ANOTHER MISSION COMPLETE
Fagan finds success with Ebonite’s New Mission
A little bit of superstition and a great ball reaction led Ebonite International PBA staff player Michael Fagan to win the PBA One A Day Dick Weber Open, his first singles title.
“It’s a great feeling to finally win a singles title,” said Fagan. “It is a big weight off of my shoulders and I am glad to get over the hump and hope I can do it again soon!”
Fagan qualified in first place for the finals, and had to face PBA Tour legend Walter Ray Williams, Jr., the winningest player in PBA history.
“Walter Ray is always going to give you a tough match and whenever you beat him you know you earned it,” admitted Fagan.
Fagan had a bit of help in the superstition department, as he refused to shave his beard before competition. The superstition served more as a confidence-builder than anything.
“Bowling is such a mental game,” explained Fagan. “Anything I can do to make myself feel comfortable and confident I will do it! I wanted to have fun with this show and not put any pressure on myself.”
His strategy worked, especially after a rough start to the week, when Fagan was hit with a stomach virus. He actually skipped the practice session on Tuesday to rest and get well before returning for the first qualifying session.
While the lanes were not as tough as they had been in previous weeks, Fagan did face a 39 foot oil pattern, named after famed PBA bowler Dick Weber, and designed to maximize creativity and performance from the bowlers. The oil is buffed so that there is less oil placed at the end of the pattern. The structure of the pattern forces bowlers to make continual adjustments to keep up with the transitions from lane to lane, something Dick Weber mastered.
True to the pattern, Fagan was forced to use a variety of equipment throughout the week, but depended on Ebonite’s new Mission ball when he needed help getting through the backend part of the lane.
“The Mission was the right choice because it has an extremely clean cover and also slows down perfectly by the break point,” said Fagan. “It is really a special bowling ball. When the lanes carried down and I did get to use it, it was the perfect ball. The 241 I shot in the finals was my low game of the week with that ball (my High Game of the week was 290).”
“Mike did a spectacular job with the Mission,” said Ed Gallagher, Ebonite Brand Manager. “I’m glad he was successful in completing his Mission to win a PBA title, and I’m really glad Ebonite could be there with him.”
Ebonite’s Mission will be available worldwide beginning February 2, 2010, and looks to be the ‘must-have’ ball in every bowler’s bag.
Fagan’s next challenge will be the USBC Masters, where he hopes to take home his first major. The Masters begins February 9, with the finals to be televised February 14 at 3 p.m. EST on ESPN. Meanwhile, Fagan will have a week off to prepare, and possibly spend some time with his other love, fulltiltpoker.net.
“Although I haven't played much lately due to my bowling schedule, I have always been an avid poker player,” explained Fagan. “It’s a great fit because many bowlers are also poker players.”
Fagan isn’t saying when he will shave again, but there’s a good chance we’ll see more beards on tour after this event.
Friday, February 5, 2010
PBA SPARE SHOTS
SUNDAY’S CHRIS PAUL PBA
CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL
DRAWS RAVES FROM MILITARY LEADER
Sunday’s Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational, which airs in front of the NFL Super Bowl at 2 p.m. Eastern on ESPN, was not only a fun and fiercely competitive bowling event, but it drew high praise from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base commander Capt. Bill Snyder, who hosted the event in suburban New Orleans.
“They were all fantastic,” Snyder said of celebrity stars Paul, LaMarr Woodley, Hines Ward, Ludacris and Jack Del Rio as well as PBA stars Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Wes Malott and Jason Belmonte. “All of the celebrities took time out to sign autographs and talk to the hundreds of sailors who came to see them. Chris Paul and all of the celebrities made it a night to remember for the military personnel and their families.”
“(Chris Paul) gives back to the community,” added Master-at-Arms 1st Class Pierre Peacock, a North Carolina native like Paul is. “No one has ever questioned his sincerity or intentions. His charity events consistently help thousands of families in North Carolina and in Louisiana. He’s a class act, on and off the court.”
MONACELLI, PALERMAA, BAKER, PETRAGLIA RECEIVE COMMISSIONER’S EXEMPTIONS
Three PBA Hall of Famers and Europe’s two-handed bowling star have been granted Commissioner’s Exemptions for upcoming Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events.
Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli will join the field for the Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship at Brunswick Zone-Wheat Ridge in Wheat Ridge, Colo., Feb. 16-21. Monacelli, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1997, is a 19-time PBA Tour winner.
Finland’s Osku Palermaa, the first two-handed bowler to get national television exposure in the United States, will compete in the Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator March 2-7 at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio. Palermaa, last season’s European Bowling Tour points leader, finished fifth in the 2004 U.S. Open in his American television debut. He’ll be joined in the Columbus field by fellow two-handed players Jason Belmonte of Australia and Ohio’s own two-hander, Cassidy Schaub of Polk, Ohio.
PBA Senior Tour star Tom Baker of King, N.C., will participate in the PBA Match Play Championship March 16-21 at Norwich Bowling Center in Norwich, Conn. Baker, a 10-time PBA Tour champion and eight-time winner on the PBA Senior Tour, is a four-time Senior Tour Player of the Year. He was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1999.
Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J., one of five PBA players to complete the “PBA Triple Crown” (victories in the U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship), will bowl in the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship March 23-28 at AMF Babylon Lanes in West Babylon, N.Y. A long-time friend and opponent of Roth, Petraglia has announced he’ll donate half of his earnings to the Mark Roth Fund which is providing financial assistance to Roth in the wake of the disabling stroke he suffered in early June.
PBA’S XTRA FRAME TO PROVIDE FREE ONLINE COVERAGE OF USBC MASTERS
The PBA, in cooperation with the United States Bowling Congress, will provide a week of free online coverage of the USBC Masters, Feb. 9-14, on pba.com’s Xtra Frame “bowling channel.” To view Xtra Frame, bowling fans must install a free software program called “Silverlight” if they have not already done so.
Xtra Frame, the “official video service of the PBA,” is available year-round, providing unique interviews, behind-the-scenes news, in-depth discussion of player equipment and strategies, and much more. For subscription information, click on the Xtra Frame icon on the pba.com home page.
KELLY KULICK, TOM SMALLWOOD MEDIA EXPRESS ROLLS ON
Kelly Kulick’s news media express continues to race along, with a steady stream of newspaper, television and radio interviews on her schedule in addition to a national teleconference. Following live interviews on CBS’s Early Show, ESPN’s First Take, Fox Business, a segment on ABC Evening News and a mention on NBC’s Jay Leno Show, Kulick’s victory earned a half-page in the Feb. 1 issue of Sports Illustrated. Her story also was told on National Public Radio’s “Only a Game” program (heard on 200 stations across the nation), Sirius Satellite Radio 98, CNN, the New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Daily News.
Coming Friday: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard will talk about why Kulick’s is a “Breakthrough Woman” CNN’s Morning Headline News with Robin Meade. The segment will air Friday between 8:30-9 a.m. Eastern, and will feature video of Kulick’s Tournament of champions win and along with photos of Kulick and Dorin-Ballard.
The magnitude of Kulick’s feat even reached into Canada where Toronto Star television writer Chris Zelkovich noted that 373,000 viewers watched the PBA while only 267,000 viewers watched the Toronto Raptors-Milwaukee Bucks NBA game on Friday and 256,000 tuned in for the Los Angeles Lakers-Raptors game on Sunday, "How did bowling draw a bigger audience on a Sunday afternoon than the Raptors did on Friday and Sunday nights?” Zelkovich asked. “The only possible explanation is that people were channel surfing and came across the sight of a woman, Kelly Kulick, making history by beating the guys."
In the meantime, Tom Smallwood’s feel-good story continues to get attention. The laid-off General Motors employee who became PBA World Champion was featured in a front-page sports section story in Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times. CBS News with Katie Couric shot material for a story about Smallwood’s triumph during the One A Day Dick Weber Open. A story is coming in Parade magazine, which is distributed to millions of American newspaper readers, and Sports Illustrated spent the entire week in Las Vegas working on a Smallwood article.
WILLIAMS, JOHNSON NAMED “BOWLERS OF THE DECADE” BY US BOWLER
Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., has added another astonishing accomplishment to his astonishing resumй, winning “Bowler of the Decade” honors from USBC’s US Bowler magazine for an unprecedented second decade in a row. PBA Women’s Series competitor Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., was selected as US Bowler’s female bowler of the decade for the 2000s.
Between 2000 and 2009, Williams won 17 PBA Tour titles including five majors, earned more than $1.5 million and made 63 television appearances to easily top runner-up Norm Duke and third-place vote-getter Chris Barnes. During the decade, Duke won 16 titles including four majors, earned $1.29 million and made 49 TV shows.
Despite the demise of the women’s pro tour in 2003, Johnson won five PWBA titles, the 2009 USBC Queens, 2007 Women’s U.S. Open, a pair of PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM titles and she was the first woman to advance to a PBA Tour title match (2005). Runner-up was Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, an 11-time PWBA winner. She also won the 2001 Queens and has two PBA Women’s Series titles. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., was third.
US Bowler conducted three separate polls – among bowling writers, PBA and/or PBA Women’s Series members, and BOWL.COM visitors – and all three polls produced the same top three results.
DUBLIN BOWL PROPRIETOR TED HOFFMAN RECEIVES BPAA’S HIGHEST HONOR
Ted Hoffman, co-proprietor of Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl in Dublin, Calif. – recent host of the 2010 Earl Anthony Memorial Classic - has been named winner of the 2010 Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America Victor Lerner Memorial Medal, BPAA’s highest honor.
Hoffman, a long-time PBA Western Region tournament director and a member of the PBA Hall of Fame, is being recognized for his lifetime of service to the sport. He will receive his award on June 28 during International Bowl Expo at the Las Vegas Hilton.
ENTRIES STILL AVAILABLE FOR U.S. OPEN, FINAL MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP OF 2009-10 SEASON
The biggest question of the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season is, who will become the next unlikely hero in a season filled with unlikely heroes. He or she could emerge from the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open, the final major championship of the season.
Entries are still available for men and women who are chasing the dream of winning a PBA Tour title. The U.S. Open is set for Feb. 22-28 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. For schedule and entry information, visit pba.com and look for the U.S. Open under the “Schedule” tab.
