month ago, Brian LeClair of Delmar, New York, rolled a 123 game at a Professional Bowlers Association 50 (PBA50) event, and he thought it might be the last game he ever bowled. While shooting a left-side spare during match play at the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick in Farmingdale, New York, something popped in his left knee. The result was excruciating pain, an early exit from the event and an uncertain competitive future. With the help of a specially made knee brace, which was expensive and is quite robust, the reigning PBA50 Player of the Year has been able to continue bowling, and you'd never be able to tell by his scores at the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters that anything is off. The 53-year-old right-hander has averaged more than 240 through two rounds of qualifying this week at the Sam's Town Bowling Center and tops the standings with a 10-game total of 2,406, which includes 10 games over 200 on the way to blocks of 1,187 and 1,219. LeClair moved past first-round leader James Campbell of Clearwater, Florida, during the final game of Wednesday's second round, and while there would have to be a lot of miles on his knee brace between now and hoisting the USBC Senior Masters trophy on Sunday, he's just grateful to even have the chance to compete. "When I got done in Long Island at the last senior stop of the East Coast swing, I thought I was done," said LeClair, a three-time PBA50 champion. "I was in so much pain. I bowled 120 the last game to miss the cut, and I really thought that was it. If I can come back and win the Senior Masters after walking off the lanes that day, it would be pretty special and something I never could've expected." However, there are 271 other competitors at Sam's Town this week also gunning for the coveted title and $20,000 top prize, including defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, who is one of three bowlers in the field looking to win the event for a record third time. Campbell finished Wednesday's second round 14 pins behind LeClair with a 2,392 total and was followed by Keith Lesko of Prosper, Texas (2,343), two-time Senior Masters champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, Missouri (2,308), and 2015 Senior Masters winner Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela (2,293). Williams, a USBC and PBA Hall of Famer and the only bowler to win both the Senior Masters and USBC Masters twice each, is in 16th place after two days of qualifying with a 2,210 total. He is guaranteed the No. 64 seed if he falls out of the cut, but he can improve his seeding for match play during qualifying. LeClair's current condition stems back two decades to a blown-out anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that needed to be reconstructed. The pop on the lanes in May, which he described as an awful sound, essentially was the ACL graft coming loose. With the lack of cartilage on the right side of his knee, the pain he feels is the bones moving around and hitting each other. Cortisone shots did not help, and he's not yet a candidate for a knee replacement, so the options were pretty limited. The custom knee brace turned out to be the best choice for now and clearly hasn't slowed down his scoring pace, but it will take some time to manage the limitations and pain associated with it. "I'm pretty sore today, and it's the first time I've bowled back-to-back days since getting the brace," LeClair said. "It's not so much the pain, because the brace helps with that. It's more the achiness and swelling, and I'm going to have to put some serious ice on it tonight to be ready for the morning." Since the competitors at the Senior Masters bowl at a different time each day to give them a chance to see all three variations of the 41-foot oil pattern - fresh, burn and double-burn - LeClair will return to the Sam's Town Bowling Center bright and early to lead C Squad back onto the lanes at 11 a.m. Eastern. Additional qualifying squads will take place at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern, after which, the field will be cut from 272 to the 63 bowlers who will join Williams in the double-elimination match-play bracket. After 10 games, Ted Staikoff of Black Hawk, South Dakota, is 64th with a 2,106 total, a 210.6 average. As a side note, if LeClair is able to maintain his place in the top 64 and advance to match play, his $1,200 knee brace could be paid in full, even if he doesn't win a match. "It's hard to put it all in perspective because I honestly thought I was done, since I was in so much pain," said LeClair, who also is in the bowling pro shop business. "I'm in pain now, but nothing like the pain I was in after it happened. I didn't know what my future was when I walked off the lanes in Farmingdale, one of my favorite places to bowl, and to be here this week means a lot. I bowled yesterday with no pain and bowled even better today, even with some pain. But, at least I can bowl." All rounds of qualifying and match play are being broadcast live on BowlTV, and the five players who advance through the bracket will battle for the title in the stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Senior Masters is open to USBC members age 50 and older. 81位：矢島純一 |
