PBA Spare Shots

SCROGGINS WINS IN ODESSA FOR BACK-TO-BACK SOUTHWEST REGIONAL TITLES
Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, dominated the field to win his 36th PBA Regional title at the sixth annual PBA Southwest Region Odessa Open at Diamond Lanes in Odessa, Texas, on Nov. 14, for his second straight PBA Southwest victory.

Scroggins bowled a pair of 300 games in recording a 13-3 match play record and 7,274 pins, including match play bonus pins, to top fellow Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt player Nathan Bohr of Wichita, Kan., by 89 pins to win the $2,200 first prize. Scroggins had won the Farmington Open a week earlier in New Mexico.

In the PBA East Region, Jason Stadtler of Cherry Hill, N.J., struck out in the 10th frame to edge Mike Hastings of Millsboro, Del., 238-237, to win the PBA East Region Ebonite/Ft. Meade Open at The Lanes Ft. Meade, Md., on Nov. 14. Stadtler not only won $2,500 along with his second career PBA Regional title, but locked up a spot in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs to be held in Indianapolis next March.

The Ft. Meade event honored Dean Ryan, a long-time PBA regional member who is retiring as Ft. Meade facility manager at the end of the year. Ryan, a former Pat Patterson Award recipient, has hosted 10 regional events at The Lanes at Ft. Meade.

Also notching back-to-back victories was Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., who defeated Scott Lindsey of Omaha, Neb., 267-242, to win the PBA Midwest Region’s 7G Senior Open 1, the first half of a Senior doubleheader at Lancer Lanes in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The title won on Nov. 13 was Traber’s third of the year in the PBA Midwest Region and his 46th overall PBA Regional title. He earned $1,200 along with his title.

On Sunday, Greg Shields of Independence, Mo., defeated Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 236-216, to win the Midwest Region’s 7G Senior Open 2. The title was Shields’ first of the year and the second his career. He also earned $1,200.

PBA MIDWEST REGIONAL STAR JEFF RICHGELS ELECTED TO USBC HALL OF FAME
Long-time PBA Midwest Regional star Jeff Richgels, 48, Oregon, Wis., has been elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in a newly-created Outstanding USBC Performance category, which was created to recognize efforts by bowlers in USBC championship events. Richgels, who had previously appeared on USBC’s superior performance ballot nine times, is a 29-time PBA regional winner, a four-time USBC Open Championships titlist and the only player in the event’s history to bowl a 90 clean-frame all-events series.

The USBC Hall of Fame Committee also elected former Women’s International Bowling Congress Executive Director Roseann Kuhn and four-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association titlist Cheryl Robinson in the meritorious service and veterans categories, respectively.

The superior performance candidates who will be considered by a national panel of bowling industry leaders, veteran bowling writers and USBC hall of famers include Del Ballard Jr., Keller, Texas; David Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.; Amleto Monacelli, Barquisimeto, Venezuela; David Ozio, Beaumont, Texas; Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio.; and Tom Baker, King, N.C. The women's ballot has Dede Davidson, Buellton, Calif., and Carol Gianotti, Perth, Australia.

USBC’s 2011 hall of fame induction ceremonies will be held on July 1 in Grapevine, Texas.

“THE ROAD TO THE SHOW” SERIES PREVIEWS PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING TELECASTS
With the opening ESPN telecast of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season less than two weeks away, an all-new series of behind-the-scenes insights into the PBA World Series of Bowling telecasts will be video-streamed to PBA’s Xtra Frame customers beginning Monday, Nov. 22, with the inaugural “Road to the Show” episode featuring the Brunswick Pro Bowling Cheetah Championship.

On each Monday to follow through Dec. 22, the “Road” series will air new episodes featuring insights into the Pepsi Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and GEICO Shark Championship finals. On Wednesdays and Fridays during the weeks ahead, Xtra Frame also will feature “Product Spotlights” featuring insight into the latest high-performance products from the PBA’s registered product companies.

As Xtra Frame’s first reality program, the series will include special features, exclusive competition footage from the South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas with player/coach interactions, candid interviews and more.

For insight into PBA competition that only on-site spectators otherwise witness, PBA fans can subscribe to Xtra Frame for $7.99 per month or $64.99 for a full year by visiting pba.com and clicking on the Xtra Frame link. Or visit xtraframe.tv for additional subscription and schedule information.

ESPN’s coverage of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season gets underway Sunday, Nov. 28, at 1 p.m. Eastern with the finals of the Brunswick Pro Bowling Cheetah Championship.

MACPHERSON WINS $121,000 BONUS FOR NATIONALLY-TELEVISED 300 IN JAPAN
USBC Hall of Famer and PBA Women’s Series titlist Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev., made history on the Japanese Professional Bowlers Association Tour on Nov. 14 when she defeated Japan’s Mika Sato, 300-235, to win the ABS Japan Open.

Macpherson, a 20-time PWBA winner before the women’s tour ceased operations in 2003, not only earned roughly US$36,000 for her third JPBA title of the year and the eighth of her career, but she received a $121,000 bonus for her nationally-televised 300 game.

“I never in my life could have imagined,” Macpherson said upon her return to the United States. “You look at the paper and see they are offering 10 million (yen) for a 300 on TV, and we all think, wow, that could be cool. But you know it’ll never happen. I was shocked to find myself in that position.

“I was bowling for the title and after getting the front 11, it’s like, oh my God, I’m bowling for 10 million yen…if I don’t strike, I don’t get anything.

“I had already won the title, but I wanted to win the big bucks. I was very nervous. My heart was beating extremely fast,” he added. “It was not so much pressure, but realizing I’d never again have that opportunity again, so I wanted to give myself the best chance I could to succeed. That tournament was the only one in the entire year that offered a 10 million yen prize for a 300 in the championship match.”

INTERNATIONAL TEAM TOPS U.S. STARS IN PARTYCASINO.COM WEBER CUP
Following the PBA World Series of Bowling, four United States and four international players flew back to England to compete in the 11th annual Partycasino.com Weber Cup, a made-for-television “Ryder Cup” style invitational event. The international team composed of Finland’s Osku Palermaa and Mika Koivuniemi, and England’s Paul Moor and Dominic Barrett defeated the U.S. team of Tim Mack, Pete Weber, Tommy Jones and Chris Barnes, 17-13.

The special event was bowled on a single lane installed inside Barnsley Metrodome near Sheffield, England, creating 30 telecasts that will air internationally on Sky Sports affiliates over the coming months. Over the span of 11 years, the Americans hold a 6-5 lead in Weber Cup competitions.

ENGLAND’S STUART WILLIAMS FINISHES SECOND IN ITALY
England’s Stuart Williams, who was denied entry into the United States due to a visa problem prior to the PBA World Series of Bowling, finished second in the inaugural Ebonite International Tournament Roma in Rome, Italy, on Nov. 14.

Williams, a PBA Tour exempt player, lost the title match to Finland’s Perttu Jussila, 225-188. PBA exempt player Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., led the 320-player field through qualifying, but was eliminated in the quarterfinal round.