PBA SPARE SHOTS

KOIVUNIEMI, STU WILLIAMS WIN INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
Professional Bowlers Association players are spanning the globe during the “off season,” some of them helping to create international exposure for the bowling product companies they represent, and others gaining more competitive experience.

In mid-May, native Finlander Mika Koivuniemi won the 7th Istanbul Open in Turkey, defeating Mykhaylo Kalika of Ukraine, 548-424, in the two-game title match for a first prize of $10,000 Euros. For the globe-trotting Koivuniemi, it was the 12th different country where he has won a title. American two-handed player Cassidy Schaub set a tournament record with a six-game qualifying block of 1,591. Fellow 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitors Tim Mack, Brian Voss and Stu Williams of England also bowled in the Istanbul event.

Speaking of Williams, the English star captured his first Asian title a week earlier, defeating Hussain Al-Suwaidi of the United Arab Emirates, 245-216, to win the 9th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open in Manama. The win for Williams, who bowled the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour as a rookie in 2009-10, was worth US$20,000.

“Absolutely my year in the PBA helped me,” Williams said. “I have become a lot more versatile and I was able to use some of the new tricks I picked up to take advantage of the different ways the lanes were breaking down during the finals.”

Mack finished third in Bahrain, Schaub was fourth and former PBA Touring Player Patrick Healey Jr., who is now coaching in the Middle East, was fifth.

PBA STARS GEARING UP FOR GEICO TEAM SHOOTOUT
In addition to gripping tape, shoe brushes and rosin bags, Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour stars gearing up for the GEICO Team Shootout at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., June 11-12, will accessorize with sun screen, Bermuda shorts and sunglasses for bowling in the great outdoors.

The first “Manufacturers’ Cup” competition will feature all-star teams representing Brunswick, Ebonite International, 900 Global and Storm Products in a round-robin series of Baker team matches. The summer series, bowled outdoors on specially-constructed lanes, will air on ESPN on June 27 (starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern), July 3 (3 p.m.), July 4 (2 p.m.) and July 11 (1:30 p.m.). Mike Jakubowski, better known to pba.com’s Xtra Frame fans as Mike J. Laneside, will call the action along with color analyst Randy Pedersen. Rob Stone, the PBA Tour’s regularly-scheduled announcer, is on assignment covering FIFA World Cup soccer.

Teams will include: Brad Angelo, Parker Bohn III, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Johnny Petraglia and Sean Rash bowling for Brunswick; Chris Barnes, Jason Couch, Mike Fagan, Tommy Jones, Bill O’Neill and Mike Scroggins bowling for Ebonite International; Michael Haugen Jr., Steve Jaros, Robert Smith, Brian Voss and Walter Ray Williams Jr., bowling for 900 Global, and Jason Belmonte, Norm Duke, Brian Kretzer, Wes Malott, Rhino Page and Pete Weber bowling for Storm.

Dorin-Ballard, Couch, Williams and Duke will conclude the week by participating in a “Walk in the Park” on Sunday, June 13, at Six Flags to raise money to benefit Cure Kids Cancer and Children’s Miracle Network. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution on behalf of your favorite PBA star, there’s still time. Visit walkintheparks.org and click the "Support A Walker" button.

FRESNO PAYS TRIBUTE TO PBA CHARTER MEMBER BILL BUNETTA
Thursday, May 27, was “Bill Bunetta Day” in Fresno, Calif., the long-time home of the late Bill Bunetta, a PBA charter member and one of the most celebrated coaches in bowling history.

With support from the City of Fresno, the Fresno Grizzlies – the San Francisco Giants’ AAA affiliate in the Pacific Coast League – hosted a Bunetta tribute as part of a “bowling night” celebration. Bunetta’s friends and family hope the event becomes an annual tribute to his memory.

XTRA FRAME GEARS UP FOR A BUSY MONTH OF COVERAGES FROM LAS VEGAS
Xtra Frame, pba.com’s video streaming service, is gearing up for a busy month of exclusive coverage for its subscribers. Xtra Frame will be on-site in Las Vegas in late June to provide coverage of match play rounds in the PBA Senior U.S. Open at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas June 10 and 11, followed by the USBC Senior Masters match play finals June 17-18 from South Point Bowling Center. Xtra Frame will then provide unique insights into the latest news in bowling from the trade show floor during International Bowl Expo at the Las Vegas Hilton, June 30-July 1.

To sign up for an Xtra Frame subscription, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

PLAYERS IN THE NEWS
The Wes Malott family added a new member on May 21 when Maryiedth Malott gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, Brooke Allison. The newest Malott weighed in at seven pounds, eight ounces, and joins brothers Jordan and Camden….Bill O’Neill completed his more unforgettable year on May 7 when he exchanged wedding vows with Christi White in Bensalem, Pa. O’Neill, who won his first two Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titles during the 2009-10 season, including his first major in the U.S. Open, was surrounded by his actual family and members of his extended bowling family.

Erie Community College’s Jacob Kent, son of 10-time PBA Tour titlist Doug Kent, advanced to the semifinal round of the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships in Euless, Texas, on May 18 before being eliminated by Sean Rangel of William Penn, 3-2, in their best-of-five-game match…Norm Duke, Patrick Allen, Jason Couch and Rhino Page are helping the South Lake Kiwanis Club of Clermont, Fla., with a new celebrity golf outing on June 4 to raise money for Clermont area children’s charities. In addition to the PBA stars, headliners among the celebrity “captains” playing with foursomes include former World Series Most Valuable Player Frank Viola, retired Ladies Pro Golf Association star Jan Stephenson, former National Basketball Association star Artis Gilmore, women’s Olympic softball star Dot Richardson among many others. For additional details, visit southlakekiwanisclub.org and look under the news/events tab.