KUHLKIN WINS FIRST MAJOR TITLE

LIZ KUHLKIN EARNS HER FIRST MAJOR TITLE AT U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

ORLANDO, Fla. – The road to the U.S. Women’s Open finals is long and tedious, especially if you start back in the pack.
Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, in 64th place after the opening round of the U.S. Women’s Open, completed an epic climb Saturday with a 218-196 victory over top-seed Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, to capture her first major title.
Kuhlkin used two big games in the final round of qualifying to make the first cut, and a 299 game in the final round of match play to make the finals, televised live on CBS Sports Network.
As the fifth seed, Kuhlkin had to win three matches for the chance to bowl Johnson for the title. She then would enter the final frame with the chance to close out Johnson, and finished the climb with a strike and a 9-count.
The emotion of knowing what she had accomplished was evident.
“This is the U.S. Women’s Open, the top event of every sport,” Kuhlkin said. “It’s the biggest major of the year. A lot of prestigious players have worn this jacket, have stood in this spot – hall of famers. It’s just an incredible feeling. Everything you work toward, you practice hard, go through the 56 games, and it’s just a big relief. You are overcome with emotion.”
Johnson, who bowled and worked at Boardwalk Bowl while attending the University of Central Florida, was seeking her first major title. She led after qualifying and, despite a brief hiccup in match play, grabbed the top seed.
“At this moment it’s tough, but I can’t hang my head over this week,” Johnson said. “This is the major of our tour stops, and I battled my way to be the No. 1 seed. All you can do is put yourself in position to win.”
Johnson said it’s one game where anything can happen, on either side of the equation. Kuhlkin said that’s why she actually likes being a lower seed.
“I think being the fifth seed or the fourth seed is actually an advantage,” Kulhkin said. “You’re out here, you’re bowling, you know the lanes, the adjustments … I’ve been in this position before. My first title in Topeka in 2015 (PWBA Topeka Open), I ran the ladder just like I did here. I think it’s beneficial.”
In the semifinal match, Kuhlkin and Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, each had open frames in two of their first three frames. Kuhlkin, however, strung together strikes in frames 4-8 to take a 213-186 victory.
Kuhlkin produced her biggest game of the day against No. 3 seed Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York. Kuhlkin struck on her first five shots and nine times overall in a 246-172 victory.
In the opening match, Kuhlkin faced Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon, Illinois, who was seeking her third consecutive major title. O’Keefe opened with a trio of spares while Kuhlkin struck on five of her first six shots. A missed 10-pin in the seventh frame by O’Keefe allowed Kuhlkin to take a 21-pin lead, and she went on to a 235-214 victory.
Competition at the 2018 U.S. Women's Open consisted of three days of eight-game qualifying rounds before the field was cut to the top 36 players for an eight-game cashers' round. The 32-game pinfall totals determined the 24 bowlers for round-robin match play. The 56-game totals, including 30 bonus pins for each win in match play, will decided the five players for the stepladder finals.
U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
At Boardwalk Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
SATURDAY’S FINAL STANDINGS
1, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 912 (4 games), $20,000
2, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 196 (1 game), $10,000
3, Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb., 186 (1 game), $7,700
4, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 172 (1 game), $6,600
5, Shannon O’Keefe, O’Fallon, Ill., 214 (1 game), $5,600
Stepladder results
Match One – Kuhlkin def. O’Keefe, 235-214
Match Two – Kuhlkin def. McEwan, 246-172
Semifinal – Kuhlkin def. McCarthy, 213-186
Championship – Kuhlkin def. S.Johnson, 218-196
About the PWBA
The Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) originally was formed in 1960. The PWBA Tour has events throughout the country, offering high-level competition and top prize money for women bowlers. The PWBA is supported by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

SEA DOGS EDGE PONIES 8-2

Sea Dogs Bite Back Against Ponies in Portland

PORTLAND, ME – Portland starter Mike Shawaryn fired seven strong innings and his offense backed him with 13 hits to send the Sea Dogs past the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 8-2, on Saturday night at Hadlock Field.

Shawaryn opened his third start of the season against Binghamton by cruising through three scoreless innings. The righty needed just 28 pitches to set down the first nine Rumble Ponies he faced.

The Sea Dogs supported Shawaryn with an early offensive burst against Binghamton starter Scott Copeland. Josh Ockimey shot an RBI double down the left-field line to put Portland on the board in the first and Luke Tendler launched a two-run homer in the second.

Trailing by three, Binghamton finally got rolling in the fourth when Shawaryn walked the first two batters of the inning. Kevin Taylor put Binghamton on the board with a groundout and Joey Terdoslavich made it a one-run game by skipping a two-out RBI single up the middle.

With their lead trimmed to one, Portland answered back with five unanswered runs. The Sea Dogs sent eight hitters to the plate in the fourth and stretched their advantage on an RBI single by Jeremy Rivera and a bases-loaded walk by Ockimey. Copeland allowed two more hits in the fifth before being chased from the game.

The Sea Dogs cashed in on a pair of Rumble Ponies errors for a run in the sixth and tacked on two more scores against newcomer Stephen Nogosek in the seventh. Joe Zanghi tossed a perfect eighth to close Binghamton’s pitching tab.

Shawaryn (4-6) held the Rumble Ponies to two runs on three hits over seven innings. He used eleven groundball outs to secure his second win of the season against Binghamton.

Copeland (5-3) lasted 4-2/3 innings and was touched for five runs on ten hits, including six for extra-bases.

The Rumble Ponies (38-41) continue their series against the Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM. RHP Marcos Molina takes the hill against LHP Kyle Hart. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 12:45 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton went 10-17 in June, the fewest wins earned in one month (excluding September) by the franchise since May 2016 (9-21)…Stephen Nogosek and Joe Zanghi each made their Double-A debuts…Scott Copeland failed to pitch at least five innings for the first time since July 17, 2017 (New Orleans Baby Cakes), ending a streak of 17 consecutive games performing the feat

GOLFING HIGHLIGHTS

  Gurney Takes Control At Kutsher's C.C.

 

 

  It's great golfing news to learn that the Kutsher's Country Club will once again become part of the Sullivan County golfing community and that a professional  golf course superintendent is in charge of shaping the course up to championship form.

  Tabbed by many as one of Sullivan County's outstanding golf courses the facility is now under the management of  Guy Gurney

   The front-nine (1-9 holes) at Kutsher's Country Club Golf Course will open for play in mid July.

    The course layout at Kutsher's County Club  will see no major redesign and basically will remain the same but significant improvements will greet golfers, according to Gurney.

  Gurney noted that a  new modular constructed clubhouse will be added to the course and  28 new golf carts will be available to golfers. Stage two of the construction  phase will include a new clubhouse with a banquet hall, restaurant and pro-shop.

  For the time being Gurney is expected to become the golf course manager along with duties as clubhouse manager and manager of the pro-shop.

  Gurney presently has  11 employees working on the course and when the back nine opens will employ 15 to 16 grounds crew. 

  No date has been set for the opening of the back nine (holes 10-18). 

  Kutsher's Country Club will  be open to the general public and golfers will see a course that  has seen regrassing, reseeding of the fairways, tees and installation of new irrigation heads connected to a computerized system and refurbished traps that include beautiful white sand.
  A new driving range will also become a part of the course in the future.

