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.

TEAM USA SWEEPS DOUBLES AT 2018 PABCON CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

RIO DE JANEIRO - For the second consecutive time, Team USA swept the doubles gold medals at the Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event.
However, while the final destination was the same for the men and women Wednesday at the 26-lane Bowling Social Club, their paths to the top of the medal stand were significantly different.
The men's doubles victory for Matt Russo of Millstone Township, New Jersey, and Matt Farber of Plainview, New York, was a continuation of the success and momentum they found while finishing first and second, respectively, in singles Tuesday.
For Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, and Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, doubles offered a chance at redemption after an up-and-down singles event left them with a bronze medal for Kulick and a whole new game plan for McEwan, who did not break the 200 mark during the eight-game block and finished 15th in the standings.
McEwan started doubles with a 247 game, while Kulick's 278 effort in Game 3 helped the two build an early lead. They entered the final game just 44 pins ahead of Brazil, but another 247 game from McEwan thwarted any last-minute charge.
The longtime Team USA teammates went on to claim the gold medal with an eight-game total of  3,271, a 204.44 average. McEwan set the pace with a 1,650 individual total, and Kulick contributed 1,621.
Halfway through the finale, McEwan missed a 10 pin, an uncharacteristic mistake that ended up being a crucial turning point for her mentally. She finished the game with seven consecutive strikes, her longest string of the week.
"The back half of that game is one I'll never forget because I wasn't really sure what the situation was, but Brazil was going nuts, and I knew they were right behind us," McEwan said. "I didn't know what we needed, but whenever I'm in that situation, the goal is to strike out. I messed up earlier in the game, and I was so frustrated at myself for missing a spare. I just kept hoping it wouldn't cost us, and I was able to throw some really good shots when I needed them. I don't know how, based on how I bowled the previous 15 games, but I did it, and it feels amazing to come away with the win."
The women's silver medal went to Aruba's Thashaina Seraus (1,703) and Kamilah Dammers-Naddall (1,531) with a 3,234 total, and Brazil's Roberta Rodrigues (1,634) and Stephanie Martins (1,544) held on for the bronze medal with 3,178.
McEwan described her singles event as one of the worst performances of her career, and the disappointment was magnified because she did it while representing her country.
The 27-year-old right-hander talked through the struggles with Kulick and Team USA head coach Rod Ross, took some more notes during the men's singles squad and returned to the lanes with some new ideas.
"We did some different things with lane play and surfaces based on what we learned yesterday," McEwan said. "Mentally, I just tried to convince myself that looking for ball reaction or the magic ball that was going to work wasn't the best strategy. I just needed to bowl better, so I watched some videos and went through some notes I've taken about what I need to do when I'm struggling. I focused on a couple physical things and tried to out bowl the terrible ball reaction I seemed to have."
On the men's side, Russo again was dominant on the 44-foot World Bowling London oil pattern, posting a 1,852 total for his eight games, the highest individual effort in the men's field Wednesday by more than 100 pins. Farber added 1,617 for a 3,469 winning total.
Host Brazil claimed the silver medal with a 3,330 total, which included a 1,701 set from left-hander Bruno Costa and a 1,629 performance from right-hander Marcelo Suartz.
Canada's Travis Cauley (1,731) and Art Oliver Jr. (1,539) claimed the bronze medal with a 3,270 total.
Just as they did in singles, Russo and Farber used a strong final game to solidify their place atop the standings. They bounced back from their lowest game of the day (390) and finished with 464.
"It's definitely heartwarming to know we did a great job representing our country, and we get to be up on that medal stand again," said Farber, a team gold medalist at the 2014 World Bowling Youth Championships as a member of Junior Team USA. "Bowling's kind of a finicky sport, where we could've come out here and bowled our greatest, and the pins could've just not fallen our way. Fortunately, we bowled very well and the pins fell. I'm extremely grateful for that, and we never could've done it without all the support from back home."
Both competitors made their Team USA debuts this week in Brazil, but they weren't unfamiliar with the pride associated with representing their country or competing in a team environment.
Farber, 24, previously enjoyed a successful three-year stint on Junior Team USA, where he earned six medals overall. He's also one year removed from a short collegiate bowling career at McKendree University that ended with a national championship.
Russo, a two-time Team USA member, also spent two years on Junior Team USA, though he never got the opportunity to compete internationally.
"Today was a lot of fun because I got to share it with someone I've talked to about winning gold medals with," said Russo, a 21-year-old two-hander who utilizes the left side of the lane. "It was nice to know that if I didn't bowl well, I had a partner who would be there, and if he didn't bowl well, I would be there to pick him up. Especially after winning yesterday, there seemed to be much less pressure today, so that allowed us to have a little more fun."

At the 2016 PABCON Champion of Champions in Puebla, Mexico, the first time the event's current format was used, Team USA's Stefanie Johnson and Shannon Pluhowsky took home the doubles gold medal on the women's side, and Tommy Jones and Chris Via got the job done on the men's side.
All competitors this week at Bowling Social Club bowled eight games of singles and eight games of doubles, and all-events medals will be awarded based on the 16-game pinfall totals. The top eight men and top eight women in their respective standings also advanced to Thursday's Masters match play.
Russo led the 13-country men's field with a 3,689 total, an average of 230.56. Canada's Cauley was second with 3,406 and Farber finished third with 3,357. Armando Batres of Guatemala claimed the final spot in the men's Masters round with 3,257, a 203.56 average.
Seraus, the singles champion this week, set the overall pace for the women with a 3,510 total, a 219.38 average. She was followed by Kulick (3,262) and Canada's Valerie Bercier, the singles silver medalist (3,255). Brazil's Rodrigues claimed the final spot in match play with a 3,059 total, a 191.19 average.
McEwan's big final game landed her in seventh place with 3,079.
The 16 remaining bowlers will return to the lanes Thursday at 8 a.m. Eastern for seven games of round-robin match play, with 20 bonus pins awarded for each win. After seven games, the top four players in each division will advance to the best-of-three bracket-style semifinals.
This year's PABCON Champion of Champions event was the fifth edition of the tournament, first contested in 2008, and included 11 women's teams and 13 men's teams, each with two players.
For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.
For more information, or to follow the scores from the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions, visit PABCON.org.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2018 PABCON Champion of Champions
At Bowling Social Club
Rio De Janeiro

Wednesday's results
MEN'S DOUBLES
(Eight games)
GOLD - Matt Russo/Matt Farber, United States, 3,469
SILVER - Bruno Costa/Marcelo Suartz, Brazil, 3,330
BRONZE - Travis Cauley/Art Oliver Jr., Canada, 3,270
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
(Eight games)
GOLD - Kelly Kulick/Danielle McEwan, United States, 3,271
SILVER - Thashaina Seraus/Kamilah Dammers-Naddall, Aruba, 3,234
BRONZE - Robert Rodrigues/Stephanie Martins, Brazil, 3,178

MEN'S ALL-EVENTS
(16 games)
GOLD - Matt Russo, United States, 3,689
SILVER - Travis Cauley, Canada, 3,406
BRONZE - Matt Farber, United States, 3,357
WOMEN'S ALL-EVENTS
(16 games)
GOLD - Thashaina Seraus, Aruba, 3,510
SILVER - Kