PBA Spare Shots

 

H5G BRANDS OFFERS PBA REPLICA JERSEYS IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

H5G Brands, the PBA’s official dye-sublimated jersey provider, has unveiled a new line of replica jerseys in time for the Christmas gift-giving season.

 

The new line of jerseys feature new looks and designs that have been worn by many of PBA’s top stars in the past as well as designs that will be worn when the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season gets underway. Jersey designs include those worn in PBA League competition.

 

Fans can check out H5G Brands’ (formerly High 5 Gear) line of PBA replica jerseys at: http://h5gbrands.com/bowling/replica-jerseys/pba-pro-replica-jerseys.html or review HG5 Brands’ full line of apparel and related products at http://h5gbrands.com/?SID=250b1bd71rp4inldlpdv6gs5u6. Jerseys are available in a full range of sizes and assorted styles.

 

PBA ADDS THREE WORLD BOWLING TOUR EVENTS TO 2019 SCHEDULE

The PBA has announced the addition of three PBA-World Bowling Tour events to the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule, adding to the number of tournaments that will award PBA Tour titles as well as men’s World Bowling Tour competition points.

 

Under an agreement between the PBA and World Bowling, eight tournaments in 2019 will offer PBA Tour titles as part of the WBT series. None of the eight will allow handicap pins for women.

 

The 2019 PBA-WBT schedule will include:

      ● March 12-21 – PBA World Championship, Allen Park, Mich.;

      ● March 26-April 1 – USBC Masters, Las Vegas;

      ● July tba – Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, Houston, Texas;

      ● tba – Illinois Open, Aurora, Ill.;

      ● tba – U.S. Open;

      ● Aug. 24-Sept. 9 – Lucky Larsen Masters, Helsingborg, Sweden;

      ● Sept. 27-Oct. 4 – WBT Thailand Open, Bangkok, Thailand;

      ● Oct. 31-Nov. 6 – Kuwait Open, Kuwait City, Kuwait.

 

ILLINOIS NATIVE BOBBY JAKEL TO MANAGE PBA MIDWEST REGION

Lockport, Ill., native Bobby Jakel, the PBA Central Region manager since 2006, will succeed Rich Weber as PBA Midwest Region manager at the start of the 2019 season.

 

Jakel, a 49-year-old graduate of Illinois State University where he majored in psychology and bowled with the Redbirds for four years, will become the PBA Midwest Region’s seventh manager, following in the footsteps of Pat Patterson, Ray Bluth, Don McClaren, Dick Weber, John Weber and Rich Weber. He also will continue to manage the PBA Central Region.

 

“I’m looking forward to handling duties in both regions and seeing Midwest bowlers more often,” Jakel said.

 

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE:  BAILEY WINS SOUTHWEST TITLE IN BEAUMONT

PBA Southwest Region veteran Mike Bailey of Irving, Texas, won his seventh career regional title in the Beaumont Southwest Open Sunday at Crossroads Bowling Center in Beaumont, Texas, defeating Anthony Lavery-Spahr of Pasadena, Texas, by 18 pins to claim the $2,500 first prize.

 

Bailey posted a 4-4 match play record in the final round, but needed a 258-202 win over Lavery-Spahr in the final match to claim the title. Lavery-Spahr finished with a 4,853 pinfall total for the 21-game event. David Scardaville of Houston was third with 4,653 pins followed by Sean Lavery-Spahr in fourth with a 4,622 total.

 

● The November PBA Regional calendar comes to a close over the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 weekend with the Knob Hill/MJK Pro Shop Challenge (a non-champions event) presented by Brunswick at Knob Hill Country Lanes in Manalapan, N.J.; the PBA50 Victory Lanes Midwest Open presented by Allstate in Kankakee, Ill.; and the re-scheduled Break Point Alley Member/Non-Member Doubles in Tavares, Fla.

 

● 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 and Android device users using the PBA app).

 

10th Anniversary PBA World Series of Bowling to Return to its Original Home in Suburban Detroit

Five consecutive nights of national television coverage on FS1 set for March 2019

 

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (Nov. 30, 2018) – The 10th anniversary Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling will return to its original home at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit in March where it will write a new chapter in bowling history with five consecutive nights of prime-time national television coverage on FS1.

 

PBA’s World Series of Bowling, created in 2009 as a multi-event series of tournaments, has grown into the most important international event in bowling, annually attracting the most talented bowlers from around the world. And the 2019 WSOB X will continue the trend, concluding with an historic television package including four consecutive nights of live championship tournament finals telecasts – Monday through Thursday, March 18, 19, 20 and 21 – plus a USA vs. The World team match featuring the World Series’ top performers on Friday, March 22.

 

The five consecutive nights of prime-time coverage is a first in bowling history, and an important segment in the PBA’s 60th consecutive year of national television coverage. All five two-hour shows, part of the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season, will air on FS1 at 8 p.m. EST from the famous arena bay inside historic Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich.

