Kelly Kulick Making Impressive Showing as Only Woman
in PBA Tournament of Champions

Averaging 229 after three rounds of qualifying Thursday, Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., is making her presence felt as the only woman competing in the 45th Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes.

Kulick, who became the first woman ever to earn a berth in the Tournament of Champions by winning the PBA Women’s World Championship earlier this season, is currently in a tie for fourth place with a 5,496 24-game pinfall and now heads into the match play portion of the tournament which begins later this afternoon.

The 32 year-old Kulick originally made Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour history in 2006 when she became the first woman to earn an exemption to compete on the Tour. Her best finish during the 2006-2007 season was 22nd.

“I drew on a lot of experience from that season for this tournament,” Kulick said. “So far I’ve been able to find an area of the lane to play where most of the guys either aren’t or can’t play. I’m getting good ball reaction and my carry percentage is high.”

Kulick is not a stranger to doing well in majors. In women’s professional competition she won the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Queens and the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open in addition to winning the PBA Women’s World Championship.

“I think my experience in major competitions has helped too,” she said. “There can be more pressure associated with those events and I’ve been able to handle that pressure pretty well. But, I’m not taking anything for granted. There’s still a long way to go and things can change quickly in match play.”

Three-time PBA Tour titlist Rhino Page, who finished second in last season’s Tournament of Champions, maintained his position as tournament leader with a 5,580 pinfall and averaging 232.5 for 24 games.

Tied for fourth with Kulick is PBA Hall of Famer and 1987 Tournament of Champions winner Pete Weber.
Weber, tied for third all-time with 34 PBA Tour wins, is trying for his ninth major title. He is currently tied for second with Mike Aulby in career majors with eight. Earl Anthony is the all-time leader with 10 major titles.

Among those in the top 24 advancing to this afternoon’s first match play round are Hall of Famer and all-time PBA Tour win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (46) in 18th, who needs a Tournament of Champions win to complete PBA’s Triple Crown, Grand Slam and Super Slam.

Other past champions advancing to match play are Jason Couch (1999, 2000, 2002) who is trying to become the first four-time Tournament of Champions winner in 15th; two-time winner Mark Williams (1985, 1988) in 11th; Chris Barnes (2006) in seventh; Bryan Goebel (1998) in 13th and Wayne Webb (1980) in 17th.

The field has been cut to the top 24 players who will compete in an eight-game match play round this evening and two more eight-game rounds on Friday. After Friday's match play, the top four will be determined for the finals which will be televised at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Nev.

Third Round (after 24 games)
(Top 24 advance to match play)

1, Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 5,580
2, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 5,540
3, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 5,529
4, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 5,496
Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,496
6, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,427
7, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,385
8, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 5,365
9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,355
10, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 5,315
11, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 5,306
12, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 5,271
13, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 5,263
14, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 5,251
15, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 5,248
16, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 5,239
17, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., 5,235
18, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 5,222
19, Mika Koivuniemi, Howell, Mich., 5,218
20, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 5,199
Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 5,199
22, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 5,185
23, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 5,180
24, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,168

Failed to advance
25, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5,164, $1,800
26, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 5,157, $1,770
27, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 5,152, $1,725
Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 5,152, $1,725
29, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 5,139, $1,680
30, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 5,129, $1,650
31, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 5,111, $1,620
32, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 5,100, $1,590
Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 5,100, $1,590
34, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 5,094, $1,560
35, Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas, 5,089, $1,540
36, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5,079, $1,520
37, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,066, $1,500
38, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 5,062, $1,470
Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 5,062, $1,470
40, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 5,059, $1,440
41, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 5,058, $1,430
42, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 5,050, $1,420
43, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 5,040, $1,410
44, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 5,039, $1,400
45, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5,035, $1,390
46, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 5,030, $1,380
47, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 5,024, $1,370
48, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5,003, $1,360
49, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 4,984, $1,350
50, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4,952, $1,340
51, Mike Mineman, St Louis, 4,944, $1,330
52, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 4,932, $1,320
53, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 4,922, $1,310
54, Del Ballard Jr., Keller, Texas, 4,913, $1,300
55, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 4,890, $1,300
56, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 4,880, $1,300
57, Roy Buckley, Westerville, Ohio, 4,797, $1,300
58, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 4,783, $1,300
59, Dave Arnold, Dublin, Calif., 4,745, $1,300
60, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 4,583, $1,300
61, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 4,427, $1,300
62, Don McCune, Las Vegas, 4,403, $1,300
63, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., WD, $1,300