2018/06/05 |
James Campbell leads after first day at 2018 USBC Senior Masters
For years, James Campbell of Clearwater, Florida, enjoyed continued success as a member of the Professional Bowlers Association South Region, but in recent years, the time he used to spend on the lanes has been devoted to his family and watching his son play baseball. Now that his son Jeffrey's playing days have concluded, his family has encouraged him to return to top-tier competition, and he's already making his presence known at the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters, where he is the leader after the first day of qualifying. Campbell averaged more than 244 for five games Tuesday at the Sam's Town Bowling Center on the way to a 1,221 total, and he used a 287 effort in his fourth game to surge past Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, who set the bar on the day's opening squad with a 1,188 total. James Hansen of Anchorage, Alaska, who bowled on the "double-burn" with Campbell, closed with games of 266 and 258 to also slip past Haugen with a 1,192 total. Brian LeClair of Delmar, New York, finished the day fourth with 1,187 and was followed by Keith Lesko of Prosper, Texas (1,185). "This actually is the first time I've ever led a national tournament, so hopefully with my regional experience and how I bowled last year, both really well in qualifying and not so good in match play, I can build on that," said Campbell, a 2004 Team All-Events champion at the USBC Open Championships. "I've still got 10 games to go, so it's definitely not over yet. I'm hoping to get there and see what happens." Now that he's in his 50s and a little older and wiser, Campbell has made an effort to learn more about his bowling equipment in general, how to be more strategic with changing and using different surfaces and just being more versatile on today's dynamic oil patterns. During qualifying at the 2018 USBC Senior Masters, all 272 competitors will get a chance to see three variations of the 41-foot oil pattern - fresh, burn and double-burn - since the lanes only are being oiled once per day, so Campbell will have to put his knowledge to the test. Being able to make it to the 64-player double-elimination match-play bracket and have a chance at this week's $20,000 top prize will take patience and versatility. "I hook the ball, so the best game for me is standing left and throwing it right," Campbell said. "I imagine over the next two days I'll have to go straighter and straighter, but I feel like those are adjustments I'm comfortable making now. I definitely think I know more than I did years ago, especially about the equipment and knowing how different surfaces affect different types of balls." Campbell didn't step away from the game all together, he just scaled back his bowling to leagues and local tournaments and decided to put his PBA membership on hold, while sharing priceless experiences with his family. His son played four years of Division I baseball and spent a year in the Atlanta Braves organization. "With my son in high school and college, I wanted to go watch him play ball, and we had a great time traveling the country to get to see him play," Campbell said. "Really, I just didn't have as much time to bowl. I put my family first, and we had some great experiences. Since things have changed a little, they're actually the ones who have encouraged me to get back to bowling." Campbell has since rejoined the PBA and is eligible to earn his first PBA50 major title this week in Las Vegas. Qualifying at the 2018 Senior Masters continues Wednesday at 11 a.m., live on BowlTV, and Campbell will return to Sam's Town at 3 p.m. Eastern for his five games on the burn. He intends to continue drawing on the experience of his Senior Masters debut in 2017, where he made match play but lost his first two matches, along with his time this season at PBA50 and PBA regional events, where success has helped build his confidence coming into this week. After three days of qualifying, 15-game pinfall totals will determine the 63 bowlers who will join defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, in the double-elimination match-play bracket. Williams is tied for 43rd place after Tuesday's opening round with a 1,072 total. The USBC and PBA Hall of Famer is guaranteed the No. 64 seed if he falls out of the cut, but he can improve his seeding for match play during qualifying. After five games, Kevin Anderson of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and Toby Contreras of Lees Summit, Missouri, are tied for 63rd place with 1,058, a 211.6 average. All rounds of qualifying and match play are being broadcast live on BowlTV, and the five players who advance through the bracket will battle for the title in the stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Senior Masters is open to USBC members age 50 and older. 131位：矢島純一
Belmonte Advances to PBA Tour Finals Championship Match After Group 1 Win
