SYMETRA TOUR TO OPEN 2019 SEASON IN SUNSHINE STATE

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Symetra Tour will begin the 2019 “Road to LPGA Tour” in North Port, Fla., with the inaugural SKYiGOLF Championship hosted by Charlotte Harbor National Golf Club at Bobcat Trail from March 7-10. 

A full field of competitors will battle for a purse of $250,000, matching the 2016 Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic in Greenwood, S.C. as the richest in Symetra Tour history. The SKYiGOLF Championship is also currently the highest prize money event for 2019 on the official qualifying tour of the LPGA.

“We are excited to welcome SKYiGOLF to the Symetra Tour family and are grateful that they sought out the Symetra Tour as one of their first significant industry partnerships,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “I know our members will be grateful to compete for the highest purse in Tour history in the first tournament of the year. This will definitely give some lucky players a major jump-start in the Volvik Race for the Card, not to mention the financial comfort that comes with such a significant payout.”

SKYiGOLF recently announced the three-year deal for the tournament at the World Golf Hall of Fame in conjunction with the company’s official launch. Charlotte Harbor National Golf Club at Bobcat Trail and the Golf Links of Charlotte Harbor are the first two clubs to join SKYiGOLF, an organization aimed at giving PGA Professionals and course operators the means to run their business more efficiently, while enhancing the game for all who play.

“We at SKYiGOLF are big supporters of women’s golf and are proud to work with the LPGA Tour in hosting the Symetra Tour’s SKYiGOLF Championship at Charlotte Harbor National,” said Rich Smith, PGA, the Founder and CEO of SKYiGOLF. “We want to get the season started in style, with a 72-hole event that will offer the largest purse of the season.”

The top-10 in the Volvik Race for the Card at the end of the season earn full LPGA Tour membership for 2020. From 1999-2002, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA handed out three cards, then from 2003-2007 that number increased to five before 10 were distributed starting in 2008. Since the inaugural year, a total of 147 players have graduated to the big stage.

Symetra Tour graduates over the years have included Mo Martin, Gerina Piller, Christina Kim and 2018 first-time LPGA Tour winner Nelly Korda, as well as World Golf Hall of Fame members Lorena Ochoa and Inbee Park. Other players that have spent time on the Symetra Tour include Brooke Henderson, Cheyenne Woods, Jaye Marie Green, Madelene Sagstrom and 2018 first-time LPGA Tour winner Annie Park.

“To start out the 2019 season with a bang as big as the SKYiGOLF Championship is really awesome,” said August Kim (St. Augustine, Florida), who finished the 2018 season at No. 30 in the Volvik Race for the Card and earned exemption into the inaugural Q-Series. “The large purse and sponsor support show the Tour continues to grow. I'm looking forward to the strong tone it will set right from the start of the season, especially since it's a couple hours from home for me.”

ABOUT SYMETRA TOUR 

The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 39th competitive season in 2019. With the support of its umbrella partner Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7M in prize money to $3M in prize money awarded over the course of 21 tournaments. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 429 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.

ABOUT SYMETRA  

Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions and independent agents and advisors. Symetra began its partnership with the Road to the LPGA in 2010 as the title sponsor of the Symetra Classic. It secured naming rights for the Symetra Tour in November 2011. In addition to its title sponsorship of the Tour, which runs through 2021, Symetra sponsors two events on the tournament schedule—the Symetra Classic and the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship. For more information about Symetra, visit www.symetra.com.

ABOUT SKYiGOLF

SKYiGOLF (SKYiGOLF.com) is dedicated to making golf more fun, offering $10,000 for holes-in-one on designated holes at SKYiGOLF facilities and operating a SKYiGOLF Global Golf Scramble, while at the same time helping PGA Professionals and course operators to increase their efficiency and revenues. For more information, contact Chief Communications Officer Jeff Babineau at jeff.babineau@skyigolf.com, or Chief Championships Officer Ben Herring at ben.herring@SKYiGOLF.com.

