PARKER BOHN WINS MOTEL 6 ROLL TO RICHES

ORLANDO, Fla. – With his three kids looking on – completely unaware of the magnitude of what he was doing – Parker Bohn III secured his family’s future with six strikes on Sunday April 13.
Bohn defeated Norm Duke, six-strikes-to-five, in the final “Race to Six Strikes” to win the Professional Bowlers Association’s Motel 6 Roll to Riches special event, taking home the $150,000 winner-take-all top prize.
The PBA Hall of Famer is fifth all-time with 31 Denny’s PBA Tour titles and ranks third with nearly $2.7 million in career earnings. But the $150,000 paycheck tripled any other top prize Bohn had secured in one day in his career.
Bohn earned a berth in the six-bowler event by winning an online fan vote, beating out 15 other PBA stars. In his first career Motel 6 Roll to Riches appearance, he denied Duke his third big-money win in six weeks. The only bowler to compete in all four Roll to Riches events, Duke won the 2008 Denny’s World Championship and the 65th Denny’s U.S. Open for a combined $150,000 in just over a month. But he was unable to double that amount and lost in the Race to Six Strikes for the second straight year after falling to Doug Kent in 2007.
The match was close throughout as both bowlers struck with their first two shots. Duke faltered first when he left the 10-pin with his third shot and Bohn took the lead by striking with his next. Bohn would never lose the lead, although he was threatened more than once by Duke.
Bohn had his first chance to take a two-strike advantage when Duke left another 10-pin in the fourth frame but Bohn also left a 10-pin and the score remained 3-2.
After both bowlers struck in the fifth frame, Duke left the four-pin in the sixth giving Bohn a second chance to put him on the ropes, but despite a pocket hit he left the 7-pin to keep Duke in the match.
Duke pulled even with his fourth strike in the seventh but Bohn responded to put himself one strike away from victory. After Duke struck for the fifth time, Bohn needed one strike for victory. With $150,000 on the line, Bohn threw a perfect shot to win in his Roll to Riches debut.
“What an unbelievable day,” Bohn (Jackson, N.J.) said. “I never dreamed this could come true. Thank God it did, because I need the money for a college fund. I’ve got a couple kids on their way there.
“You dream of getting up in the 10th - or sixth frame as it was today – and throwing the great shot you want to win a great title or money. You dream it many times and for it to come true is a great feeling.”
Bohn advanced to the title match with a 160-106 win over his brother-in-law, Kent (Newark, N.Y.). Bohn recovered from a spare in the second to strike with his final six shots for the win. All Elimination Round and Semifinal Round contests featured six-frame matches with a max score of 180.
Duke (Clermont, Fla.) advanced to the final match for the second consecutive season with a 146-124 win over two-time Motel 6 Roll to Riches winner Chris Barnes (Double Oak, Texas). Duke trailed early but rallied after Barnes had back-to-back nine spares in the fourth and fifth frames and Duke capitalized by striking with his final five shots. That forced Barnes to double and get nine pins for the win but Barnes left the 2-10 with his first shot in the 10th to give Duke the come-from-behind win.
Barnes had advanced with a 137-117 win over Sean Rash (Wichita, Kan.), who was making his Roll to Riches debut, while Kent defeated Michael Haugen Jr. (Cave Creek, Ariz.), who also making his first Roll to Riches appearance.
The event started with the Challenge Round, where bowlers participated in one-ball roll offs with the lowest score after each frame moving into the Elimination Round and the two surviving bowlers earning byes into the Semifinal Round. In the first roll-off, Rash had a six-count to drop into the Elimination Round while Haugen was the next bowler knocked out with an eight count.
In the third round, Barnes and Kent managed nine counts while Duke and Bohn both struck to earn the two byes into the Semifinal Round. Bohn’s victory meant that all four Motel 6 Roll to Riches events have been won by a bowler who earned a bye into the Semifinal Round through the Challenge Round.


Denny’s PBA Tour
Motel 6 Roll to Riches
Colonial Lanes
Orlando, Fla.
Sunday, April 13

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
(Race to Six Strikes.)

Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J. def. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 6-5.

SEMIFINAL ROUND
(Six-frame matches, max score of 180)

Bohn def. Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 160-106. Kent eliminated.
Duke def. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 146-124. Barnes eliminated.

ELIMINATION ROUND
(Six-frame matches, max score of 180)

Kent def. Michael Haugen Jr., Cave Creek, Ariz., 114-112. Haugen eliminated.
Barnes def. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 137-117. Rash eliminated.

CHALLENGE ROUND
(One ball roll-offs. Lowest score in each frame moves into Elimination Round. Two remaining bowlers earn byes into Semifinal Round.)

1st Frame – Kent 10, Haugen 9, Bohn 9, Barnes 9, Duke 9, Rash 6. Rash drops into Elimination Round.
2nd Frame – Bohn 10, Barnes 10, Duke, Kent 9, Haugen 8. Haugen drops into Elimination Round.
3rd Frame – Duke 10, Bohn 10, Kent 9, Barnes 9
Duke and Bohn earn byes into Semifinal Round.