PBA SPARE SHOTS

PBA Spare Shots

GEICO PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING IX CLOSING IN ON INTERNATIONAL RECORD

With the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Reno Properties, less than two months away, the early entry list is closing in on the WSOB record for international representation with PBA members from 19 countries already on the roster, just four shy of the record set last year in Reno.

More than 120 entries are already on file from bowlers representing Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Norway, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand and Venezuela as well as the United States.

Ramon Hilferink will be the first bowler from The Netherlands to bowl in the World Series.

WSOB IX will begin on Nov. 7 and conclude with a series of finals Nov. 18-19 for delayed telecast on ESPN (all of the finals will be live-streamed on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app). The World Series, open exclusively to PBA members, will include the PBA Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark animal pattern events, all leading into the PBA World Championship. The multi-event program also will include a USA vs. The World team match featuring the five top U.S. and five top international qualifiers based on composite scores from the four animal pattern events, and the 2017 World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals, presented by the PBA, which will feature the three leaders in competition points from a global series of tournaments in each gender division.

PBA Regional Challenge and PBA50 Tour Challenge events will kick off the World Series on Nov. 7, and will be covered exclusively by Xtra Frame, PBA’s online video streaming channel, which also will provide live coverage of all preliminary rounds of WSOB competition.

All PBA members are reminded that a lodging confirmation from one of Eldorado Reno Properties (Silver Legacy, Eldorado or Circus Circus) is required at the time of entry. Special World Series room rates also are available to fans, and news media and bowling industry representatives. To make room reservations, use one of the following links:

Silver Legacy: Room rates: $50 Sunday–Thursday, $70 Friday & Saturday. Silver Legacy code ISPBA17. Reservations phone number: 800-687-8733. Online reservations:  https://silverlegacyreno.reztrip.com/ext/promoRate?property=1080&mode=b&pm=true&sr=242404&vr=3&accessCode=ISPBA17

Eldorado: Room rates $50 Sunday–Thursday; $80 Friday & Saturday. Eldorado code IEPBA17. Reservations phone number: 800-879-8879. Online reservations: https://eldoradoreno.reztrip.com/ext/promoRate?property=1079&mode=b&pm=true&sr=242406&vr=3&accessCode=IEPBA17

Circus Circus: Room rates: $38 Sunday–Thursday; $60 Friday & Saturday. Circus Circus code ICPBA17. Reservations phone number: 800-648-5010. Online reservations: https://circusreno.reztrip.com/ext/promoRate?property=1081&mode=b&pm=true&sr=242416&vr=3&accessCode=ICPBA17

Once a room reservation is made, PBA members can enter the World Series online (https://secure.pba.com/Store/catalog/world-series-of-bowling,25.htm). 

XTRA FRAME’S NEWEST “PBA PLAYER PERSPECTIVE” FEATURES ANTHONY SIMONSEN

Anthony Simonsen’s historic victory in the 2016 USBC Masters at age 19 is the newest “PBA Player Perspective” feature on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video streaming channel. In the exclusive Xtra Frame feature that debuted on Wednesday, Simonsen shares his insight on becoming the youngest player in history to win a PBA Tour major title in his victory over Canada’s Dan MacLelland in the 2016 Masters from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

A new PBA Player Perspective is being unveiled every other week, exclusively available to Xtra Frame subscribers along with hundreds of hours of additional content, including PBA tournament archives, interviews, bowling instruction, discussions about bowling equipment and more. To sign up for an Xtra Frame subscription, visit xtraframe.tv.

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: RAY EDWARDS WINS A THRILLER IN SCHENECTADY

Ray Edwards of Middle Island, N.Y. rolled three clutch strikes in the 10th frame to achieve a 279 tie in the final match against Rick Graham of Lancaster, Pa., preserving his 12-pin lead and earning his 23rd PBA Regional title in the PBA50 Towne Bowling Academy Open in Schenectady, N.Y., Sunday. 

Edwards entered the position round finale with a 12-pin lead over Graham. With the 30 bonus pins awarded to the match winner, whoever won the match won the title. Both players started with six strikes before Graham left a 10 pin. Edwards posted a seventh strike before leaving a 4 pin.

Graham, who finished first, struck out to force Edwards to match his effort and split the 30 bonus pins, which he did to finish with an eight-game total of 2,054 pins. The reigning East Region PBA50 Player of the Year won his second title of the season, making him the leading candidate to retain his PBA50 POY title and earn his fifth overall East Region POY award. He also took home the $1,500 first prize.

Graham, who turned 50 in August, won $850 as the runner-up. Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, Mich., who rolled the only 300 game of the event, trailed Edwards by only 30 pins going into the position round game, but could not overcome the 279-279 match between the two leaders. He finished third and earned $800.

● Former University of Kansas star Dylan Burns from Lawrence, Kan., defeated 17-year old Trey Ford III of Bartlesville, Okla., 205-167, to win the fourth annual PBA Grand Casino Resort & Hotel Southwest Invitational at FireLake Bowling Center in Shawnee, Okla., Sunday.

Burns, who won the 2014 PBA Lakewood Southwest Open as an amateur, earned his first PBA Regional title by avoiding open frames to topple the Oklahoma teenager to claim the $4,000 winner’s check.