 With slight modifications the 18th will be a slight dog leg left instead of the present dog leg right and a new fairway bunker will be added to this hole.
 Complete  bunker renovations included  removal of the old sand and reshaping the bunker floors, adding new drainage to all the bunkers, edging bunkers and adding new sod where needed and that the bunkers will also receive 4 inches of new white bunker sand.

  Originally construction of the Veria Health facility at the site of the former Kutsher's hotel would have resulted in a redesign of several  holes at the golf course but when the location of the Veria Center was moved this eliminated the need to redesign the golf course.

  Gurney is presently studying  plans  that may relocate the tees on hole No. 12 to the far side of Kutsher's pond which from the blue tees would result in a tee shot of about 190 yards over the pond to the fairway making this hole  an attractive "signature hole." He emphasized that this is only a design study plan at this point and more than likely will be part of phase two.

  Repairs also are taking place on the cart paths, drainage added where needed and course will be dressed up with new tee markers, benches, garbage cans, water coolers, yardage markers, bunker rakes, pins, cups and flags.
  Par on this course with the changes being made will be 71 to 72 with  a total yardage of around 7,200 yards from the blue tees. Par on the front nine will be 36 and on the back nine 36.

  Gurney was hired as the new Golf Course Superintend in April and has 26 years of construction and golf course maintenance experience. He was born and raised in Fairfield, Conn, a graduate of that high school and the University of Connecticut. He is married with three children. 

  With the  opening of Resorts World the Kutsher's Country Club Golf Course may get some of  the new resorts golf play until their redesigned Monster course opens possibly next year.

  Golf fees will be $25 with a cart for 9 holes and $35 with a cart for 18 to start with.

  The telephone number at the golf course is 845-707-4077.

 

Ed's Outlook

 

  All us golfers saw it, but, it's difficult to digest it.

  Phil Mickelson did something you do if you're four years old and playing mini golf for the first time.

  In one of the most bizarre moments in a career full of them, Mickelson intentionally hit a moving ball of the 13th hole to prevent it from racing off the front of the green.

  It resulted in a two-shot penalty under Rule 14-5 and pushed  his score on that hole to 10.

  Yes, he has apologized but this should never happen and Shinnecock Hills now has something in their record books no one is proud of. 

 

Golf Tip

By Bob Menges

 

Choosing a set of tee to play from is our tip this week.

Most golf courses have different tees to play from on each hole. They are called  tee markers and are set up on the teeing area.

 In the past, most courses had red tees for women, white for amateurs and blue tees for advanced players.

  Most courses today refer to the tees as forward, middle and back tees and some courses have an many as five different tee boxes to choose from. 

  One problem I see with most golfers is trying to play a golf course that is too long for them. I believe a golfer should pick out a set of tees to play from that will let them enjoy the golf course and not get frustrated.

  Some courses will recommend what tee you should play from based on your USGA handicap, but all golfers do not have a handicap so they do not understand what that means.

  On a typical scorecard you should be able to find out the total yardage of the course from each different set of tees. 

  The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association started a program called "Tee It Forward." Basically, this was designed to get golfers to move up to the tees that are best suited for his or her game.

  The program encourages golfers to play a course yardage based on  how far they hit the ball off the tee. For example, if you drive the ball 250 yards off the tee you should play a course that is 6200 to 6400 yards in total distance for all 18 holes. 

  As your driving distance goes down in length, you should play from the tees that make the course shorter in length. In doing this, it will allow the golfer to reach the green in less shots, thus making the round much more enjoyable.

  You can look up the "Tee It Forward" program to get a chart on the recommended yardages you should play based on your driving distance. If you play from the tees that are suited for your game you should see lower scores and enjoy yourself more on the golf course. 

  Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club on Mt. Hope Road in Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if  you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 845-292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net 

 

Putting Tip

By Glenn Sonnenschein

 

  Speed control is one  of the key skills you need to become a good putter.

  The factors that effect the speed of putts are slope (uphill, downhill), height of green cut and grain.

  Reading these factors is a skill that takes observation and experience and a little common sense.

  Before each round a little time on the practice green will give you an idea of the speed of the greens that day. Although, as seen in the U.S. Open, the speed can change throughout the day depending on weather conditions.

  Speed control can be developed with some time on the practice green with the following exercises. With 6 balls, space them 4' apart starting 4' from the hole in a line out to 24'. Start putting them from the 4' putt, then the 8' putt etc. concentrating on the length of stroke needed to reach the hole. Us the same tempo stroke but just slightly longer as you get farther from the hole. Keep in mind that it is a stroke you are making as opposed to a hit that stops at the ball. Vary the hole that you putt to, some downhill, uphill and sidehill etc.

  Another drill is to take two balls ad start 15' from the hole putting the first and then adjust your stroke with the second ball depending on how you did with the first. Now vary distances around the green, 5', 25', 18', 45', 7' etc and this will help develop a feel for how must stroke you need for different distances. Do these drills on a regular basis and speed control will become second nature. 

  Glenn Sonenschein is a Class A PGA Professional and is Director of Golf at the Tarry Brae and Lochmor Golf Courses. He is available for golf lessons at Tarry Brae, at 387 Pleasant Valley Road, South Fallsburg. If you have questions or a subject you would like covered he can be reached at 845-434-2620 or by email at glenn@tarrybrae.com 

  

  Ed Townsend is a Public Relations Consultant to the sport of golf and brings over 60 years of sports journalism experience writing and compiling the information for this column. If you have league or tournament information, score a hole-in-one or shoot you age, let Ed know at 845-439-8177, email to edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax to 845-205-4474. View this column and Ed's photos at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

 

 

                                                          

 

 

 

 

TACKETT LEADS PBA XTRA FRAME EVENT

EJ Tackett Leads PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open After First Round

Nine-time titlist uses 300 game, 200 bonus pins to lead Canada’s Graham Fach by 87 pins

 

AURORA, Ill. (June 30, 2018) – EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., rolled the only 300 game in the opening round to lead a group dominated by rising 20-something stars after the first eight qualifying games in the Professional Bowlers Association’s Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open Saturday.

 

Tackett, a nine-time PBA Tour champion and already a former PBA Player of the Year at age 25, took advantage of his 300 game and 200 bonus pins to finish the eight-game round with a 2,086 pinfall total and an 87-pin lead over 26-year-old Canadian left-hander Graham Fach.

 

The PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open, a Go Bowling! PBA Tour event, is the inaugural tournament in the PBA’s new live streaming relationship with FloSports, and features multi-lane condition challenges as well as a unique scoring system that awards bonus pins based upon how players score in relationship to the other players on their respective pair of lanes each game.

 

With heat index hovering in the 110-degree range outside Parkside Lanes, Tackett rolled games of 259, 218, 224, 232, 300, 215, 225 and 213 for an actual 235.75 average. Fach, the first Canadian ever to win a PBA Tour title (2016 Barbasol PBA Players Championship), finished with 1,999 pins. Jason Sterner of Rockledge, Fla., the oldest player among the leaders at the age 34, was third with 1,992 pins, Tied for fourth were 23-year-old Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich.; 25-year-old Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., and 25-year-old AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., all with 1,985 pins.

 

Anderson and Australia’s Jason Belmonte are the only two-time PBA Tour title winners in 2018 (Belmonte isn’t competing in Aurora). Johnson is the only player among the leaders without a PBA Tour title.