Thus far into the 2009-10 season, out-of-work General Motors factory worker Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., won the PBA World Championship and Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., stunned the sports world with her victory in the PBA Tournament of Champions. The United States Bowling Congress Masters title will be decided Feb. 9-14 in Reno, Nev., but keep in mind that previously-unknown John Nolen of Grand Blanc, Mich., captured the 2009 title for his first PBA Tour title.
Beyond the major championships, Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., and Anthony LaCaze of Melrose Park, Ill., also won their first PBA Tour titles in the PBA Chameleon Championship and Earl Anthony Memorial Classic, respectively. Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., won his second PBA Tour title, but first as a singles competitor, in the One A Day Dick Weber Open. Mike DeVaney of San Diego and Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, N.Y., each broke extended title droughts with victories during the PBA World Series of Bowling.
Who’s going to be the PBA’s next unsung champion?
2009-10 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR STATISTICAL LEADERS
EARNINGS Events Total
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 11 $73,460
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 11 $70,210
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 11 $70,070
4, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 11 $64,235
5, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 11 $63,125
6, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 11 $60,550
7, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas 11 $57,320
8, Mike DeVaney, San Diego 11 $48,470
9, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 11 $48,380
10, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 11 $44,720
PBA WORLD RANKING POINTS Titles Points
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 1 121,910
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas 0 110,033
3, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 0 106,061
4, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 1 106,034
5, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 0 101,399
6, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 1 97,619
7, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 1 94,805
8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 1 93,760
9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C. 0 92,917
10, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 1 92,188
PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS CRA Points
1, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 4 30
2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 2 28
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 3 26
4, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J. 1 24
Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 3 24
Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 2 24
7, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 2 20
8, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla. 1 16
Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y. 2 16
Mike DeVaney, San Diego 1 16
Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 1 16
Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 1 16
Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill. 1 16
(CRA = Championship Round Appearances)
SUNDAY’S CHRIS PAUL PBA
CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL
DRAWS RAVES FROM MILITARY LEADER
Sunday’s Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational, which airs in front of the NFL Super Bowl at 2 p.m. Eastern on ESPN, was not only a fun and fiercely competitive bowling event, but it drew high praise from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base commander Capt. Bill Snyder, who hosted the event in suburban New Orleans.
“They were all fantastic,” Snyder said of celebrity stars Paul, LaMarr Woodley, Hines Ward, Ludacris and Jack Del Rio as well as PBA stars Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Wes Malott and Jason Belmonte. “All of the celebrities took time out to sign autographs and talk to the hundreds of sailors who came to see them. Chris Paul and all of the celebrities made it a night to remember for the military personnel and their families.”
“(Chris Paul) gives back to the community,” added Master-at-Arms 1st Class Pierre Peacock, a North Carolina native like Paul is. “No one has ever questioned his sincerity or intentions. His charity events consistently help thousands of families in North Carolina and in Louisiana. He’s a class act, on and off the court.”
MONACELLI, PALERMAA, BAKER, PETRAGLIA RECEIVE COMMISSIONER’S EXEMPTIONS
Three PBA Hall of Famers and Europe’s two-handed bowling star have been granted Commissioner’s Exemptions for upcoming Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events.
Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli will join the field for the Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship at Brunswick Zone-Wheat Ridge in Wheat Ridge, Colo., Feb. 16-21. Monacelli, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1997, is a 19-time PBA Tour winner.
Finland’s Osku Palermaa, the first two-handed bowler to get national television exposure in the United States, will compete in the Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator March 2-7 at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio. Palermaa, last season’s European Bowling Tour points leader, finished fifth in the 2004 U.S. Open in his American television debut. He’ll be joined in the Columbus field by fellow two-handed players Jason Belmonte of Australia and Ohio’s own two-hander, Cassidy Schaub of Polk, Ohio.
PBA Senior Tour star Tom Baker of King, N.C., will participate in the PBA Match Play Championship March 16-21 at Norwich Bowling Center in Norwich, Conn. Baker, a 10-time PBA Tour champion and eight-time winner on the PBA Senior Tour, is a four-time Senior Tour Player of the Year. He was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1999.
Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J., one of five PBA players to complete the “PBA Triple Crown” (victories in the U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship), will bowl in the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship March 23-28 at AMF Babylon Lanes in West Babylon, N.Y. A long-time friend and opponent of Roth, Petraglia has announced he’ll donate half of his earnings to the Mark Roth Fund which is providing financial assistance to Roth in the wake of the disabling stroke he suffered in early June.
PBA’S XTRA FRAME TO PROVIDE FREE ONLINE COVERAGE OF USBC MASTERS
The PBA, in cooperation with the United States Bowling Congress, will provide a week of free online coverage of the USBC Masters, Feb. 9-14, on pba.com’s Xtra Frame “bowling channel.” To view Xtra Frame, bowling fans must install a free software program called “Silverlight” if they have not already done so.
Xtra Frame, the “official video service of the PBA,” is available year-round, providing unique interviews, behind-the-scenes news, in-depth discussion of player equipment and strategies, and much more. For subscription information, click on the Xtra Frame icon on the pba.com home page.
KELLY KULICK, TOM SMALLWOOD MEDIA EXPRESS ROLLS ON
Kelly Kulick’s news media express continues to race along, with a steady stream of newspaper, television and radio interviews on her schedule in addition to a national teleconference. Following live interviews on CBS’s Early Show, ESPN’s First Take, Fox Business, a segment on ABC Evening News and a mention on NBC’s Jay Leno Show, Kulick’s victory earned a half-page in the Feb. 1 issue of Sports Illustrated. Her story also was told on National Public Radio’s “Only a Game” program (heard on 200 stations across the nation), Sirius Satellite Radio 98, CNN, the New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Daily News.
