After Seven Events, Rash Takes Commanding Lead in 2011-12 PBA Tour Competition Points Standings
SEATTLE – Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., on the basis of a record-setting performance during the PBA World Series of Bowling, has raced into a commanding lead in the 2011-12 PBA Tour competition points race, a statistical category with significant implications as the season progresses.
In two other key PBA statistical races, Mike Fagan of Dallas is the Tour’s average and earnings leader, thanks in part to his triumphant performance in the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters.
Rash, who finished among the top four in all four World Series events completed thus far (PBA World Championship, Bayer Viper Open, Chameleon Open and Scorpion Open), has compiled 101,485 points in the six events he has entered, taking a lead of 12,545 points over his closest challenger, Australia’s Jason Belmonte (88,940 points). Finland’s Osku Palermaa is third with 82,180 points followed by Englishmen Dom Barrett (81,837) and Stu Williams (80,401).
While the PBA has eliminated its “exempt tour” as of this season, points status remains important because the top six as of March 12 earn two “bye” rounds in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs, March 30-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, and players who rank seventh through 12th will earn first-round byes in the PBA Playoffs. The top 66 players in PBA Tour points will be eligible for the Playoffs.
In addition, the top 16 players in competition points at the conclusion of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season will receive invitations to compete in the renewal of the Japan Cup, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, in Tokyo. The 2012 Japan Cup will offer just over $285,000 in prize money, including $78,000 and a PBA Tour title to the winner.
After seven PBA Tour events, Fagan is scoring at a 236.90 per-game pace after 82 games, more than nine pins ahead of runner-up Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa. (227.83) in the high average race. Close behind O’Neill are Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y. (227.75), Rash (227.38) and P.J. Haggerty of Roseville, Calif. (227.29).
Fagan tops the earnings list with $61,250. He is followed by Palermaa, the PBA World Championship titlist ($58,850); Belmonte, the Chameleon Open winner ($53,675); Rash ($44,300) and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. ($33,205).
2011-12 PBA TOUR STATISTICAL LEADERS (as of February 19, 2012)
PBA COMPETITION POINTS
1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 101,485. 2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 88,940. 3, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 82,180. 4, Dom Barrett, England, 81,837. 5, Stuart Williams, England, 80,401. 6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 77,675. 7, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 77,012. 8, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 69,316. 9, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 65,517. 10, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 59,963.
11, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 58,548. 12, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 54,051. 13, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 53,028. 14, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 52,463. 15, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 49,695. 16, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 48,872. 17, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 47,603. 18, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 46,582. 19, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 46,463. 20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 46,458.
21, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 46,263. 22, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 44,635. 23, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 42, 58. 24, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 39,759. 25, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 39,262. 26, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 38,811. 27, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 38,597. 28, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 38,078. 29, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 36,620. 30, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 34,460.
31, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 34,412. 32, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 32,555. 33, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 32,219. 34, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 31,519. 35, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 30,769. 36, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 29,944. 37, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 29,201. 38, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 29,026. 39, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 29,022. 40, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 28,985.
PBA TOUR AVERAGES (min. 72 games)
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 82 games, 236.90 average. 2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 96, 227.83. 3, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 95, 227.75. 4, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 95, 227.38. 5, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 76, 227.29. 6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 97, 226.96. 7, Stuart Williams, England, 110, 226.43. 8, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 112, 226.33. 9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 104, 226.29. 10, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 82, 225.98.
11, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 101, 225.85.12, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 100, 225.70, 13, Dom Barrett, England, 92, 225.30. 14, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 78, 224.45. 15, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 72, 224.21. 16, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 80, 224.01. 17, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 81, 222.94. 18, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 106, 222.88. 19, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 74, 222.26. 20, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 88, 222.02.
2011-12 PBA TOUR EARNINGS (after 7 events)
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, $61,250. 2, Osku Palermaa, Finland, $58,850. 3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, $53,675. 4, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $44,300. 5, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., $33,205. 6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, $30,275. 7, Dom Barrett, England, $27,540. 8, Stuart Williams, England, $27,235. 9, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, $17,050. 10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., $16,760.
11, Dan MacLelland, Canada, $15,290. 12, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., $15,000. 13, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., $13,525. 14, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., $12,970. 15, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., $12,725. 16, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., $12,600. 17, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, $11,550. 18, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., $11,500. 19, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., $11,285. 20, Chris
Newly-Elected Hall of Famer Jason Couch Caps Opening Round with 300 for Early U.S. Open Lead
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Newly-elected Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Jason Couch of Clermont, Fla., fired a 300 game to close the first round and jump into a 106-pin lead among the early finishers in the 69th U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier Tuesday.
Couch, a 16-time PBA Tour titlist, was as surprised as anyone in the building by his performance Tuesday because the U.S. Open hasn’t been kind to him over the years.
“I’ve struggled in the U.S. Open. Mightily,” he said. “It’s probably because it’s the one tournament I’ve wanted to win more than any other. I finished second at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., back in 1999 (he lost in the title match to Bob Learn Jr. 231-215), and that’s one I’ll never forget.
“This is the one I’ve always wanted to win the most,” he continued. “This tournament is so hard. I think you gear yourself mentally, but it just drains you, especially if you don’t have success over a few years.”
Tuesday, however, Couch charged out of the gate with games of 227, 237, 246, 188, 212 and 300 for a six-game total of 1,410 pins (a 235 average) and cozy lead over non-winner P.J. Sonday of Luzerne, Pa. With two-thirds of the field yet to complete the first round, Junior Team USA member Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., was third with 1,283 pins.
But just a week after learning he has been elected to the PBA Hall of Fame, the usually intense Couch was uncharacteriscally laid back after his opening round.
“I’m more relaxed these days. I know I’m on the downside of my career,” the 42-year-old left-hander said. “I’m not expecting or asking so much of myself. I’m more patient. Five, 10 years ago, I would have demanded a good block out of the gate for myself, but I had no high expectations coming in the door this morning.
“I think I was more shocked than anyone with that 300 game,” he grinned. “I’ve been throwing one or two bad shots every game the past few weeks, but today I just bore down and focused.”
The 69th U.S. Open concludes Sunday with a four-player stepladder final televised live on ESPN at 3 p.m. Eastern. First prize is $60,000.
The entire field of 394 amateur and professional bowlers representing 12 different countries will bowl three six-game qualifying rounds Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The top 25 percent of the field will advance to a nine-game cashers’ round Friday morning. After a total of 27 games, the top 24 will advance to three eight-game round robin match play rounds Friday evening and Saturday to decide the four stepladder finalists.
All preliminary rounds leading up to Sunday’s ESPN finals are being webcast live on the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, click on the logo on the home page of pba.com.
For complete scores, click on the “Live Scoring” tab on pba.com.
PBA South Region Senior Leaders through February 20, 2012
Scott Newell Shakes off Nerves to Win PBA Ricart Ford Open Presented by Columbia 300
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite rolling a gutter ball on his first shot of the opening stepladder match, Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., quickly regained his composure to win three consecutive matches for the PBA Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 title Sunday at Sequoia Pro Bowl.
The 28-year-old Newell won his first Tour title by defeating tournament leader and one-time Tour winner Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 247-245, in a title match that went down to the 10th frame. Leaving the tricky 2-8 on the first ball of the 10th frame, Newell was able to make the spare and then strike on the final ball for the victory.
“I may have looked composed on the outside but I was shaking on the inside,” said Newell who owns three regional tour titles and a best previous Tour finish of 12th. “I just had to take a deep breath and remind myself to stay focused and do what I do best.”
In the semi-final match, Newell survived another nail biter when he defeated three-time Tour titlist Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., 238-237. In that match he had to convert a 10-pin on the final shot to secure the win.
“You try to prepare yourself the best you can for pressure situations but you never know how you’re going to perform until those situations present themselves,” Newell said. “A lot of people say you have the ability and you can get it done but it’s just a great relief when you finally do.”
In the first frame of the opening stepladder match against Dom Barrett of England, Newell threw the gutter ball after it hit his ankle which he admitted was a sign of his nervousness. He regained his composure enough to then make the spare and went on to defeat Barrett 255-202.
“It was just a matter of getting too quick with my feet and my timing was off,” Newell said. “It was probably good that I made that mistake right away because I could then put it behind me and get on with the rest of the match.”
Barrett was trying for his second Tour title after winning the PBA Scorpion Open which, ironically, was aired on an ESPN taped-delayed telecast earlier in the day.
The Ricart Ford Open was the second PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. Two more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season.
The next stop for the PBA Tour will be the 69th U.S. Open—the third major of the season— from Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J., Feb. 20-26. .
PBA RICART FORD OPEN PRESENTED BY COLUMBIA 300
Sequoia Pro Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Sunday
FINAL STANDINGS:
1, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., three games, 740 pins, $10,000
2, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., one game, 245 pins, $5,000
3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., one game, 237 pins, $3,000
4, Dom Barrett, England, one game, 202 pins, $2,500
PLAYOFF RESULTS:
Match One – Newell def. Barrett, 255-202
Semifinal match – Newell def. Page, 238-237
Championship match – Newell def. Ciminelli, 247-245
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
After 22 games, including match play records and total pinfall including bonus pins. Top four advanced to stepladder finals.
1, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7-6, 5,569.
2, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 11-2, 5,527.
3, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 10-3, 5,343.
4, Dom Barrett, England, 8-5, 5,302.
5, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 8-5, 5,260, $2,200.
6, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 9-4, 5,215, $1,950.
6, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 9-4, 5,215, $1,950.
8, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 6-7, 5,196, $1,800.
9, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 9-4, 5,152, $1,750.
10, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5-8, 5,145, $1,700.
11, Jason Lundquist, Groveport, Ohio, 6-7, 5,105, $1,650.
12, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 5-8, 5,089, $1,600.
13, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 5-8, 5,054, $1,550.
14, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6-7, 5,051, $1,500.
15, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 6-7, 5,040, $1,450.
16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 7-6, 5,038, $1,400.
17, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 5-7-1, 5,018, $1,350.
18, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 7-6, 5,012, $1,300.
19, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 6-7, 4,939, $1,275.
20, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5-8, 4,936, $1,250.
21, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5-7-1, 4,794, $1,225.
22, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4-8-1, 4,793, $1,200.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-9-1, 4,670, $1,175.
24, Chuck Tompkins, New Albany, Ohio, 2-11, 4,406, $1,150.
England’s Dom Barrett Wins First PBA Tour Title in Scorpion Open
England’s Dom Barrett, in his American television debut, defeated Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., 247-204, to win the Professional Bowlers Association Scorpion Open at South Point Casino and Hotel. The finals aired Sunday on ESPN.
The Scorpion Open was the third of four PBA “animal pattern” championships contested during the third annual PBA World Series of Bowling and the fourth straight World Series title – including the PBA World Championship – won by international players.
Barrett joined countryman Stuart Williams, winner of the Bayer Viper Open, as the second English player ever to win a PBA Tour title. He came into the finals as the top qualifier and worked his way through two elimination matches before throwing his best game at the hard-luck Rash, who was once again plagued by a fatal error.
In the opening game of the eliminator-format finals, Rash led the four-man field with a 217 game. Barrett was right behind with a 207. Hometown favorite Dave Wodka of Henderson, Nev., nipped Patrick Allen of Baltimore, 177-173, to remain in contention. Allen, as low man, was eliminated.
In game two, Rash again led the survivors, using a late string of five strikes to post a 221. Barrett advanced to the title match with a 214. Three open frames led to a 164 game and doomed Wodka’s hopes for his second PBA Tour title.
In the title match, Rash and Barrett both struck on six of their first seven shots, but Rash’s unconverted 2-4-8-10 split in the third frame gave Barrett an 18-pin advantage. Both players converted single pin spares in the eighth and ninth frames before Barrett doubled in the 10th frame to claim the $15,000 first prize and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” Barrett said. “I kind of got to go through some of the emotions with Stu (Williams) after he won his title, and that gave me a little insight about what was going to happen to me if I got this far.
“I just wanted to throw the best 10 shots I could, and I think most of them were pretty good,” he added. “The thing to remember is the lane is still 60 feet and there are 10 pins at the other end, and you can’t control your opponent. You just have to make a good shot yourself.”
For Rash and the United States professionals, the loss was another bitter disappointment. In four straight World Series of Bowling finals appearances, Rash has finished third in the PBA World Championship and Bayer Viper Open, and second in the Chameleon and Scorpion Opens. He also finished second to Mika Koivuniemi in the WTBA World Bowling Tour Finals to kick off the World Series. And the U.S. has yet to win a World Series title. Following Koivuniemi’s win in the WBT Finals for Finland, fellow Finn Osku Palermaa won the PBA World Championship, England’s Williams won the Bayer Viper Open, and Australia’s Jason Belmonte won the Chameleon Open.
“If you were to roll the calendar back 10 years, this wouldn’t be happening,” Barrett said of the surprising international dominance. “But we have so many international tournaments now, and the PBA Tour has opened events like the World Series to international players, that the experience we’ve been able to get on the European and Asian tours has really meant a lot.
“The tournaments we have in Europe have televised finals, but nothing quite like this,” he added. “The arena setting here reminds me of the Weber Cup back home, so when I walked in and saw how close this setting was to the Weber Cup, it made me feel right at home.”
Barrett didn’t want to rate himself against Williams as to who the best British bowler might be, but he said, “Stu was the best after the Viper Open, and I put myself into the running today. But the fact is, we’re the only two Englishmen to win a PBA Tour title, so that’s what is really cool.”
The final “animal pattern” championship, the GEICO Shark Open, will be contested on Sunday, March 4, at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. Rash will appear in his fifth straight elimination final along with top qualifier Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas; Jason Belmonte of Australia, and reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich.
