HAMMER’S BILL O’NEILL GETS
NASTY AT DICK WEBER OPEN

Bowler looking forward to next event.

Hammer’s Bill O’Neill qualified 5th in the PBA One A Day Dick Weber Open, but finished fourth as tough conditions made the television finals difficult.

O’Neill’s used a Hammer Onyx Vibe through most of qualifying throughout the week. The Vibe gave him the best reaction from pair to pair during qualifying and match play, but would not be a good choice for the tv finals, said O’Neill.

“I drilled a Black Widow Nasty for the show and it rolled really well,” explained O’Neill. “The most challenging thing for me every time I am on TV is that the lanes are much tighter downlane than during qualifying. My high ball speed makes the ball go way too long before it hooks to the pocket, which makes targeting more difficult for me. There’s very little room for error, so I really have to be on it.”

Going into the finals, O’Neill’s strategy was to play an area of the lanes farther right than the other players. In particular, O’Neill wanted to avoid the area of the lane his opponent, Pete Weber, likes to play. He struggled against the sensitive, nearly flat Dick Weber lane pattern throughout the match. If the ball was too far right it never made it back; if he used too much grip pressure, the ball went Brooklyn.

Placing fourth, O’Neill was thrilled to see his friend Mike Fagan win the title match. This was Fagan’s first singles title.

“It was good to see him win,” said Fagan’s good friend O’Neill. “This tournament he went out and won on his own. He led the tournament the entire week, and was able to pull out a win.”

O’Neill still has plenty of chances for another title this season.

“I’m going to take advantage of this week off and practice as much as possible,” said O’Neill. “I want to get better and I am looking forward to a huge finish to this season.”

Hammer Brand Manager Jeff Ussery has faith in O’Neill.

“Bill is a great competitor,” said Ussery. “He’s definitely going to pull out another win, and Hammer is going to continue to be there for him when he does. He’s got an advantage over any competitor who isn’t using Hammer.”