PBA SPARE SHOTS

PBA Spare Shots

 

EJ TACKETT JOINS ELITE LIST OF YOUNG 10-TIME PBA TOUR CHAMPIONS

By winning his 10th PBA Tour title in the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open Monday in Aurora, Ill., EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., joined an elite list of PBA players to win 10 titles at a young age.

 

The youngest player to win 10 PBA Tour titles was Pete Weber who accomplished that feat at the age of 24 years, 247 days. Mike Aulby did it at 25 years, 89 days – one day faster than Wayne Webb. Tackett, who hit the career milestone at 25 years, 329 days (he turns 26 on August 7), is fourth-youngest on that list after his win in Aurora.

Tackett was already PBA Hall of Fame “title-eligible” after he won his second major (and seventh overall title) in the 2017 PBA Tournament of Champions at the age of 24 years, 191 days. He won’t become “participation eligible” for election, however, until 2032 – his 20th year of PBA membership – so he has plenty of time to pad his resumé.

 

For the record, PBA Hall of Fame eligibility is a two-step process. “Title eligibility” requires 10 standard PBA Tour titles or five standard titles plus two majors. The second requirement is “participation eligibility” which means a player must have been a PBA member for at least 20 years.

 

As a side note, had he won Monday, Parkside Lanes Open runner-up Bill O’Neill would have become “title eligible.” O’Neill has won eight standard titles and one major (2010 U.S. Open). When he wins his 10th title or his second major, O’Neill (a PBA member since 2005) will become “participation eligible” in 2025.

 

CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR PETE COUTURE SET FOR AUG. 4 IN FLORIDA

A Celebration of Life for PBA Hall of Famer Pete Couture of Cocoa, Fla., has been scheduled for 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at 2950 Pineda Plaza Way, Palm Shores, FL 32940.

 

At Couture’s request, memorial contributions should be made to the Wounded Warriors Project in his name.

 

Couture, a 2016 inductee into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame, died Saturday at his Florida residence of undetermined medical issues. He was 73.

 

PBA TO COMPLY WITH USBC BOWLING BALL SPECIFICATIONS AS OF AUGUST 1

The PBA will comply with new United States Bowling Congress bowling ball specifications that take effect on August 1 under revised timelines issued by USBC, PBA Deputy Commissioner Kirk von Krueger has announced. For details about the new bowling ball specifications and timelines, click here: https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622331380. The new specifications will apply to all levels of PBA competition.

 

PBA50 TOUR NEXT TO MAKE PBA XTRA FRAME ON FLOBOWLING DEBUT

The PBA50 Tour will be the next to make its PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling debut when the “senior tour” resumes its 2018 schedule July 17-20 in the PBA50 River City Extreme Open, presented by Ebonite, from River City Extreme in Monticello, Minn.

 

For those of you who are curious about FloSports, whether you are a paid subscriber or not, you are invited to preview free content on FloBowling.com which includes features on Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s experimentation with two-handed bowling, Sean Rash’s behind-the-scenes role with the Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open in Aurora, Ill.; Andrew Anderson’s breakout season as a second-year PBA member; a nice feature about Wes Malott’s rise to PBA stardom; podcasts, video features, the live streaming schedule, and a number of video clips from last weekend’s Parkside Lanes Open.

 

As the transition to FloBowling continues, PBA fans can also follow FloBowling on Facebook and @FloBowling on Twitter and Instagram where features and conversation about the PBA is growing daily for everyone – not just paid subscribers.

 

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS FOR PBA XTRA FRAME PARKSIDE LANES OPEN

Due to technical issues, final qualifying standings for the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open were not included in Monday’s final news release. The complete agate summary is listed below.

 

PBA XTRA FRAME PARKSIDE LANES OPEN

(A 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour event)

Parkside Lanes, Aurora, Ill., Monday, July 2

 

Final Standings:

1, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., $10,000.

2, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., $6,300.

3, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, $4,000.

4, Dom Barrett, England, $3,000.

5, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., $2,000.

 

Stepladder Results:

Match one – Barrett def. Kent, 235-226.

Match two – O’Neill def. Barrett, 245-216.

Semifinal – O’Neill def. Via, 209-198.

Championship – Tackett def. O’Neill, 210-171.

 

Final Qualifying Standings (after 24 games, including bonus pins):

1, Tackett, 5,979.
2, Via, 5,919.
3, O'Neill, 5,864.
4, Barrett, 5,840.
5, Kent, 5,830.
6, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5,800, $1,750.
7, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 5,770, $1,500.
8, Matt Kuba, Chicago Ridge, Ill., 5,765, $1,475.
9, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 5,764, $1,550.
10, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 5,757, $1,425.
11, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 5,716, $1,400.
12, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 5,695, $1,375.
13, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 5,647, $1,350.
14, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 5,642, $1,325.
15, Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn., 5,620, $1,300.
16, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,527, $1,275.
17, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 5,523, $1,250.
18, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5,428, $1,225.
19 (tie), Mitch Hupe, Canada, and Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 5,421, $1,188.
21, JR Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., 5,399, $1,150.
22, Nathan Michalowski, Burlington, Wis., 5,382, $1,125.
23, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 5,381, $1,100.
24, Jason Miller, Plano, Ill., 5,355, $1,075.
25, Graham Fach, Canada, 5,244, $1,050.
26, n-Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 5,202, $1,025.
27, Matt O'Grady, Rahway, N.J., 4,345 (withdrew after 19 games), $1,000.

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE:  STONEY WINS BATTLE OF BAKERS IN NORTH CAROLINA

Stoney Baker of Canton, Ga., defeated PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, N.C., 236-227 to win the PBA50 UltraStar Multi-Tainment Center at Harrahs Cherokee South Open at UltraStar Lanes in Cherokee, N.C., Sunday.

 

Stoney Baker, who won $2,100 along with his 29th overall regional title, went into the 10th frame needing a double to take the title and threw three solid strikes for the win. Tom Baker – no relation – pocketed $1,100 as the runner-up.

 

In the semifinal round, Stoney Baker defeated another PBA Hall of Famer, Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., 248-226, while Tom Baker disposed of Chuck Walker of Blaine, Tenn., 257-191.

 

● The only event on the July 6-8 PBA Regional calendar is the PBA50 Cecil Raymond Memorial presented by Ebonite at Brunswick Deptford Lanes in Deptford, N.J.

 

● The July 13-15 PBA Regional schedule includes the PBA50 Fairborn Central Classic presented by Roto Grip at Bowl 10 Fairborn in Fairborn, Ohio; the PBA Allstate Tony Grigat Midwest Open presented by Columbia 300 at Poplar Creek Bowl in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and the PBA Beltline Lanes Columbia Baker Doubles South Open in Columbia, S.C.

 

● Over the July 20-22 weekend, PBA Regional events will include the PBA50 Parkway Lanes Eastern Open presented by Roto Grip in Elmwood Park, N.J.; the PBA Angola Central/Midwest Open presented by Ebonite at Angola Bowl in Angola, Ind.; the PBA Spring Hill Lanes South Open presented by Track in Spring Hill, Fla.; the PBA Fort Sill Southwest Open at Twin Oaks Bowling Center in Fort Sill, Okla.; the PBA, PBA50 and PBA-PWBA Secoma Lanes Northwest/West Open tripleheader in Federal Way, Wash., and the PBA50 Beverly Lanes Midwest/Central Open presented by Roto Grip in Arlington Heights, Ill.

 

● Closing out the July schedule of PBA Regional competitions will be the PBA50 Ned Micelli Memorial at Herrill Lanes in New Hyde Park, N.Y., over the July 27-28 weekend.

 

● 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 PBA app).

 

QUICK NOTES

● Reminder: Fan voting is now open to select the “best bowler” in the 2018 ESPY competition.Click on this link (http://www.espn.com/espys/story/_/page/voting54/best-athlete-sport) and look for the “best bowler” ballot which includes Jason Belmonte, Rhino Page, Tom Smallwood and Jesper Svensson. The winner will be announced when the ESPY shows airs on ESPN on Wednesday, July 18.

 

● Rodney Irving of Richardson, Texas, is the winner of a new high-performance ball from DV8 , Matthew Conger of Thornton, Colo., will receive a new high-performance ball from MOTIV, and Taron Blount of Country Club Hills, Ill., wins a new Brunswick ball as June Xtra Frame sweepstakes winners. The monthly sweepstakes is sponsored by the respective PBA Product Registered partners. Winners are randomly selected from among new monthly or full-year Xtra Frame subscribers.

 

● The June winner of the HotelPlanner.com sweepstakes, earning a $200 gift certificate redeemable for future lodging expenses booked through HotelPlanner.com, is Louis Guadio. Those who booked through HotelPlanner.com were automatically entered in the sweepstakes.