Coming Friday: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard will talk about why Kulick’s is a “Breakthrough Woman” CNN’s Morning Headline News with Robin Meade. The segment will air Friday between 8:30-9 a.m. Eastern, and will feature video of Kulick’s Tournament of champions win and along with photos of Kulick and Dorin-Ballard.
The magnitude of Kulick’s feat even reached into Canada where Toronto Star television writer Chris Zelkovich noted that 373,000 viewers watched the PBA while only 267,000 viewers watched the Toronto Raptors-Milwaukee Bucks NBA game on Friday and 256,000 tuned in for the Los Angeles Lakers-Raptors game on Sunday, "How did bowling draw a bigger audience on a Sunday afternoon than the Raptors did on Friday and Sunday nights?” Zelkovich asked. “The only possible explanation is that people were channel surfing and came across the sight of a woman, Kelly Kulick, making history by beating the guys."
In the meantime, Tom Smallwood’s feel-good story continues to get attention. The laid-off General Motors employee who became PBA World Champion was featured in a front-page sports section story in Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times. CBS News with Katie Couric shot material for a story about Smallwood’s triumph during the One A Day Dick Weber Open. A story is coming in Parade magazine, which is distributed to millions of American newspaper readers, and Sports Illustrated spent the entire week in Las Vegas working on a Smallwood article.
WILLIAMS, JOHNSON NAMED “BOWLERS OF THE DECADE” BY US BOWLER
Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., has added another astonishing accomplishment to his astonishing resumй, winning “Bowler of the Decade” honors from USBC’s US Bowler magazine for an unprecedented second decade in a row. PBA Women’s Series competitor Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., was selected as US Bowler’s female bowler of the decade for the 2000s.
Between 2000 and 2009, Williams won 17 PBA Tour titles including five majors, earned more than $1.5 million and made 63 television appearances to easily top runner-up Norm Duke and third-place vote-getter Chris Barnes. During the decade, Duke won 16 titles including four majors, earned $1.29 million and made 49 TV shows.
Despite the demise of the women’s pro tour in 2003, Johnson won five PWBA titles, the 2009 USBC Queens, 2007 Women’s U.S. Open, a pair of PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM titles and she was the first woman to advance to a PBA Tour title match (2005). Runner-up was Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, an 11-time PWBA winner. She also won the 2001 Queens and has two PBA Women’s Series titles. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., was third.
US Bowler conducted three separate polls – among bowling writers, PBA and/or PBA Women’s Series members, and BOWL.COM visitors – and all three polls produced the same top three results.
DUBLIN BOWL PROPRIETOR TED HOFFMAN RECEIVES BPAA’S HIGHEST HONOR
Ted Hoffman, co-proprietor of Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl in Dublin, Calif. – recent host of the 2010 Earl Anthony Memorial Classic - has been named winner of the 2010 Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America Victor Lerner Memorial Medal, BPAA’s highest honor.
Hoffman, a long-time PBA Western Region tournament director and a member of the PBA Hall of Fame, is being recognized for his lifetime of service to the sport. He will receive his award on June 28 during International Bowl Expo at the Las Vegas Hilton.
ENTRIES STILL AVAILABLE FOR U.S. OPEN, FINAL MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP OF 2009-10 SEASON
The biggest question of the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season is, who will become the next unlikely hero in a season filled with unlikely heroes. He or she could emerge from the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open, the final major championship of the season.
Entries are still available for men and women who are chasing the dream of winning a PBA Tour title. The U.S. Open is set for Feb. 22-28 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. For schedule and entry information, visit pba.com and look for the U.S. Open under the “Schedule” tab.
Thus far into the 2009-10 season, out-of-work General Motors factory worker Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., won the PBA World Championship and Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., stunned the sports world with her victory in the PBA Tournament of Champions. The United States Bowling Congress Masters title will be decided Feb. 9-14 in Reno, Nev., but keep in mind that previously-unknown John Nolen of Grand Blanc, Mich., captured the 2009 title for his first PBA Tour title.
Beyond the major championships, Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., and Anthony LaCaze of Melrose Park, Ill., also won their first PBA Tour titles in the PBA Chameleon Championship and Earl Anthony Memorial Classic, respectively. Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., won his second PBA Tour title, but first as a singles competitor, in the One A Day Dick Weber Open. Mike DeVaney of San Diego and Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, N.Y., each broke extended title droughts with victories during the PBA World Series of Bowling.
Who’s going to be the PBA’s next unsung champion?