Four-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia won his PBA Tour Finals Group 1 stepladder semifinal round at Thunderbowl Lanes to earn the first berth in the title match. The Group 1 Semifinal Round aired Tuesday on CBS Sports Network. In a battle of two of the premier two-handed stars on the Go Bowling! PBA Tour, Belmonte, the reigning player of the year, defeated three-time PBA Tour titlist Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, 2-0, in the best of two-game final match to advance to the title match which will air on CBS Sports Network Tuesday, June 19 at 8 p.m. ET. Belmonte will face the winner of the Group 2 Semifinal Round, which airs next Tuesday (June 12) at 8 p.m. Starting with nine strikes in the first game of the final match on the 45-foot Dick Weber lane condition, Belmonte barely won a strike-fest with Simonsen, 265-259. In the second game, Belmonte overcame a 35-pin deficit in the fifth frame after failing to convert the 3-6-10 but then capitalized on an open frame by Simonsen in the sixth and then picked up the 3-4-7-10 split in the sixth frame before reeling off five consecutive strikes. Belmonte was still trailing by 10 pins heading into the ninth frame when Simonsen fell victim to the same unusual 3-4-7-10 split, which he did not convert, ending his hopes. Belmonte doubled in the 10th frame to win the second game, 239-216, for a two-game sweep. “The start of the match was good, but all of a sudden there was an abrupt change and I couldn’t find the (lane condition) blend with the ball I was using,” Belmonte said about his second game mid-match troubles. “I switched to a ball with more surface and was able to start striking again.” Had Belmonte and Simonsen tied after the second match they would have entered a 9th and 10th frame roll-off to break the tie. “You never allow yourself to think you’re out of the match,” said Belmonte, who finished second in last year’s PBA Tour Finals. “Even though I was assured of a roll-off after winning the first game, I was thinking as long I can still string strikes to win, I’m still in it. The pressure was actually off so if I could start throwing strikes, there was an opportunity to force him to throw another strike somewhere to stay ahead of me.” Sean Rash started the Group 1 Semifinals stepladder with a 279-169 win over England’s Dom Barrett. Simonsen then eliminated Rash, 247-218, to move on to the title match. Belmonte will take on the winner of the Group 2 Semifinal which will involve Tommy Jones, Marshall Kent, Jesper Svensson and EJ Tackett, the group’s top qualifier and the defending PBA Tour Finals champion. As the runner-up in Group 1, Simonsen will bowl in the third-place match vs. the Group 2 runner-up in the opening match of the final show on June 19. The semifinal stepladder rounds, as well as the championship round, feature the best-of-two-game championship final match with ties broken by a 9th and 10th frame roll-off. The two group winners will then meet in the best-of-two-game championship match which will air June 19.
【JPBA】 2018年度下半期 女子トーナメント出場優先順位決定戦 表彰のご報告
2018年度下半期の出場優先順位を賭けた12Gの戦いを終え、成績上位3名が特別表彰されました。 トップの宮城鈴菜、2位の池畑千穂、3位の星野恵梨にその健闘を称え、（有）HMG・保険の宮越様より、特別賞として五目炊き込みごはんセットが贈られました。 下半期に向けて腕を磨く選手達、その活躍に期待が寄せられます！
宮城 鈴菜
星野 恵梨 |
2018/06/03 |
Andrew Anderson Wins PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open for Second 2018 Title
Second-year Professional Bowlers Association member Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., made a difficult lane condition look easy in winning the PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open at Hijinx Family Entertainment Center Sunday, becoming the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s first two-time title winner in 2018. Anderson, who won his first title in the United States Bowling Congress Masters in April, defeated Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., 264-224, throwing strikes on nine of his first 11 attempts on a lane condition the other finalists had a hard time carrying back-to-back strikes. Daugherty finally solve the challenging scoring conditions in the title match, but back-to-back 8 pins on solid pockets in the eighth and ninth frames hits stalled his hopes for a rally. “The other right-handers kinda helped build a shot for me,” the 23-year-old Anderson said. “I had a really good game plan and stuck to it, and it worked out.” In addition to his two titles, Anderson also finished third in the PBA Tournament of Champions in February, putting him in to strong early contention for PBA Player of the Year honors. “I certainly hope so,” he said. “I have a lot more bowling to do, but Player of the Year is definitely one of my goals.” In the first stepladder match, Daugherty eliminated defending Jonesboro champion Francois Lavoie of Canada, 193-168, throwing only three strikes in 11 attempts, but converting all eight spares in his non-strike frames. Lavoie, who won the 2017 Jonesboro title after qualifying fourth, fell behind after leaving the 3-4-6-7-9-10 split in his fifth frame, which he failed to convert. A second failed spare conversion in the seventh frame sealed his fate. Daugherty then earned his berth in the title match with a 218-175 win over Malaysia’s 21-year-old left-handed star, Rafiq Ismail. Daugherty threw consecutive strikes in the sixth and seventh frames - the first double of the finals – to take an insurmountable lead after Ismail had open frames in the sixth and eighth frames. PBA’s Xtra Frame Storm Cup series continues next Saturday and Sunday with the PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open at South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas, where Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., is defending champion after defeating EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 233-194. All of the Lubbock action will be streamed live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. In addition to monthly and annual subscription packages, a three-day subscription is available for only $3.99 (visit xtraframe.tv to sign up).