 

With PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling following the action from start to finish, the event includes eight-game qualifying rounds Saturday and Sunday, with the top 27 qualifiers after 16 games advancing to Monday’s eight-game cashers round. Saturday’s qualifying was contested on the PBA Chameleon lane condition. Sunday’s 10 a.m. qualifying round will be bowled on the Don Carter lane condition and Monday’s cashers round, also at 10 a.m., will involve the PBA Bear oiling pattern. All three involve 39-foot applications of oil with variations in the amount of oil applied as well as how it is distributed across the lanes.

 

After 24 games plus bonus pins, the top five will bowl in the stepladder finals at 3 p.m. CDT with the top qualifier selecting the oil pattern for the finals.

 

The “bonus pin” scoring system for qualifying works like this: with four players on each pair of lanes, the player who bowls the highest score each game will earn an additional 30 bonus pins. The second highest player will earn 20 bonus pins, and the third-high player will get an extra 10 pins. The lowest scoring player on the pair won’t get any bonus pins. In case of ties, bonus pins will be divided.

 

All PBA Xtra Frame events for the rest of the season will be covered live, from first ball to last, by PBA’s new live streaming partner, FloBowling.com. Subscriptions are available at FloBowling (existing Xtra Frame subscribers can transition their current subscriptions by visiting https://www.flobowling.com/claim-account).

 

PBA XTRA FRAME PARKSIDE LANES OPEN

(A 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour event)

Parkside Lanes, Aurora, Ill., Saturday

 

First Round Standings (after 8 games, including bonus pins):

1, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2,086.
2, Graham Fach, Canada, 1,999.
3, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 1,992.
4 (tie), Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich.; Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., and AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,985.
7, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,969.
8, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 1,958.
9, Matt Kuba, Chicago Ridge, Ill., 1,948.
10, Matt O'Grady, Rahway, N.J., 1,935.
11, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 1,917.
12, Dom Barrett, England, 1,916.
13, Zach Doty, Campbellsville, Ky., 1,911.
14, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 1,908.
15, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,893.
16, Mitch Hupe, Canada, 1,892.
17, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,888.
18, Matt Sanders, Indianapolis, 1,882.
19, Jason Miller, Plano, Ill., 1,869.
20, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,853.
21, Richard McCormick, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1,846.
22, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 1,833.
23, Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 1,827.
24, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 1,826.
25, AJ Chapman, Manchester, Iowa, 1,821.
26, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,813.
27, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,807.
28, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,806.
29, Matthew McNiel, Minneapolis, Minn., 1,802.
30, n-Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 1,798.
31, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,795.
32, Gerald Marrs, Lake in the Hills, Ill., 1,790.
33 (tie), Aaron Beaver, Goshen, Ind., and Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 1,782.
35, Keven Williams, Springfield, Mo., 1,780.
36, Nathan Michalowski, Burlington, Wis., 1,778.
37, Kyle Walther, Columbus, Ohio, 1,777.
38, Charlie Brown Jr, Grandville, Mich., 1,773.
39, n-Alex Leeman, Appleton, Wis., 1,770.
40, Michael Vitalone, Jr., Lake Worth, Fla., 1,767.
41, Michael Davidson, Versailles, Ohio, 1,758.
42, n-Patrick Hanrahan, Greenwich, Conn., 1,757.
43, Dakota Vostry, Chicago, 1,752.
44, JR Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., 1,747.
45, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 1,734.
46, Joseph Kruzel Jr, Addison, Ill., 1,731.
47, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 1,724.
48, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 1,711.
49, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,707.
50, Richie Teece, England, 1,697.
51, n-William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,690.
52, Kyle Cook, Centerville, Ohio, 1,689.
53, Francois Louw, South Africa, 1,686.
54 (tie), Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., and Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,684.
56, Kenny Calkins III, Des Moines, Iowa, 1,681.
57 (tie), John Furey, Howell, N.J., and n-Germaine Tyler, Bolingbrook, Ill., 1,680.
59 (tie), n-Victor Cortez, Waukegan, Ill., and Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,676.
61, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 1,670.
62, n-Joseph Grondin, San Pedro, Calif., 1,667.
63, Steven Taylor, Tremont, Ill., 1,659.
64, n-Brent Boho, Colgate, Wis., 1,650.
65, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,645.
66, n-Jim Spigner, Vernon Hills, Ill., 1,641.
67, n-Ron Fujita, El Sobrente, Calif., 1,635.
68, Scott Merritt, Iowa City, Iowa, 1,632.
69, Phillip Watson, Belleville, Ill., 1,630.
70, Michael Schlabach, Goshen, Ind., 1,618.
71, Christopher O'Neil, Decatur, Ill., 1,617.
72, n-Mike Kicmal, LaGrange, Ill., 1,613.
73, n-Tom Carter, Aurora, Ill., 1,610.
74, Cristian Azcona, Puerto Rico, 1,605.
75, Ryan Zagar, Racine, Wis., 1,588.
76, CJ Kirchner, Cartersville, Ill., 1,585.
77, Trent Knoop, Sidney, Ohio, 1,565.
78, n-Zach Rhoades, Lafayette, Ind., 1,558.
79, n-Christopher Dower, Cary, Ill., 1,555.
80, Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo., 1,554.
81, n-Joshua Berry, Glasgow, Ky., 1,552.
82, n-Josh Parkin, Urbana, Ohio, 1,550.
83, Brandon Curtis, Manson, N.C., 1,529.
84, n-Kevin Sickler, Plainfield, Ill., 1,526.
85 (tie), Shane Yesovich, Boardman, Ohio, and Tyler Wilds, Three Rivers, Mich., 1,523.
87, n-Will Clark, Montgomery, Ill., 1,516.
88, n-Daniel Hall, Wolfforth, Texas, 1,514.
89, Dakoda Christianson, Rice Lake, Wis., 1,497.
90, Peter Switalski, Oak Forest, Ill., 1,492.
91, Ryan Lakota, Shorewood, Ill., 1,490.
92, Matt Taylor, Youngsville, N.C., 1,487.
93, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 1,461.
94, ss-Larry Helton, Bolingbrook, Ill., 1,444.
95, Michael Baker, Moline, Ill., 1,440.
96, Jason Gittleson, Southern Pines, N.C., 1,402.
97, n-Glenn Itter, Aurora, Ill., 1,400.
98, n-William Thompson, Romeoville, Ill., 1,389.
99, n-Kevin Henkens, Fort Madison, Iowa, 1,363.
100, John Contos, Crystal Lake, Ill., 1,227.
101, ss-Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 961.
102, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., withdrew.
103, Ryan Ciminelli, Clarence, N.Y., withdrew.
104, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., withdrew.

 

300 Game: EJ Tackett.

 

n-denotes non-PBA member

PGA TO HOST KPMG WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

PGA OF AMERICA TO HOST KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AND

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT BALTUSROL GOLF CLUB

 

 

 

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (June 30, 2018) – The PGA of America announced today that Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey will host two of its pillar championships: the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2023 and the PGA Championship in 2029.

 

Founded in 1895, Baltusrol has played a prominent role on the national golf stage for nearly 125 years. Both Championships will be staged on Baltusrol’s famed Lower Course, which is an A.W. Tillinghast design. Since opening in 1922, the Lower Course has hosted 10 major golf events, including seven professional major championships.