 

WSOB X, which gets underway on March 10, will include four championship tournaments: the PBA Cheetah 33, Chameleon 39 and Scorpion 42 Championships plus the 2019 PBA World Championship which will include an elite field of players based upon their overall performances in the three preliminary “animal pattern” events that will be contested on distinctly different lane oiling patterns. The PBA World Championship will be contested on the Earl Anthony 43 oiling pattern. Each event’s numerical designation indicates the distance oil is applied down the lane.

 

A total of 115 PBA members will be invited to compete in the World Series, based upon their composite WSOB earnings between 2015-17, plus any PBA Tour title winner who has not qualified on the composite earnings list. A pre-tournament qualifier will be held on March 10 at Thunderbowl to allow other PBA members to compete for all remaining berths in the 135-player field.

 

Fans can pre-order tickets for the World Series by visiting PBA.com (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pba-world-series-of-bowling-x-tickets-49606041004).

 

2019 PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING X SCHEDULE

Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., March 10-21 (all times are Eastern)

 

Sunday, March 10

10 a.m. – Unofficial practice session

1 p.m. – Pre-Tournament Qualifier (if necessary; six games)

7 p.m. – WSOB X Pro-Am

 

Monday, March 11

10 a.m. – Cheetah 33 and Chameleon 39 practice session

2:30 p.m. – Scorpion 42 and Earl Anthony 43 practice session

 

Tuesday, March 12

(Contested on 33-foot Cheetah lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – Cheetah Championship Qualifying Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. - Cheetah Championship Qualifying Round 2, 5 games

      Top 16 qualifiers after 10 games advance to single-elimination match play, March 18; 10-game qualifying totals carry over to PBA World Championship

 

Wednesday, March 13

(Contested on 39-foot Chameleon lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Qualifying Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Qualifying Round 2, 5 games

      Top 16 qualifiers after 10 games advance to single-elimination match play, March 19; 10-game qualifying totals carry over to PBA World Championship

 

Thursday, March 14

(Contested on 42-foot Scorpion lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Qualifying Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Qualifying Round 2, 5 games

      Top 16 qualifiers after 10 games advance to single-elimination match play, March 20; 10-game qualifying totals carry over to PBA World Championship; top 40 qualifiers based on composite 30-game totals from Cheetah, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships advance to PBA World Championship cashers round; top five American and top five international players advance to USA vs. The World team competition.

 

Friday, March 15

(Contested on 43-foot Earl Anthony lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Cashers Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. - PBA World Championship Cashers Round 2, 5 games

      Top 16 qualifiers after 40 games advance to round robin match play

 

Saturday, March 16

(Contested on 43-foot Earl Anthony lane oiling pattern)

9 a.m. – PBA World Championship Round Robin Match Play, 8 games

3 p.m. - PBA World Championship Round Robin Match Play, 8 games

      Top 5 qualifiers after 56 games advance to FS1 stepladder finals, Thursday, March 21, 8 p.m.

 

Sunday, March 17

4 p.m. – WSOB X Pro-Am

 

Monday, March 18

(Contested on 33-foot Cheetah lane oiling pattern)

Noon – Cheetah Championship Round of 16 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

3 p.m. – Cheetah Championship Round of 8 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

8 p.m. - Cheetah Championship Finals (live on FS1)

      Match 1 – Four finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

      Semifinal Match – Three finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

      Championship – Two survivors, best of three games (game three is 9th and 10th frame if needed)

 

Tuesday, March 19

(Contested on 39-foot Chameleon lane oiling pattern)

Noon – Chameleon Championship Round of 16 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

3 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Round of 8 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

8 p.m. - Chameleon Championship Finals (live on FS1)

      Match 1 – Four finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

      Semifinal Match – Three finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

      Championship – Two survivors, best of three games (game three is 9th and 10th frame if needed)

 

Wednesday, March 20

(Contested on 42-foot Scorpion lane oiling pattern)

Noon – Scorpion Championship Round of 16 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

3 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Round of 8 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

8 p.m. - Scorpion Championship Finals (live on FS1)

      Match 1 – Four finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

      Semifinal Match – Three finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

      Championship – Two survivors, best of three games (game three is 9th and 10th frame if needed)

 

Thursday, March 21

(Contested on 43-foot Earl Anthony lane oiling pattern)

5 p.m. – USA vs. The World team match (top five U.S. qualifiers for PBA World Championship vs. top five international qualifiers, best of three Baker scoring team matches (taped to air on FS1 on Friday, March 22, at 8 p.m.)

8 p.m. – PBA World Championship Stepladder Finals (live on FS1)

 

Friday, March 22

8 p.m. – USA vs. The World telecast (FS1)

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR CENTERS TO HOST QUALIFYING EVENTS FOR U.S. OPEN, U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN

ARLINGTON, Texas – Bowling centers can provide their bowlers the opportunity to earn a spot in the 2019 U.S. Open or 2019 U.S. Women’s Open by hosting a direct-entry qualifying event for these major events.

The 2019 U.S. Open and 2019 U.S. Women’s Open once again will feature direct-entry fields, with players earning their way into the tournaments based on professional tour money lists and finishes at national and international events. The U.S. Open will have a 144-player field while the U.S. Women’s Open features a 108-player field.

For those who do not earn a direct entry, the direct-entry qualifying events will provide bowlers the opportunity to also earn their way into the field.