Mike Dias wins 2018 Super Senior Classic in Las Vegas
Being 60 years old comes with its fair share of perks and discounts, and Mike Dias of Lafayette, Colorado, took advantage of the opportunity to compete in the Super Senior Classic this week by winning the 2018 edition of the event in his tournament debut. The 61-year-old left-hander nearly was perfect in a 278-205 title-match win against Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, who left seven single pins in the loss at the Sam's Town Bowling Center. Dias became the sixth different player since the inaugural event in 2013 to hoist the trophy at the Super Senior Classic, and he earned $8,500 for the victory. Williams, also a first-time participant, took home $7,000 as the runner-up. "It feels really good, and it's always a great sense of accomplishment to achieve one of the goals you work so hard for," said Dias, also a two-time PBA50 champion. "The journey is most of the process, but when you win, it's such a nice bonus." As the lone southpaw in the final round, Dias was in control of his own fate and made the most of the few practice shots he got on the championship lanes. He then tossed 10 strikes on the way to the win, leaving a 6 pin in the fifth frame and a 10 pin on his fill ball. "I had an opportunity to practice and break down the pair a little bit, and being the only left-hander allowed me to set it up to my liking," Dias said. "Then, I just told myself before the match that if I could throw nine good shots, I was going to win the tournament. My goal was to stay in the process and just make good shots." Williams wasted no time in his quest to meet Dias for a chance at the 2018 Super Senior Classic title by starting his semifinal match against Warren Nelson of Hemet, California, with six consecutive strikes, before being slowed by a pair of 10 pins. Nelson struck once in the first five frames, but rallied with seven consecutive strikes after a missed 10 pin in the fifth frame, to keep the pressure on Williams, who advanced by a 257-237 margin. "I battled some transition today and probably could've switched balls, though I didn't have to do that too much this week," Williams said. "I had a ball I thought about going to that would've rolled a little quicker and changed my entry angle, but it's just so hard to switch balls after a 250 game. Overall, it was a great week. I got more comfortable as the week went on, and I feel good with my game right now. I hadn't been bowling that well the last year or so, but I've had a few good tournaments in a row, and I'm looking forward to the rest of our time in Las Vegas." On the way to the high-scoring match with Williams, Nelson survived a see-saw battle with No. 3 qualifier, Ben Hoefs of Mobile, Alabama, 191-181. Both players missed single-pin spares early in the game and then exchanged splits - first a 7-10 split for Nelson, then a 4-9 for Hoefs - to keep things close. Doubles for Nelson in the sixth and seventh frames and again in the ninth and 10th frames, were the difference. Nelson and Hoefs earned their spots in the championship round by winning their respective group stepladders earlier on Sunday. In the Group A stepladder, Hoefs defeated Harry Sullins of Chesterfield, Michigan, 204-182, and Skip Pavone of San Jose, California, 235-214, while Nelson worked his way through the Group B stepladder with wins over Patrick Padden of Grand Lake, Colorado, 255-227, and defending Super Senior Classic champion Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, 234-224. All 184 competitors this week at Sam's Town rolled 12 games of qualifying over two days, before the field was cut to the top 46 for the six game Cashers' Round. The top 12 bowlers, based on their 18-game pinfall totals, advanced to round-robin match play, where they were split into two six-player groups - Group A and Group B - with all odd-numbered qualifiers going to Group A and all evens going to Group B. At the conclusion of match play, the leader from each group automatically advanced to the final stepladder, earning the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds based on total pinfall for 24 games, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play. Dias, the Group B leader, edged Williams, who topped Group A, by five pins for the top seed, while the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 finishers in each group advanced to Sunday's simultaneous group stepladders. In claiming the top seed for the finals, Dias was consistent in his command of the 41-foot oil pattern used for the Super Senior Classic. Subtle