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

Final voting for All-Time SWB Team begins

RailRiders celebrating 30 seasons of baseball in NEPA during 2019 season

 

MOOSIC, PA. (October 29, 2018) –  After a comprehensive nomination and review process, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are excited to move into the final phase of naming the All-Time SWB Team as part of the upcoming 2019 season.  Voting is now underway to determine the top players that will be commemorated next season as the best-of-the-best during the celebration of 30 years of professional baseball in Northeast Pennsylvania.

 

Nominations were submitted via social media and email and were then reviewed by the staff and local dignitaries.  The final list of possible candidates was narrowed down based on designated criteria, keying on players that made the most impact while playing for the Red Barons, Yankees and RailRiders.  Fans can now vote for their top choice at each of the nine positions online at swbrailriders.com, through the team’s social media platforms or by clicking here.  During the 2019 season, the RailRiders will have a nine-figure bobblehead series giveaway to commemorate the All-Time SWB Team.

 

“We are in the home stretch of this exciting process,” stated Josh Olerud, the RailRiders Team President and General Manager.  “The collaboration of our fans in determining the final list was fun to see play out.  The remaining candidates made their mark on N.E.P.A.  While many top players were with us on rehab assignments, it was decided that this All-Time Team should be based on those key players that created a lasting impact at Lackawanna County Stadium and PNC Field.”

 

The finalists for pitchers are Jonathan Albaladejo, Brandon Duckworth, Ivan Nova, Joe Roa, Luis Severino and Randy Wolf.  Albaladejo went 7-2 over 88 games for the SWB Yankees with a 1.52 ERA and 54 saves, 43 of which came in 2010 to set a franchise record.  Duckworth posted a 13-2 mark in 2001 for the Red Barons with a 2.63 ERA, striking out 150 over 147 innings and was the Triple-A Player-of-the-Month in July of the summer.  Nova spent portions of five seasons with Scranton/Wilkes Barre, including 22 starts during the 2010 season when he went 12-3 with a 2.86 earned run average.  Roa pitched to a perfect 14-0 mark in 2002 with a 1.86 ERA over 17 starts.  Severino has gone 15-1 for the RailRiders over two seasons with a 2.79 Triple-A ERA.  Wolf pitched in 38 games, starting 37 of them, for the Red Barons and struck out 197 batters over 234 innings pitched.

 

At first base, the final candidates are Tyler Austin, Ryan Howard, Jon Zuber and Gene Schall.  Austin hit 33 home runs over 203 games spanning four seasons.  Howard batted .336 over 90 games in two years with the Red Barons with 25 home runs and 83 runs batted in.  Zuber played in 454 games for the Red Barons between 1995 and 1999 with a .305 average while playing for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Schall appeared in 588 games for the Red Barons with 86 career home runs while at Triple-A for the Phillies.

 

The second base candidates are Marlon Anderson, Dave Doster, Jose Pirela and Chase Utley.  Anderson played in over 100 games during two separate seasons with the Red Barons.  He hit .306 in 1998 with 16 home runs and then batted .305 in 2000 with eight home runs.  Doster spent five seasons in Moosic, appearing in 604 games with a career-best .315 average in 1997.  Pirela appeared in 195 games over three seasons for the RailRiders, including 130 games during the 2014 campaign when he batted .305 with 10 home runs and 60 batted in.  Utley made the leap from Advanced-A in 2001 to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2002.  Over three different seasons on the Red Barons between 2002 and 2004, he played in 271 games with 41 home runs, 172 runs batted in and held a .291 average.

 

At shortstop, Eduardo Nunez, Jimmy Rollins, Nick Punto, and Tyler Wade were tabbed as finalists.  Nunez played 118 games for the SWB Yankees in 2010, committing just 10 errors over 101 games at short while hitting .289 with 23 steals and 60 runs batted in.  Rollins hit .274 over 133 games in 2000 for the Red Barons with 12 home runs and 69 runs batted in.  Punto appeared in 263 games over three years, including 2002 when he hit .271.  Wade won the 2017 International League batting crown with a .310 average, hit seven home runs, drove in 31 and stole 26 bases.