Request for Proposal (RFP) applications to host a direct-entry qualifier for the 2019 U.S. Open or 2019 U.S. Women’s Open now are available on BOWL.com/USOpenand BOWL.com/USWomensOpen, respectively.

For the U.S. Open, 20 centers will be selected from those who submit an RFP. The U.S. Women’s Open will select eight centers to host direct-entry qualifiers.

Centers must meet certain format requirements, which include having an event with a minimum of nine qualifying games and paying the cost for one spot in the U.S. Open field. As both events are jointly funded by the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA) and United States Bowling Congress (USBC), centers also must be a BPAA member and certified by the USBC.

The deadline for centers to submit an application is Dec. 15, 2018. The direct-entry events must be held no later than May 1, 2019.

For bowlers who do not directly qualify or advance through a direct-qualifying tournament, both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open will hold on-site pre-tournament qualifying events.

The 2019 U.S. Open, the final major of the season on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, will take place Oct. 23-30 at Victory Lanes in Mooresville, North Carolina. Learn more about the event at BOWL.com/USOpen.

The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, a major on the Professional Women’s Bowlers Association (PWBA) Tour is set for June 16-23 at Texas Station in Las Vegas. More information can be found at BOWL.com/USWomensOpen and additional information about the PWBA can be found at PWBA.com.

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 69 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; IBC Youth Development; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL LIFT ANNOUNCEMENT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the mentor-mentee pairs for the inaugural class of the LIFT (Leaders Inspiring Future Talent) Mentorship Program. The mission of the program is to build continuous lines of communication and support for female professionals in Minor League Baseball, develop the next generation of women executives and continue to retain qualified professionals in the baseball industry. The formation of the LIFT Mentorship Program was announced in August.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Vice President and Assistant General Manager Katie Beekman is serving as a mentor in this new program and will work with Ayla Acosta of the Winston-Salem Dash.  Acosta is a Corporate Partnership Representative who just completed her third season with the Dash.

Mentees (individuals working in the MiLB industry for fewer than four years, also known as LIFTees) are paired with mentors (females working in the industry for more than four years, also known as LIFTers) with whom their application matched based on a series of in-depth analyses including current job responsibilities, long-term career goals and work history.

The 2019 LIFT Mentorship Program Class pairings, with mentor followed by mentee, are as follows:

• Abby Naas, Columbia Fireflies and Melissa Balbach, Daytona Tortugas
• Andrea Williams, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and Kelsey Carter, Bowie Baysox
• Angela Deke, Springfield Cardinals and Sierra Todd, Amarillo Sod Poodles
• Angela Olivas, El Paso Chihuahuas and Carly McCullough, Boise Hawks
• Ann Shively, Tri-City Dust Devils and Laura Warnock, Omaha Storm Chasers
• Anne Mapson, Lexington Legends and Christine Bowling, Stockton Ports
• Ashley Grotte, Harrisburg Senators and Veronica Hernandez, Modesto Nuts
• Baylor Nicole Love, Tennessee Smokies and Arielle Roth, Lakewood Blue Claws
• Carrie Adams, Minor League Baseball and Ashlea LaPlant, Everett AquaSox
• Christy Buchar, Erie SeaWolves and Mikayla Leroue, Boise Hawks
• Courtney Nehls, Minor League Baseball and Madeline Hamada, Fresno Grizzlies
• Danielle Gaw, Nashville Sounds and Jenny Katlein, Frisco RoughRiders
• Donna Kirby, Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Amanda Medlin, Greenville Drive
• Emily Jaenson, Reno Aces and Rachael DiLeonardo, Midland RockHounds
• Emily Williams, Sacramento River Cats and Courtney LeSueur, Birmingham Barons
• Janell Bullock, Down East Wood Ducks and Alison Streicher, Lakeland Flying Tigers
• Jen Yorko, Lake County Captains and Ashley Paxton, Las Vegas 51s
• Jenna Byrnes, Oklahoma City Dodgers and Julia McNeil, Lowell Spinners
• Jennifer Reynolds, Visalia Rawhide and Jacqueline Holm, Quad Cities River Bandits
• Jessica Muzevuca, West Michigan Whitecaps and Kate Lewis, El Paso Chihuahuas
• Kathi Beckman, Dunedin Blue Jays and Samantha Stawarz, New Hampshire Fisher Cats
• Kathryne Buckley, Frisco RoughRiders and Shelby Kirkes, Oklahoma City Dodgers
• Katie Beekman, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and Ayla Acosta, Winston-Salem Dash
• Kim Parker, Burlington Bees and Betsy Haugh, Pulaski Yankees
• Kim Stoebick, Indianapolis Indians and Roxanne Grundmeier, Northwest Arkansas Naturals
• Kirsten Boye, Lakewood BlueClaws and Abby Kappel, Rocky Mountain Vibes
• Kristin Call, Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Anastasia Hamilton, Gwinnett Stripers
• Lisa Turner, Biloxi Shuckers and Julie Hershkowitz, Pawtucket Red Sox
• Melissa Harkavy, Las Vegas 51s and Cassie Tomasello, Carolina Mudcats
• Michelle Skinner, Tri-City ValleyCats and Jen Anderson, Hillsboro Hops
• Rachelle Madrigal, Bradenton Marauders and Megan Smithers, Charlotte Knights
• Samantha Saccoia-Beggs, Pawtucket Red Sox and Samantha Fletcher, Portland Sea Dogs
• Tiffany Wardynski, Great Lakes Loons and Hayden Barnack, Indianapolis Indians
• Whitney Campbell, Fresno Grizzlies and Stephanie Chapman, Biloxi Shuckers

The LIFT Mentorship Program was created by the Women in Baseball Leadership Committee, which hosts events and develops programs to bring together female professionals from the baseball industry. Women who have chosen careers in professional baseball can interact with and obtain guidance from each other to develop their careers, enhance their professional skills and build their individual networks.

