PBA Spare Shots

 

PBA WELL-REPRESENTED IN 2019 USBC HALL OF FAME CLASS

Existing PBA Hall of Famers Jim St. John and Larry Lichstein, along with newly-elected PBA Hall of Fame journalist Bob Johnson, are among four men elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame for induction in 2019, USBC announced Tuesday. Six additional PBA stars are on USBC’s Superior Performance ballot which will be voted on by a national panel in the near future.

 

St. John, a six-time PBA Tour title winner who died in 1987 at age 56, was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1989. St. John, who won back-to-back World Invitational titles in 1963 and ’64, was elected by the USBC Hall of Fame Committee in the Veterans category. Lichstein, PBA’s long-time Director of Player Services and a PBA Meritorious Service inductee in 1996, was elected in the USBC Pioneer category. Johnson, a highly-decorated journalist as editor of Bowlers Journal International among others, and the late John Davis, the founder of Kegel and creator of revolutionary lane maintenance equipment, were elected in the USBC Meritorious Service category.

 

Yet to be decided are the Superior Performance inductees. On the men’s ballot are multi-title PBA stars Patrick Allen, Chris Barnes, Dave Ferraro, Mika Koivuniemi, Randy Pedersen and Mark Williams. Allen and Koivuniemi will be inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame on Jan. 5 in Arlington, Texas; the other four are already PBA Hall of Fame members.

 

Candidates on USBC’s women’s performance ballot are multi-PWBA champions Marianne DiRupo, Kelly Kulick, Sandra Jo Shiery and Tammy Turner. Kulick made PBA history when she became the first woman to win a PBA Tour title when she won the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas.

 

USBC’s induction ceremony will take place May 1 as part of the USBC Convention at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For more information about the USBC Hall of Fame news, click here: https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622332048/

 

WBT MEN’S FINALS FIELD COMES DOWN TO WORLD BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The third berth in the 2019 WBT Men’s Finals presented by the PBA will come down to how well a handful of contenders fare in the World Bowling Men’s Championships Nov. 23-Dec. 5 in Hong Kong, where finishing positions in the Men’s Masters and/or all-events are crucial.

 

Heading into the championships, Anthony Simonsen (2,183 points) and Stuart Williams (1,943) have locked up the top two berths in the World Bowling Tour Men’s Finals, which will be contested on Sunday, Jan. 6, at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. Currently third is Jason Belmonte (1,441), but within reach of overtaking the Australian star (who isn’t bowling in Hong Kong) are Team USA members EJ Tackett (1,423), Andrew Anderson (1,382) and Kyle Troup (1,366). A longshot in the chase is Thailand’s Jojoe Yannaphon (1,164).

 

The World Championships will award 400 points to the highest-finishing player in the Masters/men’s all-events followed by 320 points for second, 280 for third, etc., through 50 places.

The WBT Women’s Finals, which also will be contested on Jan. 6 in Arlington, will feature American stars Danielle McEwan, Liz Johnson and Poland’s Daria Pajak. FOX Sports will air the finals on FS1 on Sunday, March 10, at 10 p.m. Eastern.

 

For detailed information about the multi-event World Bowling Men’s Championships, visit: http://2018wmc.worldbowling.org/

 

FLOBOWLING TO COVER WORLD BOWLING MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

FloBowling, PBA’s official live streaming partner, has announced it will live-stream the 2018 World Bowling Men’s Championships from Hong Kong Dec. 1-5, providing North American bowling fans a chance to watch a number of PBA stars competing for their national teams in singles, doubles, trios, team and Masters competitions.

 

The World Bowling Men’s Championships will be the final qualifying event in determining the finalists for the 2019 WBT Men’s Finals, presented by the PBA, that will be contested on Jan. 6 in Arlington, Texas, for broadcast on FS1 on Sunday, March 10.

 

The live-streaming schedule will be as follows. All times are Eastern:

● Saturday, Dec. 1: 6:30 -8:30 a.m., singles semifinals, final and medal ceremony;

● Sunday, Dec. 2: 5:30-8:15 a.m., doubles semifinals, final and medal ceremony;

● Monday, Dec. 3: 5-8:30 a.m., trios semifinals, final and medal ceremony;

● Tuesday, Dec. 4: 4-9 a.m., five-man team semifinals, final and medal ceremony;

● Wednesday, Dec. 5: 2- 5:30 a.m., Masters semifinals, final and medal ceremony.

 

To enroll as a FloBowling subscriber, visit FloBowling.com and click on the “join now” link.

 

PBA OFFERS NEW LINE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE BOWLING BALL SURFACING PADS

Bowling ball surfacing pads are essential tools that allow competitive bowlers to customize surfaces on high-tech bowling balls to maximize performance on a variety of lane conditions. To assist players looking for a competitive edge, the PBA is now offering specially-branded top-of-the-line surfacing pads that are tailored to any given bowler’s needs.

 

The pads are available in a three-pack of one grit for $13 or a six-pack that will include one pad each of 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 and 5000 grit for $22. To order the pads, visit: http://pba.firelakedesigns.com/shop/accessories/pba-branded-surfacing-pad-3-pack/ or http://pba.firelakedesigns.com/shop/accessories/pba-branded-surfacing-pad-6-pack/.

 

CHRIS WARREN, HARRY SULLINS PACE PBA REGIONAL TITLE WINNERS

An update on PBA’s regional title holders show Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., has maintained his one-title margin on the list of most standard PBA Regional titles and moved into sole possession of the “overall” titles lead while Michigan veteran Harry Sullins has taken a substantial five-title lead on the “most PBA50” regional victories list.