 

The 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be the second women’s major championship played on the Lower Course. In a duel of World Golf Hall-of-Famers, Mickey Wright topped Betsy Rawls by six shots to win the 1961 U.S. Women’s Open.  

 

This will be Baltusrol’s third PGA Championship: Phil Mickelson and Jimmy Walker notched memorable one-shot victories on the Lower Course in 2005 and 2016, respectively.  

 

“The PGA of America is delighted to continue our wonderful relationship with Baltusrol well into the future,” said PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua. “We’re excited to watch the best men and women in the game measure themselves against one of the most historic and challenging golf courses in the world, Baltusrol’s Lower Course.”

 

The KPMG Women’s Championship is a collaboration of the PGA of America, LPGA and KPMG, and focuses on the development, advancement and empowerment of women.

 

“KPMG’s commitment to elevating women on and off the golf course is exemplified by the selection of Baltusrol Golf Club as the host of the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship,” said Lynne Doughtie, KPMG U.S. Chairman and CEO. “To help more women in business advance to the C-suite, the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit will be held at Baltusrol and bring together top leaders across multiple industries with women nominated by their CEOs to attend.”

 

“The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has quickly become synonymous with greatness, and what better venue to solidify that than Baltusrol,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “Even casual fans equate Baltusrol with ‘major’ moments in golf, and we’re thrilled that the best female golfers in the world will get to test their games at such an iconic venue in 2023.”

 

In 2014, Baltusrol Golf Club was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, one of only four golf properties to earn this distinction.

 

“Since 1901 the best players in the world have competed against each other on our golf courses," said Rick Shea, Baltusrol President. "We look forward to working with the PGA of America to showcase the best women and men in these two Major Championships.”

 

ABOUT THE KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Formerly known as the LPGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – broadcast in partnership with NBC and Golf Channel – includes a women’s leadership summit (KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit) and an ongoing charitable initiative (KPMG Future Leaders Program) designed to inspire and develop new generations of women leaders.

 

PBA HALL OF FAMER DIES

PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Guenther Dies at Age 82

CHICAGO (June 28, 2018) - Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer and 11-time PBA Tour champion Johnny Guenther of Edmonds, Wash., died Wednesday after a short illness at the age of 82.

Among his 11 titles was the 1972 PBA National Championship for his lone major, but he was probably most remembered for his 1969 San Jose Open title where he bowled only the second 300 game seen on live television.

On ABC’s Pro Bowlers Tour stepladder final telecast that featured four other PBA greats, Guenther, the No. 4 qualifier, beat Buzz Fazio, 203-195, in the first match and then went on to beat Don Johnson in the second match, where he threw the historic 300 game (300-189). He then defeated Billy Hardwick, 233-214, in the semifinal, and finally top-seeded Wayne Zahn, 268-194, for the title.

“To tell you the truth, I never thought about it until I hit the last strike,” Guenther said after bowling the historic perfect game. “I’ve had nine or 10 300 games in my career but that one was the only one on television. You never think you’re going to get them all – you just keep adding one at a time.”

To view a clip of Guenther’s 300 game in the San Jose Open click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_R-g8TYyUo

Guenther’s very first PBA win in the 1965 Oxnard (Calif.) Open was also memorable setting two PBA scoring records on his way to the title. He set the then eight-game pinfall record of 2,022 and 16-game record of 3,830 which eclipsed the previous marks of 1,983 and 3,793 set by Ray Bluth in 1964.

Guenther, who was voted as PBA’s 45th greatest player in 2009, was also a three-time Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner, earning the honor in 1966 and 1967 and then shared the award again with Dick Ritger and Dave Soutar in 1970.

Also a member of the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame, Guenther was the winner of two USBC Open Championship titles, winning the 1967 and 1974 Classic Team titles.

Information regarding services has not yet been released.

SPIEDIES WIN AT BINGHAMTON

Tomas “Knead Dough” Shines in Sandwich Showdown

BINGHAMTON, NY – Binghamton catcher Tomas Nido launched a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth inning to send the Spiedies past the Thunder Pork Roll, 6-3, in round two of the Sandwich Showdown on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium. Binghamton starter Justin Dunn matched a career-high with ten strikeouts over seven innings, while Tim Tebow drove in two runs in a multiple-hit game.

Homerless in his first 49 games of the season across three levels in the Mets’ system, Nido faced reliever Jordan Foley with the game tied in the eighth. He drove Foley’s 0-1 over the right-field wall, pushing Binghamton ahead 4-3. Four batters later, shortstop Joey Wong crushed a two-run homer to left, salting the game away.

Dunn did not claim a decision, but dazzled in his fourth career Double-A start. The righty struck out three in the second before getting touched for two unearned runs due to a pair of errors in the third. The righty set down ten of eleven Thunder hitters from the third through the fifth, fanning three along the way.

Tim Tebow had a hand in Binghamton’s first three runs. With Binghamton trailing by two in the fourth, he floated an RBI single to right. Tebow advanced to second on a groundout and dashed for third on the play, despite the base being occupied by Nido. Trapped in a rundown, Tebow stayed alive long enough for Nido to sprint home to tie the game. In the sixth, Tebow poked Ryan Bollinger’s 3-1 pitch down the left-field line for a single, pushing the Ponies ahead by a run.

Thunder third baseman Mandy Alvarez erased the one-run lead in a flash, blasting a game-tying homer to start the seventh. Dunn bounced back with three straight strikeouts to cap his night.

Reliever Joshua Torres (6-0) tossed a perfect eighth and sealed his sixth win with a scoreless ninth. Dunn allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over seven innings.

The Rumble Ponies (37-40) open a five-game series in Portland against the Sea Dogs on Friday at 7:00 PM. RHP Mickey Jannis toes the rubber for the Rumble Ponies. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:45 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton split the four-game series with Trenton, snapping a stretch of five straight losing series…Justin Dunn last struck out 10 batters as a St. Lucie Met on June 4, 2018 against the Tampa Tarpons (NYY: High-A)…Tim Tebow raised his June batting average to .318 with his fourth multiple-hit game in nine games

DAVID EVANS AT PNC FIELD JULY 28

The Sandlot director/co-writer David Mickey Evans at PNC Field on July 28

Wilkes-Barre native Evans joins actor Patrick Renna to help highlight 25th anniversary of the classic movie

MOOSIC, PA. (June 28, 2018) –  The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to announce that David Mickey Evans, the director/ co-writer of the 1993 baseball classic “The Sandlot,” will be in attendance on July 28 at PNC Field as the club honors the 25th anniversary of the film.

“The Sandlot was actually inspired by an incident in my childhood,” Evans said.  “My little brother jumped a backyard fence to retrieve a baseball.  There was a vicious dog back there chained up.” 

Evans was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre and wrote the script along with Robert Gunter.  The Sandlot has become one of the most iconic baseball stories of all time.

“I can literally remember every single moment of that magical summer,” Evans stated for the anniversary release DVD.  “ None of us had any idea what would become of the movie we were making, that remains, like the great tagline from the original trailer, “A little piece of paradise a half a block wide and a whole summer long!”  We knew we were having fun, we knew we were getting good stuff, but there was no way to know whether it would stand the test of time.”

The RailRiders are giving away 2,500 Hamilton “Ham” Porter bobbleheads, presented by Dickson City Hyundai.  Patrick Renna, the actor who portrayed Porter in the movie will also be in attendance to sign autographs.