 

Miguel Andujar, Travis Chapman, Scott Rolen, and Rick Schu are the best-of-the-best at third base.  Andujar hit .317 in 2017 and launched nine home runs with 30 runs batted in.  Chapman, the RailRiders defensive coach in 2018, was drafted by the Phillies and hit .272 over 134 games with 12 home runs and 82 runs batted in during the 2002 season with the Red Barons.  Rolen held a .274 average for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 1996 before going on to win National League Rookie of the Year in 1997.  Schu appeared in 217 games over two seasons, batting .321 in 1991 and .310 in 1992.

 

The final candidates at catcher are Mike Lieberthal, Austin Romine, Carlos Ruiz and Gary Sanchez.  Lieberthal played portions of four seasons on his rise to the Majors from 1992-1995, including carrying a .281 average during the ‘95 campaign, before coming back to the club again in 2006.  Romine has played for both the SWB Yankees and the RailRiders, paced in part by his last season in the Minors (.260 average over 92 games in 2015).  Ruiz hit .300 over 100 games for the Red Barons in 2005 and then .307 during 100 games in 2006.  Sanchez has spent a few rehab stints with the RailRiders but also hit 10 home runs over 71 games in 2016 while batting .282.  He has 21 home runs in 116 Triple-A games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

 

In the outfield, Pat Burrell, Shelley Duncan, Ben Gamel, Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge and Shane Victorino have been tabbed as finalists.  Burrell played in 50 games over two seasons and hit .294 for the Red Barons in 2000.  Duncan was the I.L. MVP in 2009, his third summer with the SWB Yankees, after hitting .277 with 30 home runs and 99 runs batted in.  Gamel earned the 2016 MVP honor after batting .308 over 116 games; one year after hitting .300 over 129 games for the RailRiders.  Gardner played for the SWB Yankees in 2007 and 2008 prior to his MLB debut, batting .294 over 94 games in ‘08 to help earn his call-up.  Judge played 124 games for the RailRiders between 2015 and 2016, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 93.  Victorino was the league MVP in 2005; the first Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to earn the honor.  He hit .310 with 18 home runs and 70 runs batted in during 126 games played.

 

“This truly is a comprehensive list of our best,” Olerud added.  “We are excited to see the final tallies on the All-Time SWB Team.  2019 is truly shaping up to be a terrific season as we honor 30 years of players and memories.”

 

The RailRiders open the 2019 season on the road on April 4 and begin their home schedule one week later.  Ticket plans are now available by calling (570) 969-BALL or by visiting swbrailriders.com.

PBA Spare Shots

 

FIELDS SET FOR 2018 PBA CLASH, 2019 DHC PBA JAPAN INVITATIONAL

Wednesday’s U.S. Open finals closed the book on the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule, which also means the field of eight qualifiers for the end-of-season PBA Clash and 10 invitations to participate in the 2019 DHC PBA Japan Invitational are set.

 

The 2018 PBA Clash, a special event involving the season’s top eight players in combined PBA Tour and World Bowling Tour earnings, is set for Monday, Dec. 10, at Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales, Fla., and also will serve as the kickoff event for the Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s inaugural season of television coverage on FOX and FS1 which begins with the PBA Hall of Fame Classic from the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Jan. 6.

 

The PBA Clash will air on FOX on Sunday, Dec. 23, at 2:30 or 4:30 p.m. Eastern, depending upon where the viewers live. General admission for the Clash will be $10, but a limited number of VIP tickets, sponsored by Central Florida Sports, will be available for $40 including early access at 3:30 p.m., an interactive Q&A session with PBA players at 4 p.m., dinner at 5 p.m. and a Kegel gift bag. Tickets will be available at the door or they may be purchased online in advance through the PBA’s official website (https://www.pba.com/Tickets).

 

The players who have qualified for the PBA Clash are Australia’s Jason Belmonte, Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas; Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich.; EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind.; newly-crowned U.S. Open champion Dom Barrett of England; fellow Brit Stuart Williams who now lives in the Phoenix area; Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., and U.S. Open runner-up Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz.

 

Based on competition points earned during the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season, the 10 players who have earned invitations to compete in the DHC PBA Japan Invitational that will take place April 25-28 at Tokyo Port Bowl in Tokyo are Anderson; Simonsen; Tackett; Williams; Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill.; Belmonte; Kent; Butturff; Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., and Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich. Barrett, as defending champion, also is invited. The field of 16 international players who will compete against 16 Japanese bowlers also will include three players invited by DHC, the tournament sponsor; one member of the Korean PBA, and one member of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association who will be announced later.

