GRAHAM WINS PBA50 EVENT

Ohio’s Eddie Graham Wins PBA50 DeHayes Insurance Group Championship

For First PBA50 Tour Title

Graham outlasts Bob Learns Jr., 186-156, in grueling title match

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Aug. 9, 2016) – Eddie Graham of Centerville, Ohio, joined the PBA50 Tour in June and immediately made an impact by qualifying for match play in eight consecutive tournaments. He parlayed that success into a win in the PBA50 DeHayes Insurance Group Championship presented by Pro Bowl West and Ebonite Tuesday at Pro Bowl West.

In a title match where strikes were hard to come by and spares were good enough, Graham defeated three-time PBA50 Tour and five-time PBA Tour winner Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pa., 186-156, for his first career PBA50 Tour title.

“It was ugly out there for both of us,” said Graham, who has won five PBA regional titles including the 2007 PBA Regional Players Invitational. “I was having problems reading the front part of the lane but eventually I found a place where I could throw the ball soft, let the lane do the work, and at least get the ball to the pocket.”

Graham bowled on the PBA Tour part-time from 1994 to 1998 but didn’t achieve the success he was hoping for. Like many bowlers who turn 50, he saw the PBA50 Tour as an opportunity to relive the dream.

“It was the right time to give it another shot,” said Graham, whose previous best finishes this season were ninth in the recent PBA50 South Shore Open and 12th in the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open. “I’ve been a bowler my whole life so I looked at it as another chapter in my bowling career, and here I am.”

In the opening stepladder match, PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, trying for his second title of the season, defeated Fort Wayne native and two-time PBA50 Player of the Year Ron Mohr, 217-202, who notched his sixth top five finish of the season.

In the second match, Monacelli beat two-time PBA50 Tour winner Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wis., 195-179, to advance to the semifinal match against Graham. Boresch’s fourth-place finish was his third consecutive finals appearance after coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes.

In the semifinal, Graham handily beat Monacelli 257-175 to advance to the title match against Learn who was the top qualifier for the finals.

Action continues at Pro Bowl West Aug. 11-13 with the PBA60 Dick Weber Championship presented by Hammer for players 60 years of age and older.

The season wraps up with the PBA50 National Championship presented by Riley Hospital for Children Aug. 14-17 at Signature Lanes in Elkhart, Ind.

Fans can catch all the action live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. Monthly subscriptions are $7.99; 3-day passes are $3.99 and a yearly subscription is available for the equivalent of $1.25 per week. Visit www.xtraframe.tv for additional subscription and schedule information.

PBA50 DEHAYES INSURANCE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIP

Presented by Pro Bowl West and Ebonite
Pro Bowl West, Fort Wayne, Ind., Tuesday

Final Standings:

1, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, $7,500.

2, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., $4,000.

3, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, $2,500.

4, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., $2,000.

5, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, $1,750.

Stepladder Results:

Match One – Monacelli def. Mohr, 217-202.

Match Two – Monacelli def. Boresch, 195-179.

Semifinal Match – Graham def. Monacelli, 257-175.

Championship – Graham def. Learn, 186-156.

Modified Match Play Round 2 (after six games, including match play bonus pins. Top five advance to stepladder finals)

1, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 5-1, 1,580.
2, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 5-1, 1,518.
3, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 4-2, 1,513.
4, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3-3, 1,509.
5, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 2-3-1, 1,505.
6, Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., 3-3, 1,494, $1,500.
7, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3-3, 1,482, $1,500.
8, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1-4-1, 1,466, $1,500.
9, Neil Kassel, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3-3, 1,460, $1,300.
10, Ralph Brunt Jr., Jensen Beach, Fla., 4-2, 1,411, $1,300.
11, Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, Ohio, 2-3-1, 1,403, $1,300.
12, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 3-2-1, 1,383, $1,300.
13, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3-3, 1,369, $1,300.
14, Don Breeden, Clive, Iowa, 2-4, 1,332, $1,300.
15, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 1-5, 1,298, $1,300.
16, ss-Ron Boroff, Mansfield, Texas, 2-4, 1,296, $1,300.

Modified Match Play Round 1 (after five games, including match play bonus pins)

17, Robert Brown, Cody, Wyo., 4-1, 1,180, $1,150.
18, Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 3-2, 1,176, $1,150.
19, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 1-3-1, 1,172, $1,150.
20, Terry Rohrer, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 4-1, 1,172, $1,150.
21, ss-Warren Nelson, Middleburg, Fla., 3-2, 1,163, $1,150.
22, ss-David Axon, Bellevue, Neb., 3-2, 1,155, $1,150.
23, ss-Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., 2-3, 1,143, $1,150.
24, ss-Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 2-3, 1,141, $1,150.
25, John Brockland, St. Charles, Mo., 2-3, 1,136, $1,050.
26, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2-3, 1,127, $1,050.
27, n-Jeff Richgels, Madison, Wis., 1-4, 1,109, $1,050.
28, Joe Scarborough, Charlotte, N.C., 1-3-1, 1,089, $1,050.
29, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 1-3-1, 1,068, $1,050.
30, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 0-4-1, 1,058, $1,050.
31, ss-Edward Roberts, Braintree, Mass., 0-4-1, 1,039, $1,050.
32, ss-Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1-4, 1,015, $1,050.

Other Cashers (after five-game cashers’ round)

33, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,091, $1,000.
34, Brian Cooper, Henderson, Nev., 1,080, $1,000.
35, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,078, $1,000.
36, ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,070, $1,000.
37, ss-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 1,052, $1,000.
38, ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 1,040, $1,000.
39, ss-Don Sylvia, Daytona Beach, Fla., 1,030, $1,000.
40, ss-Sam Maccarone, Blackwood, N.J., 1,028, $1,000.
41, ss-Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 1,008, $1,000.
42, ss-Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 990, $1,000.
43, ss-Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 989, $1,000.
44, Doug Becker, Clermont, Fla., 987, $1,000.
45, Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 985, $1,000.
46, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 954, $1,000.
47, ss-Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 943, $1,000.

n-denotes non-member; ss-denotes PBA60 players ages 60 and over