Tickets for The Sandlot Night or any remaining home game are available now online at swbrailriders.com or by calling (570) 969-BALL.

TEBOW & 4 OTHERS TO ALL-STAR GAME

Five Rumble Ponies Headed to All-Star Classic

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Eastern League announced today Tim Tebow, Levi Michael, Nabil Crismatt, Daniel Zamora, and Patrick Mazeika will represent the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Classic, hosted by the Trenton Thunder on July 10 & 11.

Binghamton will send five players to the All-Star Classic for the second straight year. The festivities start on July 10 at ARM & HAMMER Park with the Eastern League Home Run Derby. On July 11, the Eastern Division will battle the Western Division in the All-Star Game with first pitch set for 7:00 PM.

Tebow, an outfielder, has come on strong to secure his first career baseball All-Star nod. In 22 games in June, he has compiled a .318 batting average with seven extra-base hits. In 67 games in his first season at Double-A, Tebow has hit .261 with five home runs and 30 RBI. Tebow was signed by the Mets in September 2016.

Michael, an infielder, has thrived in his first season as a Mets farmhand. Signed as a free agent in March 2018, he has posted a .286 batting average over 68 games. His 26 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, already rank as a personal career high. Michael has also supplied a steady glove to the Rumble Ponies infield, with just six errors in his time at three different positions. This marks Michael’s first career All-Star selection.

Crismatt, a starting pitcher, leads the Rumble Ponies pitching staff and sits tied for second in the league with eight victories. In a team-high 15 starts, he has compiled a 3.61 ERA and struck out 86 batters, the second-highest total among Eastern League pitchers. Crismatt, signed by the Mets in August 2011, will play in his first career All-Star Game.

Zamora, a relief pitcher, has shined as a left-handed option out of Binghamton’s bullpen. Over 23 appearances, he has put together a 12.0 K/9 IP rate, the highest single-season mark of his career. Zamora has stranded all ten inherited runners this season. Acquired via trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to this season, Zamora enjoys his second straight All-Star selection. He made the Florida State League All-Star Game as a Bradenton Marauder in 2017.

Mazeika, a catcher, enjoys his second trip to an All-Star Game in as many years. The Massachusetts native represented the St. Lucie Mets at the Florida State League All-Star Game last year. With 29 RBI, he sits tied for second among active Rumble Ponies in run production. Mazeika has thrived in critical offensive spots this year, compiling a .308 batting average with runners in scoring position.

Tickets for all remaining Rumble Ponies games can be purchased online at BINGRP.COM, over the phone at (607) 722-FUNN, and in person at the Starting Gate Box Office at NYSEG Stadium.

LPGA PRESS CONFERENCE

MEDIA ALERT

 

Press conference to announce final country seedings and the eight four-player teams for the 2018 UL International Crown in Korea

 

Monday, July 2, 2018

 

WHAT:            Following the conclusion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes, a news conference will be held at UL headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois to announce the final country seedings and the eight four-player teams that will compete at the 2018 UL International Crown in Korea. LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, UL CEO Keith Williams and one player from each of the eight teams will be in attendance.

 

NOTE: The eight countries (hosts Korea, defending champions Team USA, Japan, England, Australia, Thailand, Sweden and Chinese Taipei) qualified for the 2018 UL International Crown on June 4, after the conclusion of the U.S. Women's Open at Shoal Creek.

 

WHERE:         UL headquarters, 333 Pfingsten Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062 (located roughly 11 miles from Kemper Lakes, venue for this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship)

 

DATE:             Monday, July 2, 2018

 

TIME:              9-10 AM CST (10-11 AM EST)

 

About the LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.

 

The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives, such as LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.

 

Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram at @lpga_tour.

SCRANTON 7 -- PAWTUCKET 4

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE

RAILRIDERS

GAME REPORT

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre   7    Pawtucket  4   

MOOSIC, Pa. (June 29, 2018) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pounded out 11 hits and defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox 7-4 on Friday night at PNC Field in front of a near-capacity crowd of 9,277.

 

The RailRiders jumped on Red Sox starter Jalen Beeks in the bottom of the second inning, grabbing an early 5-0 lead. Wilkin Castillo drove a two-out, two-run single to plate Zack Zehner and Rey Navarro to kick off the rally. Following a walk to Tyler Wade, Clint Frazier smacked a two-run double and scored on a two-base hit from Billy McKinney.

Wade had a strong game out of the leadoff spot for the RailRiders, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. Zehner and L.J. Mazzilli also contributed multi-hit games in the triumph.

 

In the top of the fourth, Pawtucket plated its first run of the game on a solo home run from Mike Olt. The solo shot was the only blemish against Chance Adams in the contest. The right-hander earned the win, improving to 3-3 on the season while allowing only one run on five hits, walking two and striking out five.

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre extended its lead 7-1 when Rey Navarro launched a two-run home run to left off Williams Jerez. The long ball was the third home run of the season for Navarro with the RailRiders in 22 games.

 

The Red Sox scratched across a tally in the top of the sixth against Stephen Tarpley, who was making his RailRiders debut after being promoted from Double-A Trenton earlier in the day. Pawtucket edged closer with a pair of runs against Joe Harvey in the eighth to close the gap to 7-4.

 

Cale Coshow slammed the door shut with a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the victory and earn his third save of the season.

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre continues its three-game series with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Saturday night at PNC Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. LHP Josh Rogers (6-5, 3.32) takes the bump for the RailRiders, while the PawSox counter with LHP Josh D. Smith (4-3, 2.61). For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record:

39-39

PBA SPARE SHOTS

PBA Spare Shots

PBA XTRA FRAME ON FLOBOWLING.COM MAKES ITS DEBUT SATURDAY

PBA’s exclusive Xtra Frame live streaming coverage of the preliminary rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open from Orlando, Fla., on xtraframe.tv wraps up on Friday, with PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling.com making its debut Saturday from Aurora, Ill., where the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open gets underway with a unique qualifying format that will award players with “bonus pins” based upon how well they perform each game on their respective pairs of lanes.

 

That means current Xtra Frame subscribers who want to watch this weekend’s Parkside Lanes Open need to activate their FloBowling accounts as soon as possible. If you are a current subscriber and didn’t get an email from FloSports regarding the simple step to activate your new account, the first place to go is: https://www.flobowling.com/claim-account. If you can’t find your email, send an email to: support@flosports.tv (don’t forget to check your “spam” folder first to see if the email was filtered into that folder).

 

For those of you who are curious about FloSports, whether you are a paid subscriber or not, you are invited to preview free content on FloBowling.com which includes features on Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s experimentation with two-handed bowling, Sean Rash’s behind-the-scenes role with the XF Parkside Lanes Open; Andrew Anderson’s breakout season as a second-year PBA member; a nice feature about Wes Malott’s rise to PBA stardom; podcasts, video features, the live streaming schedule, and more.

 

As the transition to FloBowling continues, PBA fans can also follow FloBowling on Facebook and @FloBowling on Twitter and Instagram, which also is free and where features and conversation about the PBA is growing daily for everyone – not just paid subscribers.

 

Live coverage of the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open, which will be available exclusively to FloBowling subscribers, is the fourth of eight exclusive PBA Xtra Frame tournaments that are part of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule. The Illinois tournament includes qualifying rounds Saturday and Sunday leading into a semifinal round and stepladder finals on Monday, July 2.