changes in surface and speed helped him navigate the fresh and the burn, though he faltered briefly in the Cashers' Round. He then was able to use what he'd learned all week to get back on track for match play, allowing him to climb back up the standings from fourth place after 18 games. "I stayed patient because I knew what I was seeing in the Cashers' Round was a result of the change in traffic on the left side of the lane, and I knew they were going to play differently in match play," Dias said. "I was patient and didn't worry about having a couple of games where I stumbled because I felt like it was going to come back to me." In four six-game blocks this week at Sam's Town, Dias posted scores of 1,439, 1,434, 1,290 and 1,435. Many of the Super Senior Classic competitors now will turn their attention to the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters, the premier event for USBC members age 50 and older, which gets underway Monday with official practice. All rounds of Senior Masters competition will be broadcast live on BowlTV, concluding June 10 at 1 p.m. Eastern. |
2018/06/02 |
Barnes Wins Second Career Title at 2018 PWBA East Hartford Open
For a little more than a week, Josie Barnes of Nashville, Tennessee, reflected on a missed opportunity she let slip away during the first major championship of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour season. Now, at least for the next couple of days, Barnes will be thinking about how sweet it is to be a two-time PWBA Tour champion. Barnes, the No. 4 seed, defeated top seed Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, 224-216, on Saturday to claim the 2018 PWBA East Hartford Open title at Silver Lanes. In all, she won three matches during the stepladder finals to capture her first win since the 2016 season. The stepladder finals were streamed live on Xtra Frame, the Professional Bowlers Association’s online bowling channel. The championship match was exciting from the start, but it was McEwan who took the early lead after tossing strikes in four of her first six frames. Barnes, who opened the match with a double, ran into trouble in the sixth frame after leaving a 4-7-10 split, which left her trailing McEwan by 24 pins. The resilient Barnes fired strikes in frames seven, eight and nine, while McEwan traded strikes and spares and had zero open frames. Barnes stepped up in the 10th frame needing to double for the chance to shutout McEwan but was unable to get the second strike, giving McEwan an opportunity of her own to fill 26 pins and capture her second title of the season. McEwan, who won the 2018 PWBA Fountain Valley Open, left a 2-7-8 combination on her first delivery to allow Barnes to emerge victorious. While her first title was one she’ll never forget, Saturday’s win confirmed all her hard work, struggles and close calls were worth every ounce of energy. "I don't even know how I feel yet," said Barnes, who won the 2016 PWBA Rochester Open. "I feel like I put myself in position to be successful, but I gave Danielle the opportunity to step up and double to win it. When it didn't happen, I kind of just lost it. You know the first title means everything, since you work your tail off to achieve your ultimate dream, but the second one feels pretty cool. It's validation for all that you've put in.” Johnson went on to throw three strikes in her 10th frame to defeat Barnes, 632-630, and it served as the ultimate learning experience in helping Barnes prepare for her next event. “You know when you give someone like Liz Johnson a chance, she's going to close the deal," Barnes said. "I knew as soon as I missed that single pin that she was going to make it happen, and I kicked myself for an entire week because I don't miss spares. That's not what I do. Looking back, I just wasn't present for that shot. I wasn't overthinking it, I got ahead of myself. This week, I told myself that I would be present for every shot and not let the same mistakes hurt me." Barnes now has earned an invitation to the PWBA Tour Championship at Richmond Raceway in September with her victory. She last appeared at the event in 2016 and looks forward to returning to the pinnacle event of the season. "It's nice to earn it early on," Barnes said. "That's what we fight for, whether you win it or not. It kind of stunk not to be there last year, so I've been working really hard in the offseason gearing towards that. But the road doesn't stop. I'm still going to continue to work hard and take it one week at a time." Barnes advanced to the title match by defeating Lindsay Boomershine of Perry, Utah, 238-190. Boomershine was looking for her first career PWBA title. In the opening match, Barnes defeated the early front-runner for PWBA Player of the Year, Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Illinois, 233-217. O’Keefe already has two titles in 2018, winning the PWBA Sonoma County Open and USBC Queens. Competition this week at Silver Lanes included two eight-game qualifying blocks on Friday to determine the 32 players for Saturday's Round of 32. An additional eight-game block Saturday morning narrowed the field to 12 players, who bowled six additional games to determine the stepladder finalists.