2009-10 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR STATISTICAL LEADERS
EARNINGS Events Total
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 11 $73,460
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 11 $70,210
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 11 $70,070
4, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 11 $64,235
5, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 11 $63,125
6, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 11 $60,550
7, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas 11 $57,320
8, Mike DeVaney, San Diego 11 $48,470
9, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 11 $48,380
10, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 11 $44,720
PBA WORLD RANKING POINTS Titles Points
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 1 121,910
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas 0 110,033
3, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 0 106,061
4, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 1 106,034
5, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 0 101,399
6, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 1 97,619
7, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 1 94,805
8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 1 93,760
9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C. 0 92,917
10, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 1 92,188
PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS CRA Points
1, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 4 30
2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 2 28
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 3 26
4, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J. 1 24
Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 3 24
Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 2 24
7, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 2 20
8, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla. 1 16
Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y. 2 16
Mike DeVaney, San Diego 1 16
Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 1 16
Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 1 16
Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill. 1 16
(CRA = Championship Round Appearances)
HAMMER’S BILL O’NEILL GETS
NASTY AT DICK WEBER OPEN
Bowler looking forward to next event.
Hammer’s Bill O’Neill qualified 5th in the PBA One A Day Dick Weber Open, but finished fourth as tough conditions made the television finals difficult.
O’Neill’s used a Hammer Onyx Vibe through most of qualifying throughout the week. The Vibe gave him the best reaction from pair to pair during qualifying and match play, but would not be a good choice for the tv finals, said O’Neill.
“I drilled a Black Widow Nasty for the show and it rolled really well,” explained O’Neill. “The most challenging thing for me every time I am on TV is that the lanes are much tighter downlane than during qualifying. My high ball speed makes the ball go way too long before it hooks to the pocket, which makes targeting more difficult for me. There’s very little room for error, so I really have to be on it.”
Going into the finals, O’Neill’s strategy was to play an area of the lanes farther right than the other players. In particular, O’Neill wanted to avoid the area of the lane his opponent, Pete Weber, likes to play. He struggled against the sensitive, nearly flat Dick Weber lane pattern throughout the match. If the ball was too far right it never made it back; if he used too much grip pressure, the ball went Brooklyn.
Placing fourth, O’Neill was thrilled to see his friend Mike Fagan win the title match. This was Fagan’s first singles title.
“It was good to see him win,” said Fagan’s good friend O’Neill. “This tournament he went out and won on his own. He led the tournament the entire week, and was able to pull out a win.”
O’Neill still has plenty of chances for another title this season.
“I’m going to take advantage of this week off and practice as much as possible,” said O’Neill. “I want to get better and I am looking forward to a huge finish to this season.”
Hammer Brand Manager Jeff Ussery has faith in O’Neill.
“Bill is a great competitor,” said Ussery. “He’s definitely going to pull out another win, and Hammer is going to continue to be there for him when he does. He’s got an advantage over any competitor who isn’t using Hammer.”
NASTY AT DICK WEBER OPEN
Bowler looking forward to next event.
Hammer’s Bill O’Neill qualified 5th in the PBA One A Day Dick Weber Open, but finished fourth as tough conditions made the television finals difficult.
O’Neill’s used a Hammer Onyx Vibe through most of qualifying throughout the week. The Vibe gave him the best reaction from pair to pair during qualifying and match play, but would not be a good choice for the tv finals, said O’Neill.
“I drilled a Black Widow Nasty for the show and it rolled really well,” explained O’Neill. “The most challenging thing for me every time I am on TV is that the lanes are much tighter downlane than during qualifying. My high ball speed makes the ball go way too long before it hooks to the pocket, which makes targeting more difficult for me. There’s very little room for error, so I really have to be on it.”
Going into the finals, O’Neill’s strategy was to play an area of the lanes farther right than the other players. In particular, O’Neill wanted to avoid the area of the lane his opponent, Pete Weber, likes to play. He struggled against the sensitive, nearly flat Dick Weber lane pattern throughout the match. If the ball was too far right it never made it back; if he used too much grip pressure, the ball went Brooklyn.
Placing fourth, O’Neill was thrilled to see his friend Mike Fagan win the title match. This was Fagan’s first singles title.
“It was good to see him win,” said Fagan’s good friend O’Neill. “This tournament he went out and won on his own. He led the tournament the entire week, and was able to pull out a win.”
O’Neill still has plenty of chances for another title this season.
“I’m going to take advantage of this week off and practice as much as possible,” said O’Neill. “I want to get better and I am looking forward to a huge finish to this season.”
Hammer Brand Manager Jeff Ussery has faith in O’Neill.
“Bill is a great competitor,” said Ussery. “He’s definitely going to pull out another win, and Hammer is going to continue to be there for him when he does. He’s got an advantage over any competitor who isn’t using Hammer.”
USBC BOARD APPROVES
BUMPER BOWLING AWARDS
HIGH SCHOOL MEMBERSHIPS
Special achievement awards for youth competing in bumper bowling leagues and a new membership product for high school bowlers were recently approved by the United States Bowling Congress Board of Directors. Bumper bowling league competitors rolling 50, 75 and 100 games and/or 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 series are immediately eligible to earn Bowlopolis emblems in those categories.
These awards can be earned regardless of the bowler's bumper league average and will continue to be earned on the same progressive merit basis. "Since USBC does not recognize bumper league averages, our youngest members were not eligible to earn youth awards," said USBC Director of Youth Development Brian Graham. "This meant the only way they could obtain an award was through our purchasable awards program." To address this disparity and provide a consistent youth awards benefit to our youngest members, we proposed to extend the eligibility for the Bowlopolis-themed youth awards to participants in certified bumper bowling programs without the average requirement." The new USBC High School membership, which becomes effective Aug. 1, is available to those interscholastic high school bowlers who are not USBC Youth members. Bowlers may apply for the membership any time during the current interscholastic schedule. The cost for the new High School membership will be $5. "Many bowlers on high school teams do not bowl in USBC leagues so this gives them a way to become connected to USBC," said USBC High School Manager Breanne Eoff. "This membership will allow acceptance of all games bowled by that individual during the current season in recognized interscholastic competitions between two or more schools toward the establishment of a USBC official average."