PBA SCORPION OPEN
South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas
Round One (lowest score eliminated): Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 217; Dom Barrett, England, 207; Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 177; Patrick Allen, Baltimore, 173 ($4,000).
Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Rash 221, Barrett 214, Wodka 164 ($4,500).
Championship: Barrett ($15,000) def. Rash ($7,500), 247-204.
Page and Ciminelli Average 244 to Lead PBA Ricart Ford Open Presented by Columbia 300 Qualifying
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 18, 2012) – Left-handers Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., and Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., averaged 244 to lead qualifying Saturday in the Professional Bowlers Association Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 at Sequoia Pro Bowl.
Both players had a 2,199 nine-game pinfall with Ciminelli bowling games of 220, 246, 257, 219, 289, 204, 256, 245 and 263 and Page games of 225, 266, 280, 236, 259, 280, 226, 227 and 200.
“This is not normally a shot I would do real well on,” Ciminelli said. “The key for me is to take advantage of the condition right off the bat where there is a good hook spot right around the 6-8 board. But then you really have to pay attention to the motion of the ball to keep pace with the changing conditions throughout the block and I was able to stay ahead of the transitions.”
Ciminelli is trying for his second career PBA Tour title having won his first title in last season’s Earl Anthony Memorial Open in Dublin, Calif. This season his best finish was 10th in the PBA World Championship.
Page, a three-time Tour champion, with his last win coming in the 2009 PBA Viper Championship, has a best finish of 17th which also came in the PBA World Championship.
“I’ve been practicing a lot and really working on my mental game,” Page said. “I’m working on not getting so emotional and eliminate the ups and downs. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve really felt as prepared as I should be going into a tournament.”
Ciminelli and Page topped 22 other players who advanced to Sunday’s match play round which will determine the four finalists for Sunday evening’s stepladder finals which will get underway at 6 p.m. ET. Rounding out the top five in Saturday’s qualifying were PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, 2,083; and Dom Barrett and Patrick Dombrowski both with 2,077.
The Ricart Ford Open is the second PBA Tour event of the season to be streamed live exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. Two more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season. Xtra Frame subscription information is available by visiting pba.com.
PBA RICART FORD OPEN PRESENTED BY COLUMBIA 300
Sequoia Pro Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Saturday
QUALIFYING RESULTS
After 9 games, top 24 advance to Sunday’s match play
1 (tie), Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,199.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,083.
4 (tie) Dom Barrett, England and Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 2,077.
6, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 2,064.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,056.
8, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,055.
9, Jason Lundquist, Groveport, Ohio, 2,049.
10, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,035.
11, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 2,019.
12, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,015.
13, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 2,012.
14, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,011.
15, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,002.
16, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,992.
17, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,987.
18, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,983.
19, Chuck Tompkins, New Albany, Ohio, 1,968.
20 (tie), Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,966.
22, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,961.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,953.
24, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,951.
Did not advance
25 (tie), Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,950 and John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 1,950, $840.
27, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,933, $820.
28 (tie), Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. and Art Oliver Jr., Hamilton, Ont. Canada, 1,932, $805.
30, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,924, $790.
31 (tie), Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., and Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 1,923, $775.
33, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,905, $760.
34, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 1,904, $750.
35, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,903.
36, Stuart Williams, England, 1,901.
37, Ed Carter, Akron, Ohio, 1,896.
38, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,895.
39, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,893.
40 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. and Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,891.
42, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 1,883.
43, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,879.
44 (tie), Kyle Jones, Groveport, Ohio and Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,877.
46, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,869.
47, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,867.
48, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,861.
49, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,860.
50, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,858.
51 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas and Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 1,857.
53, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,850.
54, Greg VanGundy, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 1,845.
55, Steve Rogers, Manteno, Ill., 1,838.
56, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,833.
57, Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, Ohio, 1,830.
58, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,820.
59, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,817.
60, Adam Monks, Conway, S.C., 1,816.
61, Michael Ahlquist, Sweden, 1,810.
62, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,808.
63, Jerry Kessler, Englewood, Ohio, 1,795.
64, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,791.
65, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 1,790.
66, Kevin Leach, Columbus, Ohio, 1,787.
67, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,780.
68, Jason Flaugh, Avilla, Ind., 1,774.
69, Mason Brantley, Detroit, 1,760.
70, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 1,759.
71, Brian Fite, Grayson, Ky., 1,757.
72, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,747.
73, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,742.
74, Timothy Miller, Bowling Green, Ky., 1,735.
75, Kirby Allen, Ironton, Ohio, 1,727.
76, Ellis Breeden, Hilliard, Ohio, 1,724.
77, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,717.
78 (tie), Josh Stephens, Leavenworth, Kan. And Robert Gatas, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,716.