After 12 games of qualifying, both Burns and Ford had long roads to the final match. Neither earned any byes in the elimination finals as Burns qualified 11th and Ford slipped into the finals with a 257 in his final game to grab the last spot in the 16-man finals. Burns started his road to victory by edging Brett Cooper of Fort Worth, Texas, 2-1 in the best-of-three-game Round of 16. He then defeated Anthony Lavery-Spahr of Pasadena, Texas; Sean Lavery-Spahr, also of Pasadena, and Mike Bailey from Irving, Texas, in his ensuing single-elimination matches.

       

Ford, who began bowling in PBA competition as a 13-year-old amateur, advanced to the finals with elimination match wins over Andy Patterson of Tyler, Texas; Beau Peterson from Newton, Kan.; fellow two-hander Shawn Maldonado of Houston, and Devin Bidwell of Wichita, Kan., before Burns ended his bid for his first PBA title. Ford, who joined the PBA in 2016 at age 16, earned $2,500 for second place.

As part of the tournament weekend, Dallas native Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., and South Plains Lanes general manager/proprietor Jimmy (Jimbo) Evans of Lubbock, Texas, were inducted into the PBA Southwest Region Hall of Fame.

● Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio defeated Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y. by 130 pins to win the PBA Autism Awareness Central Open presented by K&R Mower Derby at Astro Lanes in Wapakoneta, Ohio, Sunday.

Loschetter finished with a 10-2 match play record and a total of 5,120 pins for 20 games, including match play bonus pins, to win the $3,300 first place prize and his 14th PBA Regional title.

● Amateur Russ Oviatt defeated Jakob Butturff, 250-239, in a battle of Tempe, Ariz., bowlers to win the PBA West Aquimo Open presented by Columbia 300 at Mesa East Bowl in Mesa, Ariz., Sunday.

Oviatt, who earned $2,500 for his win, does not receive credit as a regional champion because he isn’t a PBA member. He defeated Josh Blanchard of Mesa, 212-187, to set up the title match after Blanchard eliminated Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., 184-156, in the opening match of the stepladder finals.

● Nick Kruml of Downers Grove, Ill., defeated Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., 245-147, to win the PBA Diamond Jo Midwest Open at Cherry Lanes Sunday in Dubuque, Iowa. Kruml, a PBA rookie, won his first PBA title along with the $1,800 first prize.

Beasley defeated amateur Collin Smith of Huron, S.D., 210-204, to advance to the championship match. In the first stepladder match, Beasley edged another amateur, Bryan Hahlen of Greenwood, S.C., 235-171.

In the PBA-PWBA segment of the tournament, Jodi Gawlik of Schaumburg posted an eight-game total of 1,697 pins to defeat Nichole DePaul-Miller of Plano, Ill., by 98 pins for the $1,200 first prize.

 

● September 15-17 PBA Regional events will include the PBA Rex & Griffin Bigelow Memorial/M&D Blacktop/BW3’s Central Open presented by Hammer at Troy Bowl in Troy, Ohio; the PBA Century Lanes Hampton South Open in Hampton, Va., and the PBA and PBA50 Ken & Kathy Fowler Auto Centers West/Northwest Opens doubleheader at Yokayo Bowling Center in Ukiah, Calif.

 

● The PBA Regional calendar for the Sept. 22-24 weekend includes the PBA/PBA50 Millsboro Lanes Doubles in Millsboro, Del.; the Florence Bowling Center Central Open in Florence, Ky.; the PBA50 Rocky Mount South Open at Rocky Mount (Va.) Bowling Center; the Liberal Kansas Southwest Open at Ayr Lanes; the PBA and PBA50 Mockingbird Lanes doubleheader in Omaha, Neb., and the PBA West/Northwest TSI Inc. Open presented by Onsite Express at Paradise Lanes in Tacoma, Wash.

● The PBA Regional schedule for the Sept. 29-Oct. 1 weekend includes the PBA50 Mel Westrich Memorial Central/Midwest Open at Delphos Recreation in Delphos, Ohio; the PBA50 Spartanburg South Open at Paradise Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C., and the Killeen Southwest Open at Hallmark Lanes in Killeen, Texas.

● For complete PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, visit pba.com, open the “schedules” tab and click on PBA Regional Tours to find the event(s) in your area…and remember, you can follow “live scoring” for all PBA Regional events on pba. com (easily accessible for Apple device users using the new PBA app).

QUICK NOTES

● Ebonite International has named PBA Tour titlist Dave Wodka as the company's new Global Marketing Manager. Wodka, who owns one PBA Tour and 21 PBA Regional titles, will work closely with the EBI team to drive the company’s brands worldwide.

● As a tribute to his grandfather, PBA member Andy Varipapa II of Brookeville, Md., has created a comprehensive  website (www.andyvaripapa.com) that chronicles the life of the legendary showman and trick shot artist from the 1930s until his death in 1984 at age 93. Although Varipapa was 68 when the PBA was founded, his passion for the organization and the sport is clearly outlined in his grandson’s extensive collection of articles, photos, testimonials and more. A lengthy interview with Varipapa II, conducted during the 2016 PBA Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic is included in PBA’s Xtra Frame archives.