 

JASON BELMONTE WINS HIGH AVERAGE AWARD; ANDREW ANDERSON TOPS POINT LEADER RACE

The final event of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour regular season also secured Jason Belmonte’s fourth PBA George Young High Average Award with a 221.38 average for 270 games in PBA Tour competition, topping runner-up Jakob Butturff’s 220.79 average for 297 games. Belmonte, who set the PBA single-season scoring record in 2017 with a 229.39 average, also won the award in 2013 and ’14.

 

The other PBA award decided in the U.S. Open was the Harry Smith Competition Points Leader Award, which was re-instated after three years in hibernation. The winner is second-year player Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., who won two titles including the USBC Masters in compiling 24,195 points – more than 3,000 ahead of runner-up Anthony Simonsen’s 20,909 total.

 

Voting will begin soon for selection of the 2018 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year and Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year awards. The winners will be announced during the PBA Clash telecast airing on Sunday, Dec. 23, on FOX.

 

DOM BARRETT BECOMES PBA HALL OF FAME TITLE-ELIGIBLE WITH U.S. OPEN WIN

Another significant note from the U.S. Open is that England’s Dom Barrett became title-eligible for election into the PBA Hall of Fame in the future, recording his second major championship among his seven overall titles.

 

Barrett, who also won the 2013 PBA World Championship, has a while to wait, however. The 33-year-old right-hander joined the PBA in 2010, which means he won’t become participation-eligible for the PBA Hall of Fame until 2030 – his 20th year of membership. In order to be placed on the HOF ballot, candidates must meet both title and participation eligibility requirements.

 

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: TWO WIN FIRST PBA TITLES IN LAS VEGAS

Deeronn Booker of Anaheim, Calif., and Toby Sambueno of nearby Hendersonville won their first PBA titles over the weekend at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas.

 

Booker and non-member partner Michael Villarreal of Lakewood, Calif. teamed up to win Sunday’s South Point Member/Non-Member Doubles title after Sambueno won the South Point West Challenge portion of the PBA West Region doubleheader on Friday.

 

In the singles event, Sambueno defeated Villarreal, 205-175, to earn the $1,500 first prize and his first PBA title. In the semifinal round, Sambueno defeated Tim Cagle II of Hercules, Calif., 244-235, while Villarreal eliminated non-member Michael Fitzgerald of Phoenix, 222-175, in the other semifinal match.

 

In Sunday’s doubles title match, Booker and Villarreal defeated non-members Clay Rees of Riverton, Utah, and Cameron Foster of South Jordan, Utah, 436-380, to claim the $4,000 first prize and Booker’s first PBA Regional title.

 

Booker and Villarreal advanced to the title match by eliminating non-members Chris Klerk of Chandler, Ariz., and Ed Smaglik of Flagstaff, Ariz., 428-387, while Rees and Foster ousted Derek Acuff and non-member partner Michael Fitzgerald, both of Phoenix, 502-418, in the other semifinal match.

 

● Brent Hunter of Glenville, Pa., won his first PBA Regional title in seven years Sunday when he defeated Rick Graham of Lancaster, Pa., 232-187, to win the PBA50 Bryan’s Bowling Center Open presented by the Hopkins Automotive Group and 900 Global at Bryan’s Bowling Center in Laurel, Del.

 

Hunter, who qualified in 10th place, started Sunday’s first round with 10 strikes against defending champion Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pa., eliminating Bower, 2-1. He then ousted no. 2 qualifier Terry Wiley of Vienna, Va., 2-1, in his second best-of-three-game match. In the semifinal round, Hunter defeated Gary Faulkner of Norfolk, Va., 216-209, before topping Graham to claim the $1,500 first prize.

 

Graham defeated Donny Carr of Laurel, Md., 2-0, and qualifying leader Troy McKinney of Yorktown, Va., 2-0, before eliminating PBA Hall of Famer Danny Wiseman of Baltimore, 244-201, in the semifinal round.