80, Carl See, Warrensburg, Mo., 1,715.
81, Larry Cross, Richardson, Texas, 1,712.
82, Charles McClellan, Grandview Hts., Ohio, 1,711.
83, David Harold II, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 1,709.
84, Ernest Lukacs, Manville, N.J., 1,706.
85, Christine Bator, Warren, Mich., 1,705.
86, Aaron Gall, New Castle, Pa., 1,704.
87, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,702.
88, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,688.
89, Fred Augustin, Burlington, Ky., 1,682.
90, Dustin Baker, Melbourne, Ky, 1,672.
91, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,669.
92, Joshua Lewis, Asheville, N.C., 1,647.
93, Robert Wade, Winter Springs, Fla., 1,645.
94, Steven Kammerman, Cincinnati, 1,638.
95, Tim Wingate, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 1,618.
96, Jason Schaub, Polk, Ohio, 1,567.
97, Jason Phillips, Greenwood, Ind., 1,559.
98, Thomas Parker III, Columbus, 1,553.
99, Sean Johnson, Moundsville, W.Va., 1,542.
100, Diego Lopez, Colombia, 1,537.
101, Scott Karnes, Columbus, Ohio, 1,531.
102, Phillip Collins, Columbus, Ohio, 675.
THIS SUNDAY ON ESPN: PBA Scorpion Open at 3 p.m. ET
Event: World Series of Bowling
Tournament: The Scorpion Open is the third of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the World Series of Bowling.
Where: South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas
Eliminator Format: Four finalists will bowl a one-game match. The player with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three survivors will bowl another game, with the low man ousted. The two finalists will then bowl a final game for the title.
Television: ESPN (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET)
Making up the four-player eliminator field will be England’s Dom Barrett; Dave Wodka of Henderson, Nev., who won his only PBA Tour title in the 1999 Greater Detroit Open; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who qualified for the ESPN finals in a record six PBA World Series of Bowling events, and 13-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Allen of Baltimore, who is seeking his first title in two years.
Barrett earned the top qualifier position for the Scorpion finals by averaging 233.14 over 14 qualifying games, posting a 3,264 pinfall total. Wodka finished 17 pins behind, followed by Rash and Allen.
Barrett, who qualified for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions by winning a PBA West Regional title in Reno, Nev., just before the World Series of Bowling, hopes to join fellow British competitor Stuart Williams as the second English player to win a PBA Tour title. Williams won his first PBA Tour title in the Bayer Viper Open.
Barrett also hopes to become the fourth straight international player to win a World Series of Bowling title. Rash, a four-time PBA Tour champion, is trying for his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters.
Last Season: Yong-Jin Gu of South Korea upset four straight opponents at the South Point Bowling Center, including top qualifier Jun-Yung Kim, 236-224, in the all-South Korea championship match, to become the first South Korean ever to win a PBA Tour event.
PBA:39X60 Pre-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Tune into PBA.com’s Xtra Frame for interviews with the finalists as they give their insight into strategy and equipment selection. All World Series preview shows on Xtra Frame will be available the Wednesday before each Sunday ESPN telecast for free.
PBA:39X60 Post-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation.
Social Networking on PBA Facebook/Twitter: Follow PBA social networking through PBA on Facebook and Twitter for exclusive photos, videos and information, click the links on PBA.com to provide greater details and information on PBA players, tournaments and news.
To 'like' the Professional Bowlers Association on Facebook, visit PBA.com and click the Facebook icon.
To 'follow' the PBA on Twitter, visit PBA.com and click on the Twitter icon.
To 'subscribe' to PBA’s YouTube Channel, visit PBA.com and click on the YouTube icon.
To 'subscribe' to PBA.com's Xtra Frame, online Bowling Channel click on the Xtra Frame.
PBA Spare Shots: Xtra Frame Begins Extensive Live Coverage of U.S. Open on Tuesday
Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, will provide extensive qualifying and match play coverage of the 69th U.S. Open, which gets underway Tuesday, Feb. 21, when a field of 350 of the world’s top professional and amateur players from 11 different countries bowl their first eight qualifying games at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J.
Xtra Frame’s coverage will continue through the final round of match play on Saturday, Feb. 25, including the position round of match play when the four players who will advance to Sunday’s stepladder finals, televised live on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET, will be decided.
Xtra Frame’s schedule includes eight-game qualifying rounds Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. each day. Fridays’ coverage will include the cashers’ round at 9 a.m. and the first eight games of match play at 6 p.m. Saturday’s match play coverage begins at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. All times are Eastern.
U.S. Open coverage followed the Xtra Frame Tour Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 from Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, which will be webcast live in its entirety on Xtra Frame Saturday and Sunday.