The next industry event hosted by Minor League Baseball and the Women in Baseball Leadership Committee will be the 11th annual Women in Baseball Leadership Event at the 2018 Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

SWB RailRiders set to make major event announcement on December 6

Club set to add national event that will bring fans and added revenue to NEPA

 

MOOSIC, PA (November 27, 2018) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, will make a major announcement on Thursday, December 6, at 7:00 P.M.  Members of the media are invited to attend the RailRiders sponsor holiday party as the club announces a national event coming to PNC Field.

 

Local and state dignitaries, club owners and representatives of the Yankees are slated to be on hand for this announcement.  The holiday party begins at 5:30 P.M. in the Legends Club Suite Level at PNC Field.  Business casual attire is suggested, but not required. 

 

For more information or to RSVP, contact Adam Marco via email or by calling (570) 969-BALL.

PBA Spare Shots

 

PBA, SLAPITON OFFER NEW LINE OF CUSTOM WALL DECALS IN TIME FOR HOLIDAYS

The PBA and SlapItOn, a company that produces custom vinyl wall decals of sports stars, have entered into a licensing agreement to create a line of decals featuring a number of PBA and PBA50 stars in time for the holiday season.

 

The large vinyl decals come as 3.5 x 4-foot sheets that feature removable action figures that readily attach to most smooth, flat surfaces. No adhesive is required. The decals are safe on walls, and can be removed and moved without difficulty. Quality vinyl also makes them stand up well to wear-and-tear.

 

"SlapItOn is extremely excited to be partnering with the PBA Tour, an association that has been around for 60 years,” said SlapItOn CEO Mike Vanderjagt. “We are bringing the fans of bowlers worldwide, a cool product that they can SlapItOn anywhere!"

 

To check out the roster of PBA and PBA50 players available, visit: https://slapiton.us/collections/pba. The website also offers a variety of other products.

 

WATCH WORLD BOWLING MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS ON FLOBOWLING

PBA fans can watch many of PBA’s top stars from around the world as they compete in singles, doubles, trios, five-man team and Masters competitions in the World Bowling Men’s Championships Sunday through Wednesday, Dec. 1-5, at SCAA Bowling Center in Hong Kong. Semifinal and finals rounds will be live-streamed by Xtra Frame on FloBowling, and archived for same-day access at more favorable time slots for American viewers.

 

Competition will include singles qualifying Sunday-Monday, Nov. 25-26; doubles qualifying Tuesday-Wednesday, Nov. 27-28; trios qualifying Thursday-Friday, Nov. 29-30; five-man team qualifying plus singles semifinals and finals, Saturday, Dec. 1; five-man team qualifying plus doubles semifinals and finals, Sunday, Dec. 2; five-man team qualifying, all-events medal presentations and trios semifinals and finals, Monday, Dec. 3; Masters match play and five-man team semifinals and finals, Tuesday, Dec. 4, and masters match play, semifinals and finals, Wednesday, Dec. 5.

 

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE:  FOY WINS SECOND REGIONAL TITLE IN MARYLAND

Two-handed player Tim Foy Jr. of Seaford, Del., earned his second career PBA Regional title when he defeated Gary Haines of West Babylon, N.Y., 189-178, in the title match of the PBA Bowlers Discount Eastern Open presented by Track at Terrace Lanes in Frederick, Md., Sunday.

 

Haines, who was also looking for his second regional title, chose to finish the match last on the right lane. After Foy failed to strike in his 10th frame, Haines needed to post a strike/spare to win, but his first shot went high, resulting in a split. Foy, whose previous win came in 2014, earned $2,500.

 

In the semifinal matches, Foy defeated Jeff Ripic of Apalachin, N.Y., 200-169, while Haines eliminated Ryan Ciminelli of Clarence, N.Y., 220-212.

 

● Lee Brosius of Ashburn, Va., defeated Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pa., 633-589, in the three-game total pinfall title match to win his sixth PBA Regional title in the PBA50 PlyGems Windows Rocky Mount South Open at Rocky Mount (Va.) Bowling Center Sunday.

 

After eliminating Bill Vannoy of Jacksonville, N.C., 597-517, in the three-game semifinal round, Brosius rolled games of 227-181, 201-222 and 205-186 for his 44-pin win over Bower for the title after Bower advanced thanks in part to a 10th frame open by Joe Scarborough of Charlotte, N.C., 564-552, in their semifinal match.