 

The PBA50 Tour will make its PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling debut July 17-20 with coverage of the PBA50 River City Extreme Open, presented by Ebonite, from River City Extreme in Monticello, Minn.

 

AUSTRALIAN NETWORK TELEVISION PROFILES JASON BELMONTE

Bowling has never been a “headline” sport in Australia, but Jason Belmonte is slowly by steadily changing that. Most recently, according to Australia’s Lynne Clay, the Australia Broadcast Company – Australia’s “ABC-TV” - has recently aired a segment on its popular 7.30 Report profiling the world’s top-ranked bowler.

 

The 34-year-old two-handed star from Orange in New South Wales has achieved unprecedented success with dozens of titles in national and international tournaments, re-writing the sport’s record books, becoming the first player ever to win the USBC Masters on four occasions, and sweeping the PBA’s two most defining statistical categories for 2017 – official earnings and scoring average, which included a record 229.39 scoring pace for the full season.

 

Clay noted the 7.30 Report is billed as providing the best analysis of local, national and international events from an Australian perspective and is streamed live on iView. The program is watched by a national audience of many millions. Here is a link to the segment: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/meet-the-world’s-number-one-tenpin-bowler,/9847034.

 

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: CASTILLO, LAVOIE CAPTURE FIRELAKE DOUBLES TITLE

Dino Castillo of Highland Village, Texas, and Canadian Francois Lavoie, now living in Wichita, Kan., teamed up to win the PBA FireLake Grand Casino Hotel & Resort Southwest Doubles at FireLake Bowling Center Sunday, defeating the Houston area team of D.J. Archer and Shawn Maldonado, 436-390, in the title match.

 

For Castillo, the win was his seventh in PBA Regional competition while Lavoie’s number of PBA Regional titles is up to six following his second victory at FireLake. Each collected $2,000 for the win.

 

The winning team had a long road to the finals after qualifying in seventh position while Archer and Maldonado earned byes to the Round of Four by leading the eight-game qualifying round. Castillo and Lavoie defeated another Canadian, PBA rookie Mitch Hupe’, and his amateur partner, Marc Heninger from Tangonoxie, Kan., 2-0, in the best-of-three-game Round of 8.

 

In the Round of 6, Castillo and Lavoie out-battled Oklahoma’s James Cantere from Norman and Jeff Hatt of Midwest City, 2-1. Castillo and Lavoie then overwhelmed the No. 2 qualifiers from Amarillo, Texas, Mason Edmondson and Tyler Albracht, 2-0, in the semifinal round while Archer and Maldonado eliminated a pair of two-handed players, Malaysia’s Zulmazran Zulkifli and Trey Ford III of Bartlesville, Okla, 2-1.

 

● Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y. defeated defending champion Darren Andretta of Wantagh, N.Y. 253-226, to win the PBA Homefield Bowl Eastern Open presented by MOTIV at Homefield Bowl in Yonkers, N.Y., Sunday. 

 

Pepe compiled a 7-5 match play record and 4,828 pins for 20 games, including match play bonus pins, to qualify first for the stepladder finals by 78 pins over Andretta. Pepe then started the championship match with four strikes, but an open frame in the fifth saw his lead shrink to seven pins. Recovering quickly, he rolled another five strikes to clinch the victory along with a $3,000 prize and his fourth regional title.

 

Andretta advanced to the championship match by defeating John Furey of Howell, N.J., 226-211, after Furey defeated Patrick Allen of Elmwood Park, N.J., 233-198, in the opening match.

 

● Aaron Beaver of Goshen, Ind. defeated amateur Conner Weber of Wayne, Mich., 267-178, to win $1,500 and his first PBA title in the PBA Pro Bowl West Central/Midwest Challenge presented by Storm at Pro Bowl West in Ft. Wayne, Ind., on Saturday. Challenge events are open to PBA members without a PBA title or non-members who have never won a PBA event.

 

Beaver downed Brian Hall of Macedon, N.Y., 218-199 while Weber edged Doug Henry of Columbus, Ind., 180-176, to set up the championship match.

 

● PBA Regional competition in July begins this weekend with the PBA50 Ultra Star Multi-Tainment Center at Harrah’s Cherokee South Open, a new PBA Regional event, in Cherokee, N.C.

 

● The only event on the July 6-8 PBA Regional calendar is the PBA50 Cecil Raymond Memorial presented by Ebonite at Brunswick Deptford Lanes in Deptford, N.J.

 

● The July 13-15 PBA Regional schedule includes the PBA50 Fairborn Central Classic presented by Roto Grip at Bowl 10 Fairborn in Fairborn, Ohio; the PBA Allstate Tony Grigat Midwest Open presented by Columbia 300 at Poplar Creek Bowl in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and the PBA Beltline Lanes Columbia Baker Doubles South Open in Columbia, S.C.

 

● Over the July 20-22 weekend, PBA Regional events will include the PBA50 Parkway Lanes Eastern Open presented by Roto Grip in Elmwood Park, N.J.; the PBA Angola Central/Midwest Open presented by Ebonite at Angola Bowl in Angola, Ind.; the PBA Spring Hill Lanes South Open presented by Track in Spring Hill, Fla.; the PBA Fort Sill Southwest Open at Twin Oaks Bowling Center in Fort Sill, Okla.; the PBA, PBA50 and PBA-PWBA Secoma Lanes Northwest/West Open tripleheader in Federal Way, Wash., and the PBA50 Beverly Lanes Midwest/Central Open presented by Roto Grip in Arlington Heights, Ill.

 

● Closing out the July schedule of PBA Regional competitions will be the PBA50 Ned Micelli Memorial at Herrill Lanes in New Hyde Park, N.Y., over the July 27-28 weekend.

 

● 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 PBA app).

 

QUICK NOTES

● Don’t forget: Fan voting is now open to select the “best bowler” in the 2018 ESPY competition.Click on this link (http://www.espn.com/espys/story/_/page/voting54/best-athlete-sport) and look for the “best bowler” ballot which includes Jason Belmonte, Rhino Page, Tom Smallwood and Jesper Svensson. The winner will be announced when the ESPY shows airs on ESPN on Wednesday, July 18.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS WEEKLY GLANCE

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS WEEKLY GLANCE
(For June 20 - June 26, 2018)

Pennsylvania bowler celebrates two milestones at USBC Open Championships
The 2018 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships has been filled with memorable performances and special milestones, and Joseph Pursel Jr. of Hellertown, Pennsylvania, experienced both June 24 at the Oncenter Convention Center in Syracuse, New York.

The 82-year-old right-hander was recognized and celebrated on the tournament lanes as he joined two of bowling's most elite clubs - the 60-Year Club and 100,000-Pin Club - at the USBC Open Championships.

Pursel, who started his tournament career at the 1959 event in St. Louis and has competed every year since, was presented with a plaque, chevron and engraved money clip for becoming the 24th bowler in history to compete in the tournament 60 times.

He and his father, Joseph Pursel Sr. (55 years) are one of three father-son duos in the 50-Year club, joining Frank "Chick" Carr (62) and Thomas Carr (57) and Earl Ebers Jr. (58) and Earl Ebers Sr. (50).