 

● The PBA Regional program moves into the first weekend in November with a busy weekend of activity, including the PBA/PBA50 Decker Appraisal Services Baker Doubles honoring Guppy Troup at Valley Lanes in Harrisburg, Va.; the Ken and Kathy Fowler Auto Center PBA and PBA50 West/Northwest Open doubleheader at Yokayo Bowling Center in Ukiah, Calif., and the Greater Anderson Central/Midwest Open at David Small’s Championship Lanes in Anderson, Ind.

 

● 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:

● PBA Player of the Year candidate Kyle Troup and 2018 PWBA Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe, both members of Team USA 2018, will represent the United States in the 54th Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup that will take place Monday through Saturday, Nov. 10 at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas. Troup, a three-time PBA Tour title winner, and O’Keefe qualified for their World Cup berths during in the Team USA Trials held in Las Vegas in January.   

 

TEAM USA'S O'KEEFE, TROUP HEADED TO 2018 QUBICAAMF WORLD CUP

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Rat Pack, Wayne Newton, Elvis, Celine Dion and Siegfried and Roy all are synonymous with entertainment in Las Vegas.
If bowling were to have a seat at their table, there's no doubt that Shannon O'Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, has the resume and following to fill the role.
The 14-time Team USA member has enjoyed on-lane success at bowling centers across The Entertainment Capital of the World, and she officially solidified her place as Nevada royalty when she won the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Queens in nearby Reno, Nevada.

Now, O'Keefe is looking to add to her list of accomplishments at the upcoming QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, which will be held at Las Vegas' Sam's Town Bowling Center from Nov. 5-10. Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, North Carolina, will represent the United States on the men's side.
This year's QubicaAMF World Cup is the 54th edition of the prestigious event and will feature bowlers from more than 80 countries. The event will be streamed live on BowlTV (YouTube.com/BowlTV).
"The World Cup trophy is iconic in our sport like the NCAA trophy is to our college team, and seeing my Team USA teammates hold up the World Cup in the past really inspired me," said O'Keefe, the head women's bowling coach at McKendree University. "The possibility of being able to do that, too, would be such an amazingly proud moment."
The 39-year-old right-hander's time in Las Vegas has yielded eight medals in international competition, including three world championships, two titles at the 2016 USBC Women's Championships and two wins at the USBC Team USA Trials.
It was her victory at the 2018 Team USA Trials that earned her a spot at this year's World Cup, an opportunity she did not have when she won the Team Trials for the first time in 2008.
She was especially disappointed because she'd just gotten to experience the 2007 World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia, through her role at the time with World Bowling, and she was enamored by the history and prestige.
"When things changed, and winning the Team USA Trials again included qualifying for the World Cup, that really pushed me to want to win, along with earning a spot on Team USA, of course," O'Keefe said. "The World Cup has representatives from more places than any other tournament, and I'm very excited to meet players from so many countries. QubicaAMF also is an incredible sponsor for the (Professional Women's Bowling Association), so that connection is appreciated, too. It's almost hard to put it all into words."
O'Keefe will make the trip to Las Vegas straight from Houston, where the McKendree Bearcats will be competing in the TRACK Kat Klash.
Though she'll be wearing her coaching hat, instead of her bowling shoes for a few days, she expects that reading ball reaction and keeping the team members lined up during the tournament will help keep her sharp and prepared for the World Cup.
Physically, O'Keefe is at the top of her game, following a PWBA season that ended in September with player-of-the-year honors and was followed by a three-medal week at the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships in the Dominican Republic.
Troup heads to Sam's Town at the end of a successful Professional Bowlers Association Tour season that included 13 cashes in 18 events and his third career PBA Tour title at the Lucky Larsen Masters in August.
The 27-year-old two-hander also is looking for some redemption, however, after a disappointing 80th-place finish at this week's 144-player U.S. Open in Wichita, Kansas.
"Overall, this has been one of the best years I've had on Tour, plus starting off the year with a win at the Team USA Trials was awesome, too," said Troup, a first-time Team USA member also selected as part of the six-player contingent headed to the World Bowling Men's Championships in Hong Kong in November. "Tulsa (FloBowling PBA Fall Swing) and the U.S. Open didn't go how I'd hoped, but I've been practicing every day to fix anything in my game that didn't look quite right. I've been very focused on staying competitive, even during practice, and I am excited to be able to represent Team USA at the World Cup."
At the 2017 QubicaAMF World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico, Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Arizona, took home the men's title, a memorable run fueled by his own disappointment at the U.S. Open, where he finished second after leading the field by more than 600 pins through 56 games.
The women's title went to Krizziah Lyn Tabora, who was the first woman from the Philippines to win the event since her country claimed back-to-back women's titles in 1978 and 1979. Butturff and Tabora will not be in attendance in 2018.