 

Here’s how things stand as of Nov. 4, 2018:

 

● Warren leads the all-time standard PBA Regional titles list with 47, one ahead of Pete Weber. Rounding out the top five are Steve Jaros (43), Mike Scroggins (40) and Dale Traber (39). A total of 126 PBA members have won at least 10 standard PBA Regional titles since the program began full-fledged operations in 1970.

 

● With his most recent PBA50 Regional win in Waxahachie, Texas, in October, Warren now has a combined 53 standard and PBA50 titles, breaking a tie for a lead in that category with Traber, who has won 39 standard and 13 PBA50 regional titles for a total of 52. One title behind in third place are Weber and Walter Ray Williams Jr. with 51. A distant fifth with 44 overall titles is Washington’s Hugh Miller.

 

● Sullins, a prolific competitor throughout his career, has won 23 PBA50 Regional titles including wins in the PBA’s South, Central, Midwest and West Regions. Second-best is a tie between PBA Hall of Famers Tom Baker and WRW with 18 each. Two more hall of famers – Ron Mohr and George Pappas – have each won 17 times in 50-and-older regionals. Only 13 players have won as many as 10 PBA50 Regional titles.

 

It’s still pretty amazing to realize the PBA, throughout its seven regional programs, has conducted 6,459 tournaments since the beginning – and 1,873 different players have won at least one title.

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: DICK ALLEN HELPS WRW IMPROVE RECORD TO 109 TITLES

With the assistance of partner Dick Allen of Columbia, S.C., PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., improved his own record for overall PBA titles to 109 Sunday as the tandem defeated Steve Arehart of Chesapeake, Va., and Stoney Baker of Canton, Ga., 248-180, to win the PBA/PBA50 Decker Appraisal Services Baker Doubles title presented by Hammer Sunday at Valley Lanes in Harrisonburg, Va.

 

Allen and Williams qualified first for the stepladder finals and watched as John Furey of Howell, N.J and Sam Maccarone of Williamstown, N.J., eliminated Steve Haas of Enola, Pa., and Bob Michalojko of Pittsburgh, Pa., 244-205, to start the four-team stepladder finals. Arehart and Baker then defeated Furey and Maccarone, 268-248, to advance to the title match.

 

The win was Williams’ 51st in PBA Regional and PBA50 Regional competition to accompany his 47 PBA Tour and 11 PBA50 Tour titles. Allen picked up his 22nd PBA Regional win and the partners shared the $3,600 first prize. Arehart and Baker pocketed $1,800 for second, the Furey/Maccarone team collected $1,400 for third place and the Haas/Michalojko team $1,200 for fourth place.

 

● JR Raymond of Clinton Twp., Mich. defeated Dave Han of Birmingham, Ala., 224-209, to win the PBA Greater Anderson Central/Midwest Open at Dave Small’s Championship Lanes in Anderson, Ind., Sunday for his fourth career PBA Regional title and the $2,000 first prize.

 

In the semifinal round, Raymond eliminated Ric McCormick of Cincinnati, Ohio, 224-173, and Han edged Zachery Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 217-209, to set up the championship match.

 

● Darren Tang of San Francisco posted a 6-2 match play record and knocked down 3,990 pins Sunday to win his fourth PBA Regional title in the PBA Ken & Kathy Fowler Auto Centers Open at Yokayo Bowl in Ukiah, Calif.

 

Tang, who earned $2,000, defeated Raymond Lussier of San Jose, Calif., by 202 pins for the title. Lussier had a 6-2 match play record and 3,788 total pins for his 16 games including match play bonus pins.

 

In the companion PBA50 Open, Kevin Croucher of Grants Pass, Ore., went 6-2 and knocked down 3,517 total pins to top Derek Gregory of Chowchilla, Calif., for his third PBA50 Regional title. Gregory had a 4-4 match play record and a total of 3,485 pins.

 

● PBA Regional competition over the Nov. 9-10 weekend will include the La-Z-Boy Central Challenge at Monroe Sport Center in Monroe, Mich.; the Plaza Bowl Midwest Open in Clinton, Iowa; the PBA50 Gastonia South Open at George Pappas’ Liberty Lanes in Gastonia, N.C., and the Mesa East Bowl Western Open in Mesa, Ariz.

 

● Heading into the Thanksgiving break, the only events on the Nov. 16-18 schedule are the Bowlers Discount Pro Shop East Open at Terrace Lanes in Frederick, Md., and the PBA50 Plygem Windows South Open at Rocky Mount Bowling Center in Rocky Mount, Va.

 

● Headlining the Thanksgiving weekend will be the Beaumont Southwest Open at Crossroads Bowling Center in Beaumont, Texas.

 

● The November PBA Regional calendar comes to a close over the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 weekend with the Knob Hill/MJK Pro Shop Challenge (a non-champions event) presented by Brunswick at Knob Hill Country Lanes in Manalapan, N.J.; the PBA50 Victory Lanes Midwest Open presented by Allstate in Kankakee, Ill.; and the re-scheduled Break Point Alley Member/Non-Member Doubles in Tavares, Fla.

 

● 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 and Android device users using the PBA app).

 

QUICK NOTES:

● Voting is underway to select the 2018 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year and the 2018 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year. The winners will be announced on Monday, Dec. 10 as part of the PBA Clash that will air on FOX on Sunday, Dec. 23. Check your local listings for the time of the telecast in your market.

 

● If you haven’t done so already, you still have time to enter the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame’s VIP Experience sweepstakes (https://rafflecreator.com/pages/25310/hall-of-fame-vip-experience). The lucky winner will receive a great package including an expenses-paid round trip for two to attend the 2019 PBA Hall of Fame Classic in Arlington, Texas, Jan. 5-6, plus other special benefits.