Dick Allen Wins PBA Cheetah Championship

for Second Title of the Season

Allen also notches seventh career title in first event of PBA World Series of Bowling X on FS1

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (March 18, 2019) – Dick Allen of Lexington, S.C., defeated Kyle Sherman of O’Fallon, Mo., 234-195, in the title match Monday to win the PBA Cheetah Championship for his second tour title of the season and seventh of his career.

As the first event of PBA World Series of Bowling X, the Cheetah Championship finals telecast was the first of four consecutive live PBA Tour telecasts on FS1 this week from Thunderbowl Lanes.

The 40-year-old Allen, in his 20th year on the Go Bowling! PBA Tour, had things in hand from the start striking on the first five shots and opening up a lead that Sherman could not challenge.

“I just focused on keeping it together and not falling apart,” Allen said. “When you have a good lead you don’t want to let the bad thoughts creep in, or the good thoughts either. Just focus on making the best possible shot every frame and fortunately I was able to do that.”

Allen, who won the PBA Lubbock Sports Open in January, ran his career singles title match record to 5-1 and joined PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke as the only two-time winners this season.

“When I get to TV I’m hard to beat,” Allen said. “It’s a matter of getting here. I wish I could be as effective in the qualifying and match play rounds of tournaments and I then would be here (in the finals) more often.”

Bowling on the PBA 33-foot Cheetah lane condition, the telecast opened with a seeding round that determined the qualifying order for three stepladder matches. Allen earned the top seed for the finals with a 230 game followed by No. 2 qualifier Rhino Page, Orlando, 173; No. 3 qualifier Sherman, 172, and No. 4 qualifier Matt McNiel, Minneapolis, 163.

The four finalists survived Round-of-16 and Round-of-8 best-of-five elimination rounds earlier Monday after qualifying rounds bowled last week to advance to the telecast.

The 25-year-old Sherman burst out of the gate with a 290-152 win over McNiel and then went on to beat Page 229-204 in the semifinal match to advance to the title match against Allen.

Sherman’s second-place finish was his career best in a tour singles event in three seasons as a pro. He finished second with partner Brad Miller in the Mark Roth-Marshall Holman Doubles Championship earlier this season.

Page’s third-place finish was his best of the season. The six-time tour winner also has three fifth-place finishes this season.

McNiel, who finished fourth and has already qualified second for the PBA World Championship finals which will be televised live Thursday on FS1, was making his first PBA Tour televised singles appearance.   

WSOB X competition continues with Round-of-16 and Round-of-8 elimination rounds Tuesday for the PBA Chameleon Championship which will determine the four finalists for the finals telecast at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

After the Scorpion Championship finals Wednesday, the stepladder finals for the World Championship – the season’s third major – will take place Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. WSOB X wraps up with the tape-delayed USA vs. The World team competition Friday also at 8 p.m.

The match play rounds for the Chameleon and Scorpion Championships will be streamed live by FloBowling. For subscription information visit www.flobowling.com.

PBA CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP

Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Monday

Final Standings

1, Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., $20,000

2, Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., $10,000

3, Rhino Page, Orlando, $7,000

4, Matt McNiel, Minneapolis, $6,000

Playoff Results

Seeding Round – Allen, 230; Page, 173; Sherman, 172; McNiel, 163.    

Match 1 - Sherman def. McNiel, 290-152.

Semifinal - Sherman def. Page, 229-204.

Championship – Allen def. Sherman, 234-195.

Round of 8 (winners advance to championship round. Best-of-five matches, losers earned $3,000)

Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., def. Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 3-2 (197-211, 207-223, 232-203, 232-209, 259-214).
Matt McNiel, Minneapolis, Minn., def. Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3-1 (213-217, 214-191, 217-205, 239-161).
Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., def. Dom Barrett, England, 3-1 (279-200, 224-228, 214-189, 248-233).
Rhino Page, Orlando, def. Mykel Holliman, Collierville, Tenn., 3-2 (204-227, 249-236, 248-200, 228-237, 257-208).

Round of 16 (winners advance to Round-of-8. Best-of-five matches, losers earned $1,500)

Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., def. Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo., 3-2 (208-245, 218-221, 264-230, 231-192, 224-177).
Dom Barrett, England, def. David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3-1 (248-174, 215-234, 223-204, 268-201).
Mykel Holliman, Collierville, Tenn., def. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3-1 (213-227, 252-144, 192-151, 279-247).
Rhino Page, Orlando, def. EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 3-0 (288-214, 236-219, 247-232).
Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., def. Darren Tang, Las Vegas, Nev., 3-2 (203-153, 182-223, 237-213, 211-267, 226-224).
Matthew McNiel, Minneapolis, Minn., def. BJ Moore, Greensburg, Pa., 3-0 (268-196, 267-257, 266-175).
Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3-2 (225-234, 228-206, 257-236, 195-205, 193-168).
Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C., def. Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3-2 (189-193, 252-244, 209-234, 227-202, 258-184).