PBA Spare Shots

KOIVUNIEMI MOVES INTO THIRD ON ALL-TIME SINGLE-SEASON EARNINGS LIST
Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich., became the first player in Professional Bowlers Association history to reach the televised finals in all four major championships in a single season when he advanced to the finals in the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open Sunday at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J.

While he lost in the title match to Norm Duke, the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions winner added $40,000 to his season earnings total, bringing his 2010-11 total to $325,940 – third highest in PBA history with two tournaments remaining on the schedule.

The PBA single-season earnings record is $419,700 by Walter Ray Williams Jr.. set during the 2002-03 season. Patrick Allen’s $358,740 during the 2004-05 season is second on the list. Tommy Jones ($301,700 in 2005-06) is the only other player to exceed $300,000 in earnings for one full year.

Koivuniemi also is in position to win the 2010-11 George Young Memorial High Average Award. He leads the pack with a 222.59 average for 256 games. Fellow Finn Osku Palermaa is currently second at 221.91, but has only bowled 154 games. Bill O’Neill is third with a 220.46 average for 256 games.

O’NEILL LEADS POINTS RACE HEADING INTO DICK WEBER PBA PLAYOFFS
O’Neill, who also is having a brilliant year, is the Harry Smith Point Leader with 133,313 points. Koivuniemi is second with 124,517 points.

This week’s Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship at AMF Thruway Lanes in Cheektowaga, N.Y., is the final points event prior to the new Dick Weber PBA Playoffs at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis March 8-13. The top six in points at the end of the Plastic Ball Championship will receive three “byes” in the unique PBA Playoffs event. In addition to O’Neill and Koivuniemi, Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Sean Rash and Jason Belmonte are in the top six in points.

The next six players in points will earn two “byes” in the PBA Playoffs.. Norm Duke, Mike DeVaney, Dan MacLelland, Michael Haugen Jr., Osku Palermaa and Wes Malott are in the lead for those spots. Players ranking 13-18 in points will earn one bye in the Playoffs. Tom Smallwood, Mike Fagan, Pete Weber, Ryan Shafer, Ronnie Russell and Scott Norton held those spots heading into the Mark Roth event, with Ritchie Allen and Lonnie Waliczek next in line.

The top 72 in Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour points are guaranteed spots in the PBA Playoffs. For a complete points list and other stats as of Feb. 27, visit pba.com and click on the “statistics” tab.

DUKE ADDS 304 STRIKES TO “STRIKES FOR SY” TOTAL DURING U.S. OPEN
U.S. Open champion Norm Duke, who has been throwing “Strikes for Sy” since the PBA Tournament of Champions, added 304 strikes to his total during the demanding U.S. Open, bringing his four-event total to 936. Duke is helping raise money for Sy Harger, a four-year-old who lives near Duke’s home in Clermont, Fla., who suffers from Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a rare medical condition which prevents him from eating solid foods.

Duke’s “Strikes for Sy” campaign asks people to pledge a specific amount for each strike Duke rolls for the rest of the season. If you would like to support of Duke’s effort, visit http://www.strikesforsy.com/. To view a video about the project, visit nextlevelbowling.com.

QUICK NOTES
Ryan Shafer extended his PBA record for most television appearances in PBA major championships without a title to 12 in the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open. Shafer finished fourth Sunday at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J…Speaking of Shafer, the 25-year PBA Tour veteran and reigning Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner has been one of the most popular news media stories of the past two seasons, relaying the story of how he has succeeded as an athlete afflicted with Type I diabetes since age 19.

Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s streak of 17 consecutive seasons with at least one title is in jeopardy with two tournaments remaining on the 2010-11 schedule. Williams’ brilliant career was the subject of a full-length feature story by John Branch that appeared in the front page of the New York Times sports section on Thursday, Feb. 24. Branch’s feature, along with dozens of other stories generated by the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open, can be found on pba.com by clicking on the “In The News” tab.

After winning the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open, Norm Duke has opted to take a week off and is bypassing the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship. But Wes Malott, who declined to bowl in the first two Plastic Ball Championships, is in this year’s field. Malott, you may recall, was the topic of a discussion on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” about the “throwback technology” event two years ago and wound up bowling a “plastic ball” challenge match against PTI’s Michael Wilbon. Wilbon, with a friendly handicap assist, defeated Malott in their match.

Tiffany Rios, who had just been “cut” in the Los Angeles semifinal round of American Idol auditions, sang the National Anthem prior to Saturday night’s ESPN2 coverage of U.S. Open competition at Brunswick Zone-Carolier. Rios is a New Jersey resident.