PBA fans around the world can follow all of the Ricart Ford Open and U.S. Open coverage for the $7.99 monthly rate. A full-year subscription costs $64.99. In addition to live coverage, subscribers have access to a complete library of previous telecasts, coaching segments, new product discussions and much more. To subscribe, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.
FEBRUARY 26 IS FINAL QUALIFYING DATE FOR XTRA FRAME DICK WEBER PBA PLAYOFFS
The deadline for PBA Regional players to earn points for the Xtra Frame Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer is closing in. Remaining qualifying events leading up to the February 26 deadline include the PBA South Region Dave Edwards Spartanburg Senior Open presented by Etonic, Feb. 17-19, at Paradise Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C.; and the PBA Central/Midwest Region Eastown Recreation Center Open presented by Hammer, Feb. 24-26, in Jasper, Ind., and the PBA Midwest/Central Region Showtime Lanes Senior Open sponsored by Allstate Insurance, Feb. 24-26, in Virden, Ill.
The Xtra Frame Dick Weber PBA Playoffs is set for March 30-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. Fifteen players from six PBA Regional programs (East, South, Central, Midwest, Southwest and West/Northwest) will qualify for the playoffs along with the top 66 players on the 2011-12 PBA Tour points list and the top 11 PBA Senior Tour players based on their 2011 points list. The field of 156 will meet in Indianapolis to bowl elimination rounds within their respective regional groups leading up to Regional, Conference and Championship rounds.
The PBA Regional schedule for March 2-4 includes the Midwest/Central Region Plamor Lanes Open presented by Brunswick in Muscatine, Iowa; the South Region New Liberty Lanes Open in Pensacola, Fla., and the Southwest Region Duncan Etonic Open at Freedom Lanes in Duncan, Okla.
For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.
TOMMY JONES WINS WBT INTERNATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP IN JAPAN
Tommy Jones is beginning to love bowling in Japan. Jones, who won his 13th and most recent PBA Tour title in the 2010 Japan Cup, claimed the $77,500 first prize in the 2012 International Bowling Championship supported by DHC Hakata Star Lanes in Hakata, Japan, Saturday, Feb. 11, defeating fellow PBA Tour star Mika Koivuniemi, 290-204, in the title match.
The International Bowling Championship was the fourth stop of the World Tenpin Bowling Association’s 2012 World Bowling Tour. Koivuniemi, who earned $38,500, defeated South Korea’s Choi Bok-Eum, 226-211, to advance to the title match after Choi eliminated Malaysia’s Zulmazran Zulkifli, 241-198.
Zulkifli won the opening six-man shootout match, nationally-televised in Japan and just missing a $125,000 perfect game bonus, when he fired a 298 game to eliminate Mike Fagan (267), Dan MacLelland (248), Chris Barnes (224), Park Kyung-Sin and Shota Kawazoe (182). Other PBA Tour players among the 24 finalists were Scott Norton, 10th; Bill O’Neill, 14th; Sean Rash, 18th, and Patrick Allen, 22nd.
Jones, Koivuniemi, O’Neill and Rash were among PBA Tour players who earned invitations to participate in the event based upon their performances during the 2010-11 PBA Tour season. Barnes, Allen and Malott were invited based on their top three finishes in the Masters event during the 2010 WTBA World Men’s Championships.
In the companion women’s event, Cherie Tan of Singapore won the $77,500 first prize, defeating Malaysia’s Dayang Khairuniza, 218-179. Tan ousted South Korea’s Jeon Eun-Hee in the semifinal match after Jeon eliminated PBA member Missy Parkin, 224-206. Parkin won the women’s shootout match, rolling a 267 game to eliminate Wendy Macpherson (246), Maki Nakano (218), Zandra Aziela (212), Mari Kimura (208) and Carol Gianotti (183). Past and present PBA members among the women’s finalists were Diandra Asbaty, 13th; Kelly Kulick, 15th, and Shannon Pluhowsky, 22nd.
The WBT points leaders after the DHC Japan event, based on cumulative points earned in 2011 and 2012, include: Mika Koivuniemi, 308; Mike Fagan, 237; Chris Barnes, 195; Sean Rash, 162, and Tommy Jones, 144. Women’s points leaders are: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, 186; Kelly Kulick, 167; Liz Johnson, 155; Sandra Andersson, Sweden, 151, and Missy Parkin, 145. The top three in each division following the 2012 Australian Masters will advance to the WBT Finals presented by the PBA as part of the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas in November.
