HAUGEN WINS DELAWARE'S XTRA FRAME

Haugen Wins Delaware’s PBA Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic

Near-perfect effort topples O’Neill, locks up fifth career title

MIDDLETOWN, Del. (Aug. 21, 2016) – Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, Ariz., a noted “old school” bowler who defies contemporary power-game standards, was nearly perfect in defeating Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., 289-255, Sunday to win the PBA Tour Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic at Mid-County Bowling and Entertainment.

Haugen, in winning his fifth career PBA Tour title, started with 10 strikes before leaving a 4 pin to end his bid for a perfect game. Playing straight up the lanes with minimal hook by today’s standards, Haugen picked up his first title since winning the 2014 PBA Scorpion Championship.

“Like they say in movies, I’m old but not obsolete,” Haugen said. “Today straight was great. I got to play my ‘A’ game and it was good.”

Haugen tripped a couple of high-pocket shots, but, “You need to catch a few breaks out here to win and today I was lucky enough to get them,” he said. “I really wanted to win again.”

Haugen, who turns 50 in December, noted his fifth win means he’s halfway to PBA Hall of Fame eligibity, but he hasn’t given up hope.

“Number five is halfway. It’s a long way to go when you’re almost 50, but you never know,” he said. “Maybe someday I’ll make it to the ‘hall.’ That’s what drives me.”

In the semifinal match, O’Neill broke up a 7-10 split in the ninth frame to keep a string of five strikes intact in a 244-235 win over John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, N.Y., ending Szczerbinski’s bid for his first PBA title.

In the first stepladder match, O’Neill struck on eight of his first nine shots to send two-hander Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C., to the sidelines, 255-220.

The PBA Tour now heads to Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., Sept. 5-11, for the PBA Fall Swing. The a multi-event competition that will award four PBA Tour titles (Wolf, Bear, Badger and Detroit Open titles) along with a Fall King of the Swing special event. All preliminary rounds will be video-streamed live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel, and all five stepladder finals will air on CBS Sports Network on consecutive Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, beginning Sept. 21.

To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link. For PBA Fall Swing entry information, PBA members should call Mary von Krueger at 206-332-9688 or send an email to her at maryvk@pba.com.

The sixth of eight events in the PBA Tour Extra Frame tournament series will be the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open in Aurora, Ill., Oct. 1-2.

PBA XTRA FRAME GENE CARTER PRO SHOP EAST CLASSIC

Mid-County Bowling and Entertainment, Middletown, Del., Sunday

Final Standings:

1, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, $15,000.

2, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., $7,800.

3, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., $4,000.

4, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., $2,500.

Stepladder Results:

Match One – O’Neill def. Troup, 255-220.

Semifinal Match – O’Neill def. Szczerbinski, 244-235.

Championship – Haugen def. O’Neill, 289-255.

Final Match Play Standings (after 23 games, including match play bonus pins):

1, Haugen, 10-5-1, 5,537. 

2, Szczerbinski, 11-5, 5,486. 

3, Troup, 10-6, 5,412. 

4, O'Neill, 10-6, 5,407. 

5, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 12-3-1, 5,400, $1,700. 

6, Jason Sterner, Cocoa, Fla., 7-9, 5,390, $1,300.

7, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 8-7-1, 5,359, $1,100. 

8, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 9-7, 5,320, $1,000. 

9, David Stouffer, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 9-7, 5,286, $950. 

10, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 8-8, 5,274, $925. 

11, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville,  S.C., 8-7-1, 5,232, $900. 

12, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 8-8, 5,212, $880.

13, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 6-8-2, 5,210, $860. 

14, Alex Cavagnaro, Massapequa, N.Y., 5-11, 5,175, $850. 

15, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 7-9, 5,168, $840. 

16, Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 7-9, 5,145, $830. 

17, Mike Fagan, Benicia, Calif., 6-9-1, 5,140, $820. 

18, Billy Asbury, Odenton, Md., 8-8, 5,087, $810.

19, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 8-8, 5,066, $800. 

20, B.J. Moore, Greensburg, Pa., 8-8, 5,048, $790. 

21, Paul Brion, Mansfield, Pa., 8-8, 5,013, $780. 

22, Sam Maccarone, Blackwood, N.J., 8-8, 4,846, $770. 

23, Rick Graham, Lancaster, Pa., 3-12-1, 4,792, $760. 

24, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 4-12, 4,760, $750.