 

● Headlining the Thanksgiving weekend will be the Beaumont Southwest Open at Crossroads Bowling Center in Beaumont, Texas.

 

● The November PBA Regional calendar comes to a close over the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 weekend with the Knob Hill/MJK Pro Shop Challenge (a non-champions event) presented by Brunswick at Knob Hill Country Lanes in Manalapan, N.J.; the PBA50 Victory Lanes Midwest Open presented by Allstate in Kankakee, Ill.; and the re-scheduled Break Point Alley Member/Non-Member Doubles in Tavares, Fla.

 

● 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 and Android device users using the PBA app).

 

QUICK NOTES:

PBA CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark was a special guest on the Brandstorm podcast, discussing the modernization of the PBA. To list to the podcast, click here: https://www.platypus-ad.com/brandstorm/episode-56-modernizing-the-professional-bowlers-association-with-commissioner-tom-clark/

 

Andrew Anderson, Kamron Doyle Win 2018 PBA Top Player Honors

Tom Smallwood earns Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award; Chris Barnes wins Tony Reyes Memorial Award

 

AUSTIN, Texas  – Second-year Professional Bowlers Association member Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., has been selected as the 2018 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, and 20-year-old Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, Tenn., has won 2018 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year honors, PBA CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark announced Tuesday.

 

In a live-stream presentation airing on Xtra Frame on FloBowling, Clark also announced Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., has been selected by his fellow Go Bowling! PBA Tour competitors as winner of the 2018 Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award while 2018 PBA Hall of Fame inductee Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, has been selected as the PBA Tony Reyes Memorial Community Service Award winner.

 

Anderson and Doyle will be recognized on national television during the PBA Clash telecast that will air on FOX on Sunday, Dec. 23. Smallwood and Barnes will receive their awards during the PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies that will be live-streamed by Xtra Frame on FloBowling on Saturday, Jan. 5, from the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas.

 

Anderson, a 23-year-old right-hander who is still pursuing a degree in elementary education, returned to Go Bowling! PBA Tour competition in 2018 highly motivated after not being selected to participate in the PBA League Elias Cup competition and won a pair of titles: the United States Bowling Congress Masters (his first major) and the Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open on his way to winning the 2018 Harry Smith PBA Points Leader award. He cashed in 16 of the 19 events he entered and had five top-five finishes, including a third-place finish in the PBA Tournament of Champions. He is the second-youngest player ever to win the award, behind only the late Billy Hardwick who was 22 when he was selected as PBA’s first Player of the Year in 1963.

 

Anderson out-distanced runner-up EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., the 2016 Player of the Year, and Dom Barrett of England in voting by his fellow PBA members and veteran bowling writers. In one of the most balanced seasons in recent memory, 12 players qualified by rule to make the Player of the Year ballot and 10 of the candidates received votes.

 

Doyle also dominated voting, winning “rookie” honors easily over Thailand’s Annop Arromsaranon, the only first-year PBA member to win a title (the PBA-World Bowling Tour Busan Cup in South Korea). Doyle cashed in seven of the 15 events he entered, and had a personal-best third-place finish in the Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic in Middletown, Del.

 

Doyle’s arrival into the PBA Tour ranks has been highly-anticipated since 2010 when he became the youngest bowler ever to cash in a PBA Regional tournament at the age of 12, followed by becoming the youngest bowler ever to cash in the U.S. Open two years later as a 5-foot-5, 105-pound, 14-year-old eighth grader.

 

Smallwood, a 41-year-old country music fan and avid deer hunter, is one of a handful of PBA Tour players to win the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award more than once. The 2016 Nagy recipient has earned the admiration of his fellow players despite his quiet, unassuming ability to beat them when the pressure is on. His three PBA Tour titles include a pair of majors: an historic win in the 2009 PBA World Championship after losing his job in the auto industry, and a pressure-packed four-match climb to the title in the 2018 Barbasol PBA Players Championship. He has four additional top-five finishes in majors among his 23 career championship round appearances.

 

The Nagy sportsmanship award has been presented annually since 1966, the year of Nagy’s death, honoring his memory as a PBA Hall of Famer and founding member whose guidance in the PBA’s formation years was considered critical to the tour’s success.

 

Barnes, and his wife, PWBA champion and USBC Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes, have been in a “give back” frame of mind for years. For starters, the Chris Barnes Thanksgiving Classic has awarded more than 260 youth bowlers with more than $200,000 in scholarship assistance since its first event in 2004. Across the years, more than 3,200 young bowlers have participated in the annual holiday event.

 

Even more noticeable has been his involvement in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since the couple’s son, Troy, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2008. Chris and Lynda played a key role in the formation of Strike Out Diabetes within six months of Troy’s diagnosis, and they have devoted non-stop attention to the JDRF efforts ever since, raising more than $375,000 to assist with creating awareness and advancing education in the fight against juvenile diabetes.

The PBA Tony Reyes Memorial Community Service Award was founded in 2013 to recognize charitable or community service projects undertaken by an active PBA member. The award is named in honor of the PBA Tour champion who lost his life in an automobile accident in 2012.