BUMPER BOWLING AWARDS
HIGH SCHOOL MEMBERSHIPS
Special achievement awards for youth competing in bumper bowling leagues and a new membership product for high school bowlers were recently approved by the United States Bowling Congress Board of Directors. Bumper bowling league competitors rolling 50, 75 and 100 games and/or 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 series are immediately eligible to earn Bowlopolis emblems in those categories.
These awards can be earned regardless of the bowler's bumper league average and will continue to be earned on the same progressive merit basis. "Since USBC does not recognize bumper league averages, our youngest members were not eligible to earn youth awards," said USBC Director of Youth Development Brian Graham. "This meant the only way they could obtain an award was through our purchasable awards program." To address this disparity and provide a consistent youth awards benefit to our youngest members, we proposed to extend the eligibility for the Bowlopolis-themed youth awards to participants in certified bumper bowling programs without the average requirement." The new USBC High School membership, which becomes effective Aug. 1, is available to those interscholastic high school bowlers who are not USBC Youth members. Bowlers may apply for the membership any time during the current interscholastic schedule. The cost for the new High School membership will be $5. "Many bowlers on high school teams do not bowl in USBC leagues so this gives them a way to become connected to USBC," said USBC High School Manager Breanne Eoff. "This membership will allow acceptance of all games bowled by that individual during the current season in recognized interscholastic competitions between two or more schools toward the establishment of a USBC official average."
U.S. Open Returns to Woodland
Bowl in Indianapolis
After a 14-year absence, the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open is returning to Indianapolis Feb. 21-28 where it will be hosted by Woodland Bowl – an 80-lane bowling center which has played a prominent role in the sport’s colorful history for two decades.
The U.S. Open, considered by many to be the most challenging and most cherished title to win in all of bowling, is open to any 190-or-higher average bowler – male or female, professional or amateur – who cares to ante up the $500 entry fee. Every player then gets to bowl 18 qualifying games over three days to try to make the cut and continue advancing toward the title.
As the fourth and final major championship on the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour schedule, rewards for overcoming the demanding U.S. Open lane conditioning pattern are worthwhile - a projected $60,000 first prize and a three-year PBA Tour exemption.
Whoever wins in 2010 will join a lengthy list of storylines generated from Woodland Bowl, which has hosted three previous U.S. Opens, two PBA World Championships, three PBA Touring Players Championships, the 2009 PBA Etonic Marathon Open and the 2005 USBC Junior Gold National Championships.
Woodland Bowl’s first “major” champion was Ron Palombi Jr. who romped past Amleto Monacelli, 269-205, in the 1990 U.S. Open title match. In 1991, who can ever forget Pete Weber’s near-perfect 289-184 U.S. Open victory over Mark Thayer – after which Weber hoisted the “eagle” trophy over his head only to watch it crash to the floor and explode into pieces? In 1996, the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Opens were held concurrently for the first time ever at Woodland Bowl. The finals were contested before a crowd of 1,600 at Market Square Arena where Dave Husted defeated George Brooks to become the first male to successfully defend his U.S. Open title and become the event’s first three-time champion. A rookie on the women’s pro tour – Liz Johnson – won the 1996 Women’s U.S. Open.
In PBA World Championships held at Woodland Bowl, Walter Ray Williams Jr. won in 2006 and Norm Duke won in 2008. In PBA Touring Players Championships, Weber won in 1992, Jason Couch won in 1993 and Williams won in 1994.
In 2009, Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, won the Etonic Marathon Open – an extended format event contested on six different PBA lane conditioning patterns.
The next chapter in U.S. Open history begins with 18 qualifying games for all players – six games each on Feb. 23, 24 and 25. The field will then be cut to the top 25 percent for a nine-game “casher’s round” on Feb. 26. The top 24 after 27 games will then advance to round-robin match play which concludes on Feb. 27. The top four players will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, is the defending U.S. Open champion. Pete Weber will return to Indianapolis seeking an unprecedented fifth U.S. Open title. Other past U.S. Open champions in the field will be Duke (2008), Tommy Jones (2006), Chris Barnes (2005), Williams (1998 and 2003), Mika Koivuniemi (2002), and Robert Smith (2000).
Bowlers who would like to take on the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open challenge can find entry forms and information on pba.com under the “schedule” tab. Click on the “67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open” link and look for “Enter This Tournament.”