XTRA FRAME TOUR’S NEXT STOP: DETROIT
The third of four exclusive Xtra Frame Tour events, the Detroit Open presented by Track, is set for Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., March 11-12. At stake is a $10,000 first prize, a PBA Tour title and an automatic berth in the Round of 36 in the PBA Tournament of Champions April 8-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
The Xtra Frame Detroit Open will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel to an international audience beginning with Saturday’s qualifying squads at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. All of Sunday’s match play competition will be webcast with squads at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. leading up to the four-player stepladder finals at 6 p.m. Full-year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on pba.com.
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL FROM AN XTRA FRAME FAN
It’s one man’s opinion, but an Internet blogger named Steve writes: “Any serious bowler who wants to get better and can afford $7.95 a month or $65 a year for Xtra Frame is crazy not to subscribe and start soaking up like a thirsty sponge the incredible information offered. And if you do subscribe and miss events like what I just described, you can always catch them in the archives and go over them as many times as you wish to learn everything you can and want to learn from them.”
QUICK NOTES:
Veteran PBA Senior Tour competitor Robert McDonald of Addison, Ill., died on Feb. 5 after a lengthy battle with pulmonary lung disease. He was 71. McDonald bowled in 112 PBA Senior Tour events, and almost as many PBA Senior Regional tournaments. In his first tournament as a PBA member, McDonald finished third in the 1993 ABC Senior Masters. He never won a national title, but he won four senior regional titles during a career which after he turned 50. He is survived by his companion, Joyce Hardy; six children, 22 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
Two highly-visible and long-time personalities in the background at PBA Tour events have new roles. Storm Products Inc. has promoted long-time PBA Tour Consultant Chris Schlemer to a new position as Marketing Manager for Roto Grip, and the company has hired PBA Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr. to fill Schlemer’s role as PBA Tour Consultant.
March 1 is the “early bird” enrollment deadline for a new three-day, world-class Brunswick Bowling Camp hosted by Sean Rash and the entire Brunswick/DV8 pro staff. The event will be held at Brunswick Zone XL in Romeoville, Ill., July 6-8. PBA Tour players who will be involved in the camp include PBA Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Parker Bohn III, high-rev players Rash, Tom Smallwood and Ronnie Russell, two-hander Brian Valenta, left-hander Ryan Ciminelli, and PBA Tour veterans Mike Machuga and Chris Loschetter. The early enrollment fee is $1,200 ($1,300 after March 1). For more information, contact Rash at seanrashfan@gmail.com or visit parkerbohn.com.
PBA Hall of Famers Nelson Burton Jr., Johnny Petraglia and Walter Ray Williams Jr. will be on hand for the 28th annual Frank Bacom Memorial Strike-A-Thon, a benefit for the Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, Sunday, March 18 at Brookfield Lanes in Brookfield, Conn. Burton, who has participated in all 28 fundraisers, has helped raise more than $200,000 for the hospice. For more information, contact Frank Acri with the Danbury News Times (frankacri@sbcglobal.net, cell phone: 203-733-7956).
Jason Couch and Gene Stus Elected to PBA Hall of Fame
Sixteen-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour titlist Jason Couch and 11-time PBA Senior Tour winner Gene Stus have been elected to the PBA Hall of Fame.
The 42-year-old Couch is the only player in Tour history to win three consecutive PBA Tournament of Champions titles, an event many players consider one of the most demanding to win because a player must win a PBA title to be eligible to compete.
In addition to his Tournament of Champions titles, which came in 1999, 2000 and 2002, Couch won a fourth Tour major in the 1993 PBA Touring Players Championship.
Couch, who makes his home in Clermont, Fla., began his Tour career in 1992 when he earned Rookie of the Year honors. His first title would come the next season in Windsor Locks, Conn.
“I’m a firm believer in setting goals along the way in your career, working hard at achieving those milestones and hopefully you’ll be rewarded with a great honor like being elected to the PBA Hall of Fame,” Couch said. “I went out and did my best and when I achieved one milestone, continued to work hard and went on to the next one.”
Couch’s career path was probably a foregone conclusion as the son of parents who owned a Florida bowling center.
“Bowling on Tour has been a dream of mine since I was four years old watching PBA Tour telecasts on ABC on Saturday afternoons,” said Couch. “Growing up in a bowling center certainly helped, but it took the right combination of hard work and desire.”
Throughout his 20-year Tour career, Couch had a string of winning at least one title in six straight seasons (1998-2004) and he won multiple titles in five seasons. Still active on Tour, he has more than $1.6 million in career earnings and was ranked 24th among PBA’s 50 greatest players in history as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary in 2009.
As a competitive bowler for most of his adult life, the 71-year-old Stus had always wondered how he might have done on the PBA Tour. But the opportunity to compete in Tour competition didn’t present itself until he was able to retired from General Motors after 32 years at the age of 50 and became a regular on the Senior Tour.