Danielle McEwan
Danielle McEwan
Ryan Ciminelli Again Leads Qualifiers in PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open
For the second year in a row, Ryan Ciminelli of Clarence, N.Y., led qualifiers in the PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open at Hijinx Family Entertainment Center into Sunday’s cashers round, averaging 225.75 for Saturday’s first eight games. Ciminelli, a 32-year-old lefthander and seven-time PBA Tour title winner, rolled games of 253, 209, 190, 215, 233, 243, 228 and 235 for a 1,806 pinfall total, taking the qualifying lead in the final game by 12 pins over amateur Mykel Holliman of Collierville, Tenn. Defending Jonesboro champions Francois Lavoie of Canada was third with 1,782 pins as the top 35 top qualifiers advanced to Sunday’s five-game cashers round. Lavoie defeated Ciminelli, 224-152, to win the 2017 Greater Jonesboro Open title. The top 35 qualifiers advance to Sunday’s five-game cashers round at 8:30 a.m. The top 16 after 13 games will bowl an eight-game match play round at noon, and the top four after 21 games will compete in the stepladder finals Sunday at 3:45 p.m. All times are Central. The Jonesboro Open is the third of eight PBA Xtra Frame Tour tournaments that are part of the Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule in 2018.
Dias earns No. 1 seed for finals at 2018 Super Senior Classic
Mike Dias of Lafayette, Colorado, doesn't always keep tabs on the leaderboard, but he knew Saturday at the Sam's Town Bowling Center that he was in a must-strike situation, with the top seed for the finals of the 2018 Super Senior Classic on the line. Despite losing his position-round match to defending champion Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, Dias started his final frame with the strike he needed, helping him edge Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, for the No. 1 spot in Sunday's championship stepladder, which will be broadcast live on BowlTV at 2 p.m. Eastern. The unique format at the Super Senior Classic had the final 12 players split into two six-player groups for six games of round-robin match play. The leader in each group, based on total pinfall for 24 games, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play, earned an automatic spot in the finals. Dias finished atop the Group B standings with a 5,718 pinfall total, while Williams topped Group A with 5,713 to claim the No. 2 spot. Williams finished match play with a 258-234 win against Skip Pavone of San Jose, California, and Dias fell to Mohr, 278-213. "I knew Mark could shoot enough to force me to at least get the first strike in the 10th," said Dias, a two-time PBA50 champion. "I hadn't done the math exactly, but I knew I needed at least the first one. I tried to stay focused and make a good shot. Fortunately, it worked out well." The players who finished second, third and fourth in each group will return to the lanes at Sam's Town on Sunday morning to fight through simultaneous group stepladders, with the winner of each also advancing to the championship round, where they will meet in the first match. The group stepladders will take place at noon Eastern, and the battle for the 2018 Super Senior Classic trophy and $8,500 top prize closely will follow. The opening match of the Group A stepladder will feature United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Harry Sullins of Chesterfield, Michigan (No.3), against Ben Hoefs of Mobile, Alabama (No. 4). The winner will advance to meet Pavone. Heading into the position round Saturday, only nine pins separated fourth and sixth place in the Group A standings. Action in the Group B stepladder will begin with No. 3 Patrick Padden of Grand Lake, Colorado, against No. 4 Warren Nelson of Hemet, California, and the victor will meet Mohr, who is looking for a third consecutive appearance in the title match. The last spot in the Group B stepladder came down to the final frame, too. After Padden defeated Nelson in their position-round match, Nick Morgan of Sacramento, California, could've passed Nelson with a win over Chris Keane of Cape Coral, Florida. Morgan left a 10 pin to start his last frame and lost the game, 259-258, falling 19 pins short. A first-time participant at the Super Senior Classic, Dias entered Saturday's Cashers' Round as the overall