67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN SCHEDULE
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 21-28
Sunday, Feb. 21
Noon, 3 & 6 p.m. – Pro-Am squads
Monday, Feb. 22
8 a.m. - Practice (A Squad, B Squad A-L)
12:30 p.m. - Practice (B Squad M-Z, C Squad)
7 p.m. – Pro-Am squad
Tuesday, Feb. 23
8 a.m. - A Squad qualifying (6 games)
Noon - B Squad qualifying (6 games)
6 p.m. - C Squad qualifying (6 games)
Wednesday, Feb. 24
8 a.m. - B Squad qualifying (6 games)
Noon - C Squad qualifying (6 games)
6 p.m. - A Squad qualifying (6 games)
Thursday, Feb. 25
8 a.m. - C Squad qualifying (6 games)
Noon - A Squad qualifying (6 games)
6 p.m. - B Squad qualifying (6 games)
Top 25 percent of field advances
Friday, Feb. 26
9 a.m. – Final qualifying round (9 games)
Top 24 advance to match play
6 p.m. - Match Play Round 1 (8 games)
Saturday, Feb. 27
11 a.m. - Match Play Round 2 (8 games)
6 p.m. - Match Play Round 3 (8 games)
Top 5 advance to ESPN stepladder finals
Sunday, Feb. 28
12:30 p.m. Eastern - Live ESPN finals
Bowl in Indianapolis
After a 14-year absence, the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open is returning to Indianapolis Feb. 21-28 where it will be hosted by Woodland Bowl – an 80-lane bowling center which has played a prominent role in the sport’s colorful history for two decades.
The U.S. Open, considered by many to be the most challenging and most cherished title to win in all of bowling, is open to any 190-or-higher average bowler – male or female, professional or amateur – who cares to ante up the $500 entry fee. Every player then gets to bowl 18 qualifying games over three days to try to make the cut and continue advancing toward the title.
As the fourth and final major championship on the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour schedule, rewards for overcoming the demanding U.S. Open lane conditioning pattern are worthwhile - a projected $60,000 first prize and a three-year PBA Tour exemption.
Whoever wins in 2010 will join a lengthy list of storylines generated from Woodland Bowl, which has hosted three previous U.S. Opens, two PBA World Championships, three PBA Touring Players Championships, the 2009 PBA Etonic Marathon Open and the 2005 USBC Junior Gold National Championships.
Woodland Bowl’s first “major” champion was Ron Palombi Jr. who romped past Amleto Monacelli, 269-205, in the 1990 U.S. Open title match. In 1991, who can ever forget Pete Weber’s near-perfect 289-184 U.S. Open victory over Mark Thayer – after which Weber hoisted the “eagle” trophy over his head only to watch it crash to the floor and explode into pieces? In 1996, the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Opens were held concurrently for the first time ever at Woodland Bowl. The finals were contested before a crowd of 1,600 at Market Square Arena where Dave Husted defeated George Brooks to become the first male to successfully defend his U.S. Open title and become the event’s first three-time champion. A rookie on the women’s pro tour – Liz Johnson – won the 1996 Women’s U.S. Open.
In PBA World Championships held at Woodland Bowl, Walter Ray Williams Jr. won in 2006 and Norm Duke won in 2008. In PBA Touring Players Championships, Weber won in 1992, Jason Couch won in 1993 and Williams won in 1994.
In 2009, Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, won the Etonic Marathon Open – an extended format event contested on six different PBA lane conditioning patterns.
The next chapter in U.S. Open history begins with 18 qualifying games for all players – six games each on Feb. 23, 24 and 25. The field will then be cut to the top 25 percent for a nine-game “casher’s round” on Feb. 26. The top 24 after 27 games will then advance to round-robin match play which concludes on Feb. 27. The top four players will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, is the defending U.S. Open champion. Pete Weber will return to Indianapolis seeking an unprecedented fifth U.S. Open title. Other past U.S. Open champions in the field will be Duke (2008), Tommy Jones (2006), Chris Barnes (2005), Williams (1998 and 2003), Mika Koivuniemi (2002), and Robert Smith (2000).
Bowlers who would like to take on the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open challenge can find entry forms and information on pba.com under the “schedule” tab. Click on the “67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open” link and look for “Enter This Tournament.”
67TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN SCHEDULE
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 21-28
Sunday, Feb. 21
Noon, 3 & 6 p.m. – Pro-Am squads
Monday, Feb. 22
8 a.m. - Practice (A Squad, B Squad A-L)
12:30 p.m. - Practice (B Squad M-Z, C Squad)
7 p.m. – Pro-Am squad
Tuesday, Feb. 23
8 a.m. - A Squad qualifying (6 games)
Noon - B Squad qualifying (6 games)
6 p.m. - C Squad qualifying (6 games)
Wednesday, Feb. 24
8 a.m. - B Squad qualifying (6 games)
Noon - C Squad qualifying (6 games)
6 p.m. - A Squad qualifying (6 games)
Thursday, Feb. 25
8 a.m. - C Squad qualifying (6 games)
Noon - A Squad qualifying (6 games)
6 p.m. - B Squad qualifying (6 games)
Top 25 percent of field advances
Friday, Feb. 26
9 a.m. – Final qualifying round (9 games)
Top 24 advance to match play
6 p.m. - Match Play Round 1 (8 games)
Saturday, Feb. 27
11 a.m. - Match Play Round 2 (8 games)
6 p.m. - Match Play Round 3 (8 games)
Top 5 advance to ESPN stepladder finals
Sunday, Feb. 28
12:30 p.m. Eastern - Live ESPN finals
USBC REMEMBERS
FORMER ABC DIRECTOR
Thomas Mahaulu, an American Bowling Congress director for nearly two decades and later an honorary member of the organization, died Jan. 20 in Hawaii at age 87. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.
