PBA SPARE SHOTS

PBA Spare Shots

WITH TWO EVENTS TO GO, EJ TACKETT HOLDS ON TO SLIM XF STORM CUP POINTS LEAD

Despite his 10th place finish in the PBA Xtra Frame Chesapeake Open Sunday, which earned him 11 points in the Xtra Frame Storm Cup points race, EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., held on to a slim two-point lead in the 2017 points race overMarshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., heading into the final two events in the series.

Tackett, who finished second in the Xtra Frame Tour points race in 2016 to Tommy Jones Simpsonville, S.C., has yet to win an Xtra Frame Tour event this year, but three top-five finishes in the last four events while Kent has closed the gap with a win in the Lubbock Sports Open in June (worth 25 Storm Cup series points) and a fifth-place finish in Chesapeake (worth 16 points). Right behind the two leaders are England’s Dom Barrett with 60 points and Chesapeake Open winner Dick Allen of Columbia, S.C., with 59. Holding down fifth place on the points list is Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., with 47.

In the Xtra Frame Storm Cup series, 25 points are awarded to each tournament winner, 19 to second place, 18 to third, etc. through 20th place. Even one point is valuable because there is significant bonus prize money at stake. At the end of the season, the points champion will earn a $20,000 bonus while other top-five finishers will earn $10,000 for second place, $8,000 for third, $7,000 for fourth and $5,000 for fifth place.

The top 25 in points heading into this weekend’s PBA Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic from Mid-County Bowling and Entertainment in Middletown, Del., are as follows (the series concludes with the Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group Classic from Pla-Mor Lanes in Coldwater, Ohio, Aug. 26-27). For a complete Storm Cup points list, click here:https://www.pba.com/SeasonStats/XtraFrameTourPoints/95?page=1 .

PBA Xtra Frame Storm Cup points leaders after five of seven events are:

1, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 64.

2, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 62

3, Dom Barrett, England, 60.

4, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 59

5, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 47.

6, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 45.

7, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 39.

8 (tie), AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., and Tom Daugherty, Tampa, Fla., 37.

10, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 35.

11, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 32.

12, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 29.

13 (tie), Rhino Page, Orlando, FL, and Francois Lavoie, Quebec City, Quebec, 27.

15 (tie), Cristian Azcona, Puerto Rico, and Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 26.

17, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 25.

18, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 24.

19 (tie), Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz.; Jason Sterner, Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Stuart Williams, England, and Anthony Caso, Spring Hill, Fla., 18.

23 (tie), Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, Texas, 17.

25 (tie), Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., and Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 15.

PBA fans also are reminded that for a limited time, Xtra Frame is available for a special $2.99 three-day subscription rate, a $1 savings over its normal rate. The special offer, good now through August 27, makes it possible to watch each of the remaining PBA Xtra Frame Storm Cup Series tournaments at the special rate.

In addition, fans can follow real-time results for PBA50, PBA Xtra Frame Tour and all PBA Regional events by downloading the new PBA app on Apple devices or by visiting the “live scoring” feature on pba.com.

FAULKNER PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WIN ON XTRA FRAME

Gary Faulkner Jr. of Memphis, Tenn., provides insights into his 2015 Rolltech PBA World Championship victory over EJ Tackett in the newest PBA Player Perspective that debuts on Xtra Frame on Wednesday.

Faulkner defeated Tackett, 216-178, to win his first PBA Tour title at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada.

PBA Player Perspective is an ongoing series of special interviews with PBA Tour players which will debut every other week on Xtra Frame.

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: GRAHAM FACH WINS FOURTH REGIONAL TITLE IN INDIANA

Graham Fach of Guelph, Ontario, defeated C.J. Kirchner of Herrin, Ill., 176-147, to win the PBA Greater Richmond Central Open at Richmond 40 Bowl Sunday.

Fach, who earned his fourth regional title and $1,600 for the one-day, reduced entry fee event, downed Craig Nidiffer of Trenton, Mich., 2-0, while Kirchner eliminated Aaron Lorincz of Center Line, Mich., 2-0, in the best-of-three-game semifinal round to set up the championship match.

● The Aug. 18-20 PBA Regional calendar includes the Emerald Bowl Houston Southwest Challenge for non-title winners plus the PBA-PWBA Emerald Bowl Southwest Open in Houston, Texas, for women, and the Dave Husted Northwest Open presented by 900 Global at Husted’s Milwaukie Bowl in Milwaukie, Ore.

● Closing out the August schedule will be the PBA60 Wilson & Sons Super Senior Open presented by the Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at George Pappas’ Victory Lanes in Mooresville, N.C., followed immediately by the PBA50 Samuel Adams South Open presented by the Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau at George Pappas’ Victory Lanes in Mooresville, N.C.

● The Labor Day weekend calendar of PBA Regional action includes the PBA50 Strike Zone Open presented by Track in Pottsville, Pa.; the Tony Reyes Memorial Member/Non-Member Doubles at Fourth Street Bowl in San Jose, Calif.; the Illinois Valley Midwest Open at IV Super Bowl in Peru, Ill., and the DHC Japan PBA Doubles Open, Japan Cheetah Masters and Japan Cheetah Queens at Nagoya Grand Bowl in Nagoya, Japan.

● 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 device users using the new PBA app).