Stus’ 11 Senior Tour titles rank fourth on the all-time list behind fellow Hall of Famers John Handegard with 14 titles, and Gary Dickinson and Dale Eagle each with 12.
In 1992, Stus, who currently resides in Taylor, Mich., earned Senior Player of the Year honors thanks in part to winning two titles. In July of that year he became the first Senior Tour player to bowl a 300 game on national television, defeating Don Gilman, 300-188, in the Pacific Cal Bowl Senior Open in Lakewood, Calif.
“It was an honor to bowl with bowling’s greats who I admired my whole life and I always wondered how I would measure up,” said Stus, who had 50 top-five finishes in 173 Senior Tour events. “When I was able to retire at 50, I started to get back to bowling seriously and found I still had the touch.
“Bowling on the Senior Tour was a lot more than achieving the dream of bowling with the greats of the game,” he added. “Just to be around them and to remember all the fun we had on and off the lanes for those years was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Couch and Stus will be inducted during ceremonies at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Saturday, April 14. Additional details regarding the Hall of Fame ceremonies will be released at a later date.
PBA Midwest Region Leaders Through February 14, 2012
PBA Central Region Leaders through February 14, 2012
PBA Southwest Region Leaders Through February 14, 2012
PBA West Region Leaders Through February 14, 2012
PBA Northwest Region Leaders Through February 14, 2012
MIKE J. LANESIDE: We Like it Live
This is it sports fans, prime time bowling season. Leagues are heating up. Local, state and national tournaments are right around the corner. Stock up on your Pepsi and Budweiser products, open up a bag of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and invite your friends to follow the action on the PBA Tour.
PBA Tour action through the end of February is fast, furious and LIVE!
The 2011-12 PBA Tour moves East with the second of four Xtra Frame Tour stops at the Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio. On the line Feb. 18-19, a $10,000 first prize, a PBA Tour title and an automatic berth into the Round of 36 at the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions for the winner.
Watch ALL qualifying, match play and the stepladder finals LIVE on www.xtraframe.tv starting Saturday. Follow the scores at www.pba.com, talk about the action on PBA Facebook and Twitter and in person with all of your bowling friends and fellow fans.
The action at Sequoia Pro Bowl gets underway with a LIVE FREE Xtra Frame preview Thursday Feb. 16 starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Join Mike J. Laneside, “The Bowling Guy” Jason Thomas and The Powerhouse Jackie Bowling for LIVE coverage of the fourth annual Carni-Bowl fundraising event benefiting juvenile diabetes and Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus.
Visit the PBA Facebook Fan Page, or follow the PBA on Twitter this week for a link to the FREE LIVE preview show. The festivities will include trick shots by PBA pros, player interviews and a preview of the Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300.
Scheduled to participate in the Carni-Bowl fundraiser will be Chris Barnes, Jason Couch, Parker Bohn III, Rhino Page, Ryan Shafer, Brian Kretzer, Ronnie Russell, Chris Loschetter, Tom Smallwood, Tom Hess, Mike DeVaney and Dick Allen.
Thursday’s LIVE Carni-Brawl will pit up to 18 players in a succession of one-ball rolloffs, who will survive? Watch it LIVE on the Xtra Frame FREE preview, then subscribe to your online Bowling Channel for LIVE coverage of the Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 Saturday and Sunday.
The Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 will be webcast LIVE in its entirety on pba.com’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, including Saturday’s qualifying rounds and Sunday’s match play competition. Saturday’s schedule includes nine-game qualifying rounds for Squads A and B at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET, with the top 24 qualifiers advancing to modified round-robin match play Sunday.
Sunday’s live coverage on Xtra Frame will include modified round-robin match play sessions at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with the top four advancing to the live stepladder finals at 6 p.m. ET. After the match play rounds, switch over to ESPN for PBA World Series of Bowling action from South Point for the PBA Scorpion Open. Patrick Allen, Dave Wodka, Sean Rash and England’s “Dominator” Dom Barrett do battle for a pattern championship title in the eliminator format.
Come on back to the online Bowling Channel Sunday at 6 p.m. ET for LIVE coverage of the stepladder finals of the Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300. True PBA Tour doubleheader action on Sunday.
After Xtra Frame crowns its second champion LIVE on Sunday evening, the action moves to the 69th U.S. Open Feb. 20-26 at Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J. Exclusive LIVE coverage on Xtra Frame covers qualifying for the entire field Feb. 21-23 with the traditional 24 games of round-robin match play Feb. 24-25. Watch the exciting LIVE conclusion to the 2011-12 PBA Tour season’s third major LIVE on ESPN Sunday Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. ET.
PBA Tour LIVE on Xtra Frame and ESPN. I like it.