The retired State of Hawaii employee joined the ABC Board of Directors in 1983. He represented his native state until 2002 when he became an ABC honorary member. He served many years as a director and officer in both the Oahu and Hilo bowling associations. He also was involved in tournament promotions and league organization.
He is survived by a daughter and son. Condolences may be sent to his family at 200 Kanoelani St, Hilo, Hawaii 96720-5831.
FORMER ABC DIRECTOR
Thomas Mahaulu, an American Bowling Congress director for nearly two decades and later an honorary member of the organization, died Jan. 20 in Hawaii at age 87. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.
The retired State of Hawaii employee joined the ABC Board of Directors in 1983. He represented his native state until 2002 when he became an ABC honorary member. He served many years as a director and officer in both the Oahu and Hilo bowling associations. He also was involved in tournament promotions and league organization.
He is survived by a daughter and son. Condolences may be sent to his family at 200 Kanoelani St, Hilo, Hawaii 96720-5831.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Here & There Column 2-2-10
Uncle Fred The Winters Patriarch
Uncle Fred was a strong, loving and meaningful part of the Winters family and his passing on January 16 was truly a blessing for him and those who he meant so much to.
We sit back many times and ask why does anyone have to go through the suffering we all witnessed for so many months.
Frederick R. "Fred" Winters and his wonderful wife, Jean Champlin Winters of Liberty, made many friends over the years and their two children, Lee and his wife Barbara and Alan and his wife, Rose and their three children Jared, Alec and Shayna always have been a very close family and shared many special family events together.
When it came to family Fred was always number one which easily made him the family Patriarch as he touched all the hearts of his special nephews, nieces and cousins including, niece Shirley Townsend and her husband Ed, nephew Donald Winters and his wife Pam, nephew Charlie Winters and his wife Ann, nephew Richard Winters and his wife Lynn, niece Barbara Cross and her husband Dave, niece Marie Winters and cousins Donald Winters Jr., April Winters, Richard Winters Jr., Chris Winters, Charlie Winters Jr., Wade Winters, Dean Winters, Kerri Winters Daniele Winters, Amy Conklin and John Milano.
A well known and respected farm machinery mechanic most of his adult life, Fred served in the U.S. Army during WWII in central Europe and was a cook and later at the end of the war became a motor pool driver where he drove officers around Paris and spent many hours walking around this city which he became very familiar with. A picture his wife and family cherish is one of Fred taken at Napoleon's Tomb.
Following the war Fred worked as a farm machinery mechanic with the Clint Thompkins John Deere Agency in Liberty and became an expert with John Deere equipment which he always called "quality top notch equipment." He was widely known throughout Sullivan County as an expert in chain saw repair.
He also worked as a mechanic for the Dewey Carr Dairy Farm in Ferndale and for the New York State Electric & Gas Corporation in Liberty.
Fred was not shy to talk about politics and was always considered a staunch Republican. Fred loved his coffee and his talks with the boys down at the Liberty Diner where many have said he will be greatly missed.
The love for Fred and his family was very evident at the huge turnout of people who attended his visitation and funeral service.
Thanks Fred for sharing your life with us, our remembrance of good times, shared laughs and special moments will never be forgotten.
Uncle Fred was a strong, loving and meaningful part of the Winters family and his passing on January 16 was truly a blessing for him and those who he meant so much to.
We sit back many times and ask why does anyone have to go through the suffering we all witnessed for so many months.
Frederick R. "Fred" Winters and his wonderful wife, Jean Champlin Winters of Liberty, made many friends over the years and their two children, Lee and his wife Barbara and Alan and his wife, Rose and their three children Jared, Alec and Shayna always have been a very close family and shared many special family events together.
When it came to family Fred was always number one which easily made him the family Patriarch as he touched all the hearts of his special nephews, nieces and cousins including, niece Shirley Townsend and her husband Ed, nephew Donald Winters and his wife Pam, nephew Charlie Winters and his wife Ann, nephew Richard Winters and his wife Lynn, niece Barbara Cross and her husband Dave, niece Marie Winters and cousins Donald Winters Jr., April Winters, Richard Winters Jr., Chris Winters, Charlie Winters Jr., Wade Winters, Dean Winters, Kerri Winters Daniele Winters, Amy Conklin and John Milano.
A well known and respected farm machinery mechanic most of his adult life, Fred served in the U.S. Army during WWII in central Europe and was a cook and later at the end of the war became a motor pool driver where he drove officers around Paris and spent many hours walking around this city which he became very familiar with. A picture his wife and family cherish is one of Fred taken at Napoleon's Tomb.
Following the war Fred worked as a farm machinery mechanic with the Clint Thompkins John Deere Agency in Liberty and became an expert with John Deere equipment which he always called "quality top notch equipment." He was widely known throughout Sullivan County as an expert in chain saw repair.
He also worked as a mechanic for the Dewey Carr Dairy Farm in Ferndale and for the New York State Electric & Gas Corporation in Liberty.
Fred was not shy to talk about politics and was always considered a staunch Republican. Fred loved his coffee and his talks with the boys down at the Liberty Diner where many have said he will be greatly missed.
The love for Fred and his family was very evident at the huge turnout of people who attended his visitation and funeral service.
Thanks Fred for sharing your life with us, our remembrance of good times, shared laughs and special moments will never be forgotten.
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