leader but had fallen to fourth place by the conclusion of the day's first six games. He rallied in match play, averaging more than 239 on the way to a 4-2 record and the top seed. Now, the 61-year-old left-hander is one win away from the 2018 title. "I still can't get ahead of myself," Dias said. "Nothing's in your hand until it's done. I'm going to be patient and take it one shot at a time tomorrow. I'll keep doing the same things I've been doing all week - just try to remain calm and make as many good shots as I can." Williams, a right-hander who turned 60 this year, also is making his debut at the Super Senior Classic. He turned in the highest six-game block of match play, a 1,448 effort that ended with games of 279 and 258, to help him surge past Pavone, who had been in control for most of the day. Already a seven-time PBA Tour champion and three-time PBA50 winner, Williams noted that the key to his success Saturday was figuring out a way to conquer the fresh 41-foot oil pattern, something he accomplished by experimenting with different surfaces. While he's now more comfortable, he believes a little more traffic during the stepladder could work to his advantage in his quest for his first over-60 title. "It's the first event I've bowled being over 60, and it would be nice to win one, but I've got a long way to go," said Williams, who won the 2010 PBA Senior U.S. Open. "The good thing is, I'm guaranteed at least third place, and that's a nice start to any tournament. Hopefully, we get enough practice time to get a good shot on the lanes. The more time we have to get the shot grooved in, the better chance I'll have." So far, the finals will include one left-hander (Dias) and one right-hander (Williams). Among the Group A competitors, Pavone is left-handed, and Sullins and Hoefs both are right-handed. In Group B, Padden is a southpaw, and Mohr and Nelson are right-handed. The 2018 Super Senior Classic began with 184 competitors, USBC members age 60 and older, who all bowled 12 games over two days, before the field was cut to the top 46 for the six-game Cashers' Round. Total pinfall for 18 games then determined the 12 bowlers who advanced to match play. The odd-numbered qualifiers became Group A, and the even-numbered players went into Group B. 23位：矢島純一 |
2018/06/01 |
Danielle McEwan
Shannon O'Keefe
Mike Dias leads qualifying at 2018 Super Senior Classic
There's an old proverb that states "those who can't do, teach," but Mike Dias of Lafayette, Colorado, is proving otherwise this week at the 2018 Super Senior Classic, where he paced the 184-player field through 12 games of qualifying over two days. The 61-year-old left-hander showed his ability to teach the sport to bowlers of all ages and skill levels when he successfully completed the United States Bowling Congress' Gold certification program in 2015, and the strike clinic he's putting on at the Sam's Town Bowling Center is showing his fellow competitors he's equally skilled on the lanes. Dias, a Super Senior Classic first-timer, was consistent through two rounds of qualifying Thursday and Friday, posting six-game sets of 1,439 and 1,434, respectively, for a 2,873 total, a 239.42 average. He holds a 66-pin lead over fellow southpaw Skip Pavone of San Jose, California, heading into Saturday's Cashers' Round. In showcasing his command of this week's 41-foot oil pattern, Dias kept his game plan simple. "I wanted to stay as straight as I could to keep my moves going across the center as minimal as possible," said Dias, one of 29 active USBC Gold coaches. "That way, I didn't have to make big moves, change zones on the lane or deal with much traffic. I just kept everything pretty simple." Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, settled into third place after 12 games with a 2,754 total and was followed by defending Super Senior Classic champion Ron Mohr of North Las Vegas, Nevada, who has rallied through a profitable, but exhausting, few days and is fourth with 2,744. Mohr, also a PBA Hall of Famer, is coming off a win PBA50 Northern California Classic presented by MOTIV, which got him back into the Las Vegas area just a few hours before his first qualifying block at Sam's Town. He is seeking his third consecutive appearance in the title match at the Super Senior Classic and is one of 46 competitors still in contention at the 2018 event. This week's champion will take home a top prize of $8,500 from a total prize fund of more than $75,000. The tournament is open to all USBC members age 60 and older. Bruce Hall of Westborough, Massachusetts, qualified fifth with 2,732, while Greg McMahan of Dandridge, Tennessee, earned the final spot in the Cashers' Round with a 205-166 roll-off win against David Chew of Brentwood, California, after the two tied for 46th place at 2,497, an average of 208.08. McMahan entered the day in the 46th position after shooting 1,247 on Thursday, and he used a 268 final game Friday to stay in the hunt. Chew shot 278 in his final qualifying game to stay close, too. Both bowled on the early squad Friday and had to wait to see if they'd gotten enough pins. "I missed too many spares today, but I had a string of strikes the last game to give me a chance," McMahan said. "I thought my number was enough, but it looked like the scores climbed up a little bit. I am just thankful to win the roll-off and looking forward to tomorrow." All qualifiers will return to the lanes at Sam's Town for six additional games, beginning Saturday at noon Eastern, live on BowlTV. Following the Cashers' Round, the top 12 bowlers will advance to round-robin match play based on their 18-game pinfall totals. Advancers will be split into two groups for match play - odd qualifiers in one group and evens in the other - and match play will consist of six games, including a position round. At the end of match play, the top qualifier in each group will earn an automatic spot into Sunday's stepladder finals, with seeding (No. 1 and No. 2) being determined by total pins. The second, third and fourth qualifiers in each group will advance to a pair of group stepladders, scheduled for Sunday at noon Eastern. The winner of each group stepladder also will advance to the championship round and meet in the opening match. The stepladder finals of the Super Senior Classic will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern. For Dias, a two-time PBA50 champion, being successful this week in Las Vegas is proof that his recent hard work is paying off. Not only is he sharp from a successful first swing on the 2018 PBA50 schedule, he also had a chance to get a physical tuneup while at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas, for the World Bowling Coach Conference, an educational conference with an emphasis on team coaching, youth development and player training, that took place May 11-13. "I got a couple of good practice sessions in at the training center when I was there for the coaching conference," Dias said. "That helped a lot. I was able to get some really good, dedicated practice with some instant video feedback, and that sharpened up my game." In a good place physically, Dias turned his attention in recent days to the mental aspects of his game, and the harmony he found was on display during the first 12 games of his Super Senior Classic career. "I'm the healthiest I've been in four years, and I just had to get my mind to catch up to where my body was and to allow myself to relax and really let it fall into my swing," Dias said. "I've been able to get my mind really quieted down the last three or four days, and it's really made a big difference. The quieter your mind is, the more you can see on the lane and the easier it is to make the moves." The process of becoming a USBC Gold coach, the highest level that can be achieved through USBC Coaching, is similar to obtaining a doctorate in a field of study. Candidates must be knowledgeable of the latest techniques and information and be able to apply them. The final review process requires a coach to conduct a class, participate in an oral exam and give lessons to bowlers of various skill levels. They must include lesson plans and a ball-motion study. The review board consists of active USBC Gold coaches and USBC staff. The review board also engages Gold candidates in discussions on subjects related to the disciplines. Having already proven himself to his coaching peers, Dias now is ready to continue schooling his over-60 counterparts at Sam's Town. "You're bowling the best players in your age group, and it's always a huge accomplishment to win any national tournament," Dias said. "This would be a big win for me." 19位：矢島純一 |