TEAM USA MEN HEADED TO HONG KONG FOR 2018 WORLD MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Team USA men are on their way to the 2018 World Bowling Men's Championships, where they are the defending champions in the coveted five-player team event and in doubles.
The two players who were part of both winning efforts - 16-time team member Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and 11-time team member Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina - will lead Team USA's six-competitor contingent into Hong Kong's South China Athletic Centre and look to add to the success they've had together at the World Championships.
The event kicks off with official practice and an opening ceremony Nov. 24, and singles competition will get underway the following morning. Bowlers from 50 countries will compete for medals in singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters competition, before the tournament concludes Dec. 5.
The Team USA veterans will be joined in Hong Kong by their 2017 gold-medal-winning teammate Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Arizona, and a trio of World Championships first-timers - Andrew Anderson of Holly, Michigan; EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana; and Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, North Carolina.
All six players recently wrapped up successful seasons on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, and Troup is fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2018 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in his Team USA debut.
"Probably more so this year, with such an incredibly talented group, I knew I needed to come in and have a good training camp, if I was going to get selected for the World Championships," said Barnes, who has earned 15 medals in World Championships competition and an additional gold medal at the World Singles Championships. "It was an honor to get picked and get to play in the World Championships again. I've had a few chances at these now, and I understand how special they are, especially at this stage in my career."
On the way to becoming two of the most decorated players in the Team USA history, Barnes and Jones have been staples at the World Championships since 2008, when professionals first were allowed to compete.
They'll now share the stage together for the sixth consecutive time. In their five previous visits, they've collected 25 medals. Their success includes helping the United States to three team titles (2008, 2010 and 2017), while also striking gold in doubles in 2017 in their first time as partners at the event.
"Our expectation each time we put on the red, white and blue is to win," said Jones, who has won 10 medals at the World Championships and an additional silver medal in World Singles Championships competition. "If we do our jobs to the best of our ability, we should have another successful year. The feeling you get from standing on that podium and hearing the national anthem is hard to put into words."
Hong Kong already is a special place for Jones, as that's where he was when he put on a Team USA shirt for the first time.

At the 1996 World Bowling Youth Championships, he rolled the first perfect game in tournament history and went on to collect three medals. The experience helped shape him as a competitor and teammate, and he still holds onto the things he learned that year from Mike Mullin, Jeremy Sonnenfeld and Robert Smith.

Jones will have the opportunity to pay that forward in Hong Kong this year.
"Team bowling is so different, and there's nothing like bowling for your country," Jones said. "That year, and those guys, taught me how special it was because it's something you're doing together."
Butturff was on the receiving end of some of that wisdom last year as he joined Jones and Barnes for Team USA's fourth team gold medal in its last six opportunities. The memorable win came just after Butturff, a first-time team member, had captured the 2017 QubicaAMF World Cup title.
The momentum of his successful week at the World Cup added confidence, but he also knew the team environment would be quite a bit different.
The young left-hander admits to feeling some nerves heading into the 2017 World Championships because of the magnitude of the event and getting to represent the United States with hall-of-fame-caliber teammates.
The chance to now return to the tournament as a defending champion comes with a completely different set of feelings and some advice of his own for the three World Championships first-timers.
"There definitely were nerves last year, even with it being in Las Vegas and with us being the host country," Butturff said. "I think I over-analyzed it all, and it ended up being a little bit of a struggle, but that has pushed me to want to do much better this time. It's just about making the best shots you can and not forgetting to enjoy the journey. It takes a lot of work to get there, so enjoy the whole experience."
Barnes' perspective on bowling and the World Championships, as well as his role on the team, is much different than when he competed in the event for the first time in 1995, and he'll now get to share his decades of experience with three players seeing the tournament for the first time.
"Everybody experiences things in their own ways, but I'd certainly be happy to offer anything I can from my own experiences to help shorten the path to being completely comfortable on this stage," Barnes added. "We had some of that last year, but the guys stepped up and performed at a world-championship level to take home the gold medal. Ultimately, even the younger players have excelled at many big events, so they've shown they can perform regardless of the environment or pressure."
The 2017 World Championships was a combined event - men and women - something that happens every four years. The last World Men's Championships took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2014. Team USA left that event without a gold medal.
All qualifying rounds at the 2018 World Men's Championships will be livestreamed by World Bowling, while all medal rounds will be broadcast to the United States and Canada by FloBowling. A FloBowling subscription will be required to watch the medal rounds.
The 50 countries scheduled to participate this year in Hong Kong include: Afganistan, Australia, Belarus, Bermuda, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau (China), Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
For more information on the 2018 World Men's Championships, visit 2018wmc.worldbowling.org.
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.