The last time the World Cup was held in the United States, also at Sam's Town, was in 2015, and the titles went to Colombia's Clara Guerrero and Wu Siu Hong of Hong Kong. Neither will compete in 2018.

The field this year will include a few past winners - Aumi Guerra of the Dominican Republic (2010, 2011), Osku Palermaa of Finland (2006) and Mel Oates of Wales (2000).

The World Cup first was contested in 1965, and the tournament now is considered one of the sport's most prestigious singles titles. It also is recognized as the largest event in the sport in terms of number of countries competing.
Competitors this year will bowl 24 games over three days, beginning Tuesday, and the field then will be cut to the top 24 men and top 24 women for eight additional games. After 32 games, total pinfall will determine the eight bowlers in each division for eight games of round-robin match play.
The top four men and top four women after 40 games, including bonus pins, will advance to the knockout-style semifinals Nov. 10, where the No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 qualifier and No. 2 and No. 3 will meet. The winners of each match will earn a spot in the championship game.
For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.
For more information, or to follow the scores from the QubicaAMF World Cup, visit QubicaAMF.com.

Central Florida’s Kegel Training Center to Host Star-Powered 2018 PBA Clash

End-of-season special event will serve as first FOX-PBA telecast in December

 

LAKE WALES, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2018) – Kegel Training Center in central Florida, one of bowling’s most technically-advanced bowling facilities, will host the 2018 PBA Clash, a special showcase event for eight of the Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s top stars that also will include a preview of the PBA’s historic 2019 debut on FOX Sports.

 

The announcement was made by Kegel CEO Chris Chartrand and PBA CEO-Commissioner Tom Clark.

 

The 90-minute PBA Clash will take place at the Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 10 and will air on Sunday, Dec. 23, at either 2:30 or 4:30 p.m. EST (depending upon the viewer’s location). Admission will be $10. Tickets will be available at the door or they may be purchased online through the PBA’s official website (https://www.pba.com/Tickets).

 

PBA fans may recall the high-tech 12-lane Kegel Training Center was the host center for the PBA King of Bowling series and the PBA Women’s Series Showdown in 2009.

 

The Clash telecast will include a $25,000 winner-take-all single-elimination competition in which all eight of the 2018 season’s leading money winners will begin by bowling a ninth-and-10th frame round, with the lowest scoring bowler based on total pinfall for two frames being eliminated. Subsequent elimination rounds will be one-ball, low-man-out until two survivors remain. The final match will be a traditional 10-frame game.

 

Players who will participate in the Clash are Jason Belmonte, Anthony Simonsen, Andrew Anderson, EJ Tackett, Dom Barrett, Stuart Williams, Marshall Kent and Jakob Butturff.

 

The telecast also will feature profiles on each of the eight players, the announcement of the 2018 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year and the Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year, and a preview of the historic 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule of FOX and FS1 telecasts.

 