Two games into Pursel's milestone appearance this week, he again had the spotlight to himself as he added his name to the short list of bowlers who have toppled 100,000 pins at the Open Championships. He entered the 2018 event needing just 294 pins to reach the plateau, and he got there with a ringing 10 pin to start the final frame of his second game.

He finished the special day with games of 129, 179 and 129 for a 437 series.

"This is the culmination of my career," said Pursel, who immediately was presented with the crystal bowling pin, given to each member of the 100,000-Pin Club. "I was kind of anxious and kind of nervous. This was the first time I had my wife, two sons, granddaughter and daughter-in-law all here. That means a lot."

Pursel is the 22nd bowler in history, and second this year, to eclipse the 100,000-pin mark. USBC Hall of Famer Gordy Baer of Tinley Park, Illinois, added his name to the list in April.

Pursel also is the second bowler in 2018 to make his 60th march to the lanes. Donald Granberry Jr. of St. Louis achieved the feat earlier this month, while Paul Gustke of Sarasota, Florida, is scheduled to join the club June 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The participation record of 71 years on the championship lanes is shared by USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman and Joe Norris, along with Sylvester Thiel, while USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. tops the all-time pinfall list with 124,087.

Pursel added sets of 448 in doubles and 409 in singles June 25 for a 1,294 all-events total. He left the 2018 tournament with a career pinfall of 101,000.

Lifelong friends find success at Oncenter Convention Center
Lifelong friends Chad Green and Chad Queen of Athens, Tennessee, moved into a tie for the top spot in Standard Doubles this week at the USBC Open Championships.

The two attacked the lanes from opposite sides and posted games of 412, 438 and 353 to match twin brothers Michael and Jeffrey Krywcum of Buffalo, New York, who set the bar nearly a month earlier.

Green a 30-year-old left-hander, led the way June 23 in his fifth tournament appearance, rolling games of 222, 214 and 180 for a 616 series, while Queen, a 32-year-old right-hander also visiting the Open Championships for the fifth time, added games of 190, 224 and 173 for a 587 set.  

Green, a driver for Valley Recycling, added a 573 series in singles and 539 in team for a 1,728 all-events total, and Queen had 543 in singles and 530 in team for a 1,660 total. Both were career-best all-events efforts.

Standard Doubles includes teams with combined entering averages of 361-418.

Missouri group has successful showing at USBC Open Championships
Former Junior Team USA member Kyle Sherman of O'Fallon, Missouri, and his One & Done teammates provided some excitement at the USBC Open Championships on June 25.

Sherman (749) and Ronnie Fujita of El Sobrante, California (694), settled into fifth place in Regular Doubles with a 1,443 total, pushed down a spot minutes after cracking the top five, when their teammates Ryan Stubblefield of St. Charles, Missouri (758), and Bryan Hahlen of Greenwood, South Carolina (696), moved into third place with 1,454.

Former Team USA member AJ Chapman of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Richard Eighme of Waterloo, Iowa, lead Regular Doubles with 1,457.

Sherman, who recorded 90 clean frames this week at the Oncenter Convention Center, added sets of 743 in singles and 632 in team to land in 10th place in Regular All-Events with a career-best 2,124 total. Kurt Pilon of Warren, Michigan, leads Regular All-Events with 2,186.

Sherman's performance helped One & Done into fifth place in Team All-Events with a 9,932 total. He was followed by Fujita (2,041), Greg Young (1,981), Hahlen (1,896) and Kamron Doyle (1,890). Red Carpet Lanes of Greenfield, Wisconsin, leads with 10,252.

A look ahead
Three bowlers will visit Syracuse this week to celebrate participation milestones, while a handful of 2017 champions are scheduled to return to the lanes at the USBC Open Championships.

Paul Gustke of Sarasota, Florida (June 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern) will make his 60th appearance at the event, while Patrick Holseth of Las Vegas (June 27 at 7 p.m. Eastern) and George Rowan of Columbus, Ohio (July 2 at 11 a.m. Eastern), each compete for the 50th time.

Reigning Classified All-Events champion Dwayne Brossett of Natchitoches, Louisiana, will be back on the lanes June 30 and July 1, reigning Classified Singles winner Wiley Collins of Winter Springs, Florida, will compete July 1-2 and defending Regular Doubles champions Zachary Hattori of Henderson, Nevada, and Michael Coffey of Melbourne, Florida, will bowl July 2-3.

For more information on the Open Championships, visit BOWL.com.

Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,000 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.

2018 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oncenter Convention Center
Syracuse, N.Y.

(Division leaders with hometown and pinfall)

REGULAR DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 1,046 and above)
1, S & B Pro Shop 1 (Bill Orlikowski, Andrew Burke, Marcus McClain, Ryan Mouw, Kurt Pilon), Warren, Mich., 3,322. 2, Higgy's Aquarium, Westerville, Ohio, 3,300. 3, The Locker Guy 1, Owatonna, Minn., 3,279. 4, Red Carpet Lanes, Greenfield, Wis., 3,277. 5, Lodge Lanes Too, Orlando, Fla., 3,248. 6, Team NABR, Fairport, N.Y., 3,217. 7, Shox City, Lawrence, Kan., 3,216. 8, 4 Revs & 1 Cripple, Ontario, Canada, 3,213. 9, The Shim Reapers, Franklin, Wis., 3,206. 10, #TeamWhenYo, Rochester, N.Y., 3,190.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 419 and above)
1, Richard Eighme, Waterloo, Iowa/AJ Chapman, St. Paul, Minn., 1,457. 2, Alex Ouellette, Linwood, Mich./Justin Neiman, Macomb, Mich., 1,456. 3, Ryan Stubblefield, St. Charles, Mo./Bryan Hahlen, Greenwood, S.C., 1,454. 4, Steve Kloempken, Pleasant View, Utah/David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,453. 5, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo./Ronnie Fujita, El Sobrante, Calif., 1,443. 6, Francois Louw, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa/Michael Mak, Hong Kong, 1,437. 7, Matt Tomsu/Jay Watts, Omaha, Neb., 1,421. 8, Mitchell Katic, Kissimmee, Fla./Tyler James, Deltona, Fla., 1,416. 9, Dan Chambers/Steven Nava, Hopkins, Minn., 1,412. 10, Chad Svendsen, Monroe, Wis./Jonathan Schalow, Evansville, Wis., 1,403.

Singles
(Averages of 210 and above)
1, Cotie Holbek, Burlington, Wis., 802. 2, Chris Hill, Franklin, Wis., 795. 3, Brenden Sramek, Bellevue, Neb., 790. 4, Rick Justice, Lawton, Okla., 786. 5, Michael Fitzgerald, Phoenix, 785. 6, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 784. 7, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 781. 8, Rameses Chambers, Kansas City, Mo., 771. 9, Chad Oachs, Mankato, Minn., 770. 10. Vernon Peterson, Winter Haven, Fla., 769.

All-Events
(Averages of 210 and above)
1, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 2,186. 2, Josh Johnson, Callahan, Fla., 2,181. 3, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,164. 4, AJ Chapman, St. Paul, Minn., 2,147. 5(tie), Jonathan Schalow, Evansville, Wis., and Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 2,146. 7, Francois Louw, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, 2,131. 8, Russ Wilson, Lawrence, Kan., 2,130. 9, David Labinski, South Milwaukee, Wis., 2,129. 10, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 2,124.