 

 

CME Group Tour Championship

Tiburon Golf Club | Naples, Fla. | Nov. 12-18, 2018

Fourth-Round Notes (Updated with Statistics Attached)

Nov. 18, 2018

Course Setup: 36-36—72, 6,457 yards (R4 scoring average: 71.804)

Weather: Partly to mostly cloudy with a high of 83; winds NE to ENE at 6-11 mph

 

Quick Links:

• Leaderboard
• Transcripts
• Online Media Center (groupings, statistics, hole locations, yardages, etc.)
• Monday Box (statistics for the full four-year history of the CME Group Tour Championship)

	Player	To Par	Score
1	Lexi Thompson	-18	65-67-68-70 (270)
2	Nelly Korda	-14	69-67-67-71 (274)
T3	Brittany Lincicome	-13	64-71-73-67 (275)
T3	So Yeon Ryu	-13	69-69-69-68 (275)

 

THOMPSON WINS CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

With one stroke of her putter, Lexi Thompson erased two seasons of bad memories and brought a glorious smile to her face. With a final-round 2-under 70, Thompson captured the CME Group Tour Championship at 18-under 270, earning a four-stroke win over second-place Nelly Korda.

“It's been a long year. Just the up and downs and just the things I've been dealing with, they all kind of hit me this year,” said Thompson, who spoke openly of her battles with personal demons throughout the year. “To be able to end the year like this and just keep on fighting throughout the whole year has meant the world to me. Just shows anything is possible. You have to fight through whatever you're going through.”

Thompson entered the day three strokes clear of Korda and held that advantage for much of the fourth round. Playing with Thompson and Carlota Ciganda in the final group, Korda pulled within two with a birdie at No. 13. But Thompson’s birdie at No. 14, combined with Korda’s bogey, gave Thompson a four-stroke advantage.

After putting her approach to No. 18 within 6 feet, Thompson converted a two-putt par and earned her first victory of 2018 in the year’s final event.

“I kind of just wanted to think to myself the whole day, just keep on making birdies, keep on going for the pins like you have been the last three days, and don't worry about other players,” said Thompson, who extended her winning streak to six years, the longest active streak on the LPGA Tour. “Just focus on yourself and keep on doing what you have been the last three days.”

JUTANUGARN CAPTURES RACE FOR THE CME GLOBE, SWEEPS SEASON AWARDS

It’s safe to say that Ariya Jutanugarn just completed one of the most stunning seasons in LPGA history. The young Thai, currently No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, won the Race to the CME Globe and the $1 million bonus that goes to that winner. She also won the Vare Trophy with a scoring average of 69.415, the LEADERS Top 10 competition with 17 top-10 finishes and the Money title at $2,667,983 and set single-season records in rounds in the 60s (57) and birdies (470).

Not too shabby. But the humble young player, as usual, deflected all the accolades in preference of the mental strides she has made over the last few years.

“Of course, I want to win the tournament. When you look at all the trophy, of course I want to win everything if I can,” said Jutanugarn, who earned three victories in 2018. “But when I keep thinking about that it's never helps me to get it. Since like last year when I start to thinking become world number, I try to win more tournament, it's getting worse all the time. So this year is mainly just work on that. I achieve my goal this year a lot.”

KORDA DELIVERS RUNNER-UP PERFORMANCE

Entering the final day of the LPGA Tour season in the final pairing at the CME Group Tour Championship, Nelly Korda remained in the hunt until a tough break on the par-4 13th.

After a birdie on No. 12 brought her within two shots of leader Lexi Thompson at -15, a two-shot swing on No. 13, where Thompson found birdie and Korda made bogey, ultimately proved to be the deciding factor.

“I played pretty solid, just made a couple mistakes,” said Korda. “Lexi played really well, really solid today. I think she hit probably almost every green. She made I think just two mistakes but bounced back really fast. I was just thinking take it shot by shot. I made a really bad mistake after that birdie and she just kind of ran with it after that.”

Nonetheless, Korda wraps up a season where she stepped into the winner’s circle for the first time in her young LPGA career and captured a total of nine top-15 finishes.

LINCICOME CLOSES STRONG FOR TOP-FIVE FINISH TO END SEASON

After struggling to find her rhythm in the third round, Brittany Lincicome rebounded nicely with a 5-under 67 to conclude the CME Group Tour Championship in a tie for third with So Yeon Ryu at 13-under overall.

“To finish top-five going into the offseason, obviously I made a few extra dollars because I'm not playing until January, but I feel pretty good about it,” said Lincicome said after her seventh top-10 performance of the year. “It was just nice, I held it together. Going into the off-season now and knowing I held it together and didn't bogey a few holes coming in will make me feel better.”

While Lincicome’s putting was not up to her standard in the middle two rounds, she took a different approach this afternoon to regain some confidence and kept her eyes off the leaderboard to avoid any distraction.

“I normally putt cross-hand when I'm under pressure and feel like my stroke isn't going to be good, and today I did more conventional,” said Lincicome, who averaged 28 putts per round at Tiburon Golf Club. “I did the short ones cross-hand, like inside 3 feet, and then all the other ones I did mostly conventional. Also, a couple holes I was trying not to look at the leaderboard because it just stresses me out and I try to do things I shouldn’t.”

QUIET YET STEADY WEEK FOR RYU

Perhaps the most under-the-radar name near the top of the leaderboard was the Republic of Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, who quietly notched four rounds in the 60s and finished tied for third. With a victory at the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and a UL International Crown title under her belt in 2018, Ryu looks back at her year as one of great triumph and much learning.