DOM BARRETT WINS 2018 U.S. OPEN
WICHITA, Kan. – England’s Dom Barrett won four matches Wednesday on his way to claiming the 2018 U.S. Open, including a thrilling one-pin victory over top-seed Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Arizona, in the title match, 207-206.
The 33-year-old right-hander became the third foreign-born player to win the U.S. Open, joining Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi (2001) and Canada’s Francois Lavoie (2016). He earned the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket presented to the champion.
Wednesday’s stepladder finals at Northrock Lanes were televised live on CBS Sports Network.
The title match swung back and forth as both players tried to figure out the 43-foot oil pattern. An open in the fifth frame from Barrett gave Butturff a slight advantage, as both competitors headed into the final frame working on doubles.
Butturff, finishing the match first, nearly left a 7-10 split on his first shot before the 7 pin tumbled late. He converted the spare and struck on his fill ball, forcing Barrett to strike on his first shot for a chance at the title.
Barrett rolled the strike he needed to start the 10th frame, but a 4-6 split on his second shot left him needing to convert just one pin for the victory. His spare attempt was left of target, but it was enough to push over the 6 pin to give him his seventh Professional Bowlers Association Tour title and second major championship.
“For me, it’s about slowing everything down as much as I can in those situations,” said Barrett, who won the 2013 PBA World Championship. “I threw the one in the 10th really well, and I thought the 11th shot was OK, but I must have grabbed a lot of that one. On the spare attempt, I told myself that I didn’t want to miss it right, and I certainly didn’t do that.”
Barrett credited his run through the stepladder to his aggressiveness. He made a big move to the left to start the third game and made multiple ball changes over the course of his final two wins. In all, he averaged more than 238 on his way to the title.
As exciting as the win is for Barrett, he looks forward to everything awaiting him across the Atlantic Ocean. Barrett and his wife, Cassie, recently welcomed son, Colby.
“This means so much,” said Barrett, the runner-up at the 2015 U.S. Open. “Especially for my family at home, too. My wife has hardly had any sleep for the last 10 weeks with a newborn baby, so I think it’s now time for me to take care of my dad duties and take care of my family.”
Butturff led the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year by a sizeable margin to earn the No. 1 seed for the TV show. The 24-year-old left-hander led this year’s field by 552 pins after leading by 617 pins in Liverpool, New York, in 2017.
He joined PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Earl Anthony as the only bowlers to earn the top seed in consecutive years at the U.S. Open since 1971. Anthony also was defeated in each title match, dropping the final game in 1979 and 1980.
“It definitely hurts, especially losing by one, but at least I can say I led this tournament two years in a row, by a lot,” said Butturff, a four-time PBA Tour champion. “It’s about the only thing I can take out of it, but it’s definitely an amazing feeling.
“I threw a couple of bad shots but threw one good when I needed to and (left a) 10 pin. At least I forced him to show up. You know, Dom bowled phenomenal this week, too; we all did on the TV show. It’s rough, but at the same time, I always think of it as another learning experience.”
Barrett also delivered in the 10th frame to advance to the championship match, beating Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois, 226-222.
Prather had built an early lead, striking on six of his first seven shots but missed a 6 pin in the eighth frame to allow Barrett, who had been struggling with carry, to tighten the match.
Prather missed the opportunity to shut out Barrett in the 10th. Given the chance to fill 26 pins in the 10th to advance, Barrett rolled a double and got nine pins on his fill ball to secure his spot in the championship match.
Barrett defeated EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana, 264-248, to advance to the semifinals. Barrett finished the game first and delivered a double to force Tackett to do the same, but the 12-time PBA Tour champion was unable to get the 10 pin out on his first shot.
Tackett was hoping to become the seventh player to complete the PBA’s Triple Crown. He had claimed the 2016 PBA World Championship and 2017 PBA Tournament of Champions.
In the opening match of the stepladder, Barrett bested Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington, 258-203. Barrett delivered 10 strikes on his way to the win, while Kent was unable to recover from opens in the third and fifth frames.
All competitors at the 2018 event bowled 24 qualifying games over three days to determine the 36 players advancing to a cashers’ round. After eight additional games, the field was cut to the top 24 players for round-robin match play.
The five finalists were determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.
The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.
Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals was broadcast live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.
For more information on the U.S. Open, visit BOWL.com/USOpen.
About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 69 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; IBC Youth Development; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.
2018 U.S. OPEN
At Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan.
Wednesday’s results
FINAL STANDINGS
1, Dom Barrett, England, 955 (four games), $30,000
2, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 206 (one game), $15,000
3, Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 222 (one game), $12,000
4, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 248 (one game), $10,000
5, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 203 (one game), $8,000
STEPLADDER RESULTS
Match No. 1 – Barrett def. Kent, 258-203
Match No. 2 – Barrett def. Tackett, 264-248
Semifinal – Barrett def. Prather, 226-222
Championship – Barrett def. Butturff, 207-206