Team All-Events
(Combined all-events totals of all five team members)
1, Red Carpet Lanes (Christopher Pierson, David Labinski, Ken Duffield, Chad Maas, David Beres), Greenfield, Wis., 10,252. 2, Higgy's Aquarium, Westerville, Ohio, 10,011. 3, Lawn Lanes 8, Burbank, Ill., 10,006. 4, Brian Brazeau Pro Shop, Ocala, Fla., 9,959. 5, One & Done, O'Fallon, Mo., 9,932. 6, Maxxx Revs Pro Shop 1, Peoria, Ill., 9,882. 7, Shox City, Lawrence, Kan., 9,805. 8, StormEBI, Cincinnati, 9,772. 9, #TeamWhenYo, Rochester, N.Y., 10,741. 10, Team NABR, Fairport, N.Y., 9,735.

STANDARD DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 901-1,045)
1, The Bowlers ER Tres (Tracy Anderson, Jason, Intravaia, Jannard Remo, Bill Shaw, Daniel Luncsford), Park Ridge, Ill., 2,843. 2, AJ's Boys & Grandkids, Sparta, Mich., 2,735. 3, Mel's Diner, Calmar, Iowa, 2,720. 4, Pla-Mor Lanes 5, Coldwater, Ohio, 2,719. 5, Manassas VA Team 3, Manassas, Va., 2,718. 6, Eastman, Jonesborough, Tenn., 2,717. 7, R&G Ag. 2, Grand Forks, N.D., 2,708.  8, Let's Roll, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,704. 9, Pollard's Bowl 5/Volidco, Versailles, Ind., 2,703. 10, J&B Mechanical 2, Schaumburg, Ill., 2,700.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 361-418)
1(tie), Jeffrey Krywcum/Michael Krywcum, Buffalo, N.Y., and Chad Green/Chad Queen, Athens, Tenn., 1,203. 3, Thomas Dutkiewicz/Stacey Browe, Kentwood, Mich., 1,200. 4(tie), David Stettnichs, Madison, S.D./Aaron Stettnichs, Rock Rapids, Iowa, and Francis Van Kuren/James Johnson, Waynesville, Mo., 1,192. 6, Geoffrey Raasch/Darrell Raasch, Houston, 1,189. 7, Brian Hall, Blaine, Minn./Robert Pfeifer, Coon Rapids, Minn., 1,188. 8, Jack LittleRaven, Clinton, Okla./Stephen Kelley, Moore, Okla., 1,186. 9, Joseph Ortega/Richard Ciessau, Chicago, 1,174. 10, Ed Sauer/Thomas Shea, Billings, Mont., 1,172.

Singles
(Averages of 181-209)
1, Ted Rybialek, South Elgin, Ill., 707. 2, Rob Pierson, Miles City, Mont., 706. 3, Neil Vitale, Benton Harbor, Mich., 694. 4, Alex Houston, Rochester, Minn., 686. 5, Lauren Pixley, Modesto, Calif., 678. 6, Robert Tuchek, Alliance, Neb., 667. 7, Kevin Cotterman, Sidney, Ohio., 666. 8(tie), Wendy Inscho, Roseville, Mich., and Sheldon Fettig, Killdeer, N.D., 657. 10, William LaRock, Lansing, N.Y., 655.

All-Events
(Averages of 181-209)
1, Alex Houston, Rochester, Minn., 1,855. 2, Jesse Gibson, Vincennes, Ind., 1,822. 3, Tyrone Brewington, Goldsboro, N.C., 1,811. 4, Steve Kuykendall, Oakland, Calif., 1,800. 5, Mike Menge, Cleveland, 1,798. 6, Jorge Acurero, Taylorsville, Utah, 1,797. 7, Jon Lee, Alexandria, Minn., 1,795. 8, John Albrecht, Oak Creek, Wis., 1,794. 9, Michael Krywcum, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,788. 10, Lauren Pixley, Modesto, Calif., 1,786.

CLASSIFIED DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 900 and below)
1, Team "Beav" (Bermadel Hagen, Victoria Beaver, Leonard Beaver, Vanessa Beaver, Maurice Anderson), Oceanside, Calif., 2,449. 2, Really???, Katy, Texas, 2,414. 3, Fiesta Bowl 2, Hanover Park, Ill., 2,409. 4, NYC Rollers in Motion, Bronx, N.Y., 2,399. 5, 2 Legit 2 Split, Mount Ayr, Iowa, 2,386. 6, Silver Bullets, Palm Coast, Fla., 2,381. 7, Bowling World 7, Owens Cross Roads, Ala., 2,340. 8, Knights and More, Aiken, S.C., 2,338. 9, Sarge's Pin Killers 9, Las Cruces, N.M., 2,336. 10, OSNM1, South Holland, Ill., 2,334.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 360 and below)
1, Jessica Archer, Portland, Maine/Edward Cotter, Levant, Maine, 1,116. 2, Adam Valentinas, Palos Park, Ill./Daniel Hartmont, Orland Park, Ill., 1,097. 3, Robert Johnson, Stansbury Park, Utah/Kenneth Poulsen, West Valley City, Utah, 1,082. 4, Jennifer Geimer, Miami Shores, Fla./Doug Romanik, Miami, 1,077. 5, Larry Pizzini, Boerne, Texas/Woodrow Gearhart, San Antonio, 1,073. 6, Norman Bentley/Richard Stone, Hoosick Falls, N.Y., 1,072. 7, LaVerne Ashley, Yonkers, N.Y./Dwayne Redman, Bronx, N.Y., 1,064. 8, James Pfeiffer, Camanche, Iowa/Randall Prokopec, Wauconda, Ill., 1,063. 9, Jennifer Pitti, Lakeland, Calif./Mike Lee, Los Angeles, 1,059. 10, Sandy Gray, Lake View, N.Y./Donald Dorsheimer, Fredonia, N.Y., 1,057.

Singles
(Averages of 180 and below)
1, Jochen Rehbein, Lindenfels, Germany, 622. 2, Juan Cavazos, Clinton, Iowa, 617. 3, Miriam Beckles, Ajax, Ontario, Canada, 611. 4, Larry Roundtree, Lakeland, Fla., 608. 5, Jeannie Hockenberry, Natrona Heights, Pa., 604. 6(tie), Isaac Wake, Versailles, Ind., and Darren Robitaille, Grove, Okla., 602. 8, Rocky Martin, Enosburg Falls, Vt., 597. 9, Joe Rybialek, South Elgin, Ill., 594. 10 (tie), Meggan McCarthy, Waukegan, Ill., and Terry Smith, Chicago, 591.

All-Events
(Averages of 180 and below)
1, Isaac Wake, Versailles, Ind., 1,754. 2, Jochen Rehbein, Lindenfels, Germany, 1,718. 3, William Michalski, Syracuse, N.Y., 1,693. 4(tie), Joe Rybialek, South Elgin, Ill., and Pat Anderson, Cut Bank, Mont., 1,656. 6, Billy Nagengast, Westpoint, Neb., 1,641. 7, Francisco Pina, Bakersfield, Calif., 1,628. 8, Bryon Monnier, Brandt, S.D., 1,627. 9(tie), Esau Hernandez, Kissimmee, Fla., Jeannette Anderson, Burns, Wyo., and Juanita Holt, Bronx, N.Y., 1,614.