“I had a good time and bad time this year, but I guess most of the time was good time,” said Ryu, the only player this week with four rounds in the 60s. “The biggest thing I learned this year was I really have to be myself. I cannot really take everybody's opinion. I think that's one of the biggest lessons I had. Well, I've won once, but I'm looking forward to have more multiple winning for 2019.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 8 Lexi Thompson (65-67-68-70, -18)

• Thompson is playing in her fifth CME Group Tour Championship; her best finish is T2 in 2017
• She also played in the 2013 CME Group Titleholders held at Tiburon Golf Club
• She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• This was Thompson’s 20th event of the 2018 season; she has six other top-10 finishes, with a best previous finish of T2 at the Honda LPGA Thailand
• Today’s win extends her yearly winning streak to six years (2013-2018), the longest active streak on the LPGA Tour
• Thompson is the 26th different winner of the 2018 LPGA season and the ninth American to reach the winner’s circle

Rolex Rankings No. 33 Nelly Korda (69-67-67-71, -14)

• Korda is playing in her second CME Group Tour Championship, finishing T8 in 2017
• She hit 13 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
• This was Korda’s 22nd event of the 2018 season; she became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship presented by CTBC and has five other top-10 finishes

CME GROUP CARES WEEKENDS EAGLES

CME Group Cares Weekends is a season-long charitable giving program that turns eagles into donations. For each eagle recorded during weekend play (Saturday and Sunday) throughout the 2018 LPGA Tour season, CME Group donates $1,000 to the program’s total donation count. At the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, the stakes are even higher, as the donation has been raised to a generous $5,000 per eagle. The money raised will go toward a charitable pool and be split evenly between Wounded Warrior Project® and Bright Pink®.

The weekend at the CME Group Tour Championship saw eight eagles, which translates to $40,000. Overall, the program raised $302,000 in 2018.

STATISTICAL NOTES AND UPDATES

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE FINAL STANDINGS

Ariya Jutanugarn wins the Race to the CME Globe by a margin of 1550 points over Brooke Henderson.

Player	Pre-Rank	Post-R. 1	Post-R. 2	Post-R. 3	Pos-R. 4	Reset Points	Final Points
Ariya Jutanugarn	1	2	1	1	1	5000	6750
Minjee Lee	2	3	3	T4	5	4750	4930
Brooke Henderson	3	4	2	2	2	4500	5200
Nasa Hataoka	4	1	4	T4	3	4250	5100
Sung Hyun Park	5	6	5	7	6	4000	4400
Sei Young Kim	6	5	7	6	7	3600	4300
Jin Young Ko	7	11	11	13	14	3200	3200
So Yeon Ryu	8	8	9	3	4	2800	5050
Moriya Jutanugarn	9	15	15	14	15	2400	2400
Lydia Ko	10	12	16	11	9	2100	3850
Marina Alex	11	13	8	10	10	1800	3550
Carlota Ciganda	12	10	12	9	11	1600	3350

 

VARE TROPHY UPDATE

Ariya Jutanugarn wins the 2018 Vare Trophy by 0.332 over Minjee Lee, earning her a point toward entrance into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.

	Entering Week	After R. 1	After R. 2	After R. 3	After R. 4	Difference
Ariya Jutanugarn	69.431	69.437	69.452	69.448	69.415	-
Minjee Lee	69.642	69.646	69.701	69.745	69.747	0.332
Jin Young Ko	69.596	69.689	69.714	69.75	69.806	0.391

 

STATISTICAL RECORDS FOR ARIYA JUTANUGARN

ROUNDS IN THE 60S: Jutanugarn’s 57 rounds in the 60s this year are the most in a season in LPGA history.

57	Ariya Jutanugarn	2018
55	Ariya Jutanugarn	2016
51	Lorena Ochoa	2004
50	Moriya Jutanugarn	2017
50	Stacy Lewis	2014

 

SUB-PAR ROUNDS: Jutanugarn’s 80 sub-par rounds this year is tied for the third-most sub-par rounds in a season in LPGA history. Jutanugarn broke her previous record for most sub-par rounds in a season (74 in 2016).

85	Stacy Lewis	2014
83	Brooke Henderson	2016
80	Brooke Henderson	2017
80	Ariya Jutanugarn	2018
77	Moriya Jutanugarn	2017

 

BIRDIES: Jutanugarn entered the week having made 448 birdies. Jutanugarn’s 22 birdies made at the CME Group Tour Championship gives her a total of 470 birdies made in 2018, surpassing the LPGA record of 469 birdies in a season (set by herself in 2016).

470	Ariya Jutanugarn	2018
469	Ariya Jutanugarn	2016
460	Stacy Lewis	2014
455	Brooke Henderson	2016
442	Lorena Ochoa	2004

 

TOP 10S: With a top-10 finish at the CME Group Tour Championship, Jutanugarn breaks her career top-10 record of 16 in a season in 2016. In 2018, Jutanugarn recorded 17 top-10 finishes, averaging a top-10 finish every 1.65 events played. 

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

18 holes: 62, Lydia Ko, 2016

36 holes: 132, Sung Hyun Park, 2017; Lydia Ko, 2016; Lexi Thompson, 2018

54 holes: 200, Lexi Thompson, 2018

72 holes: 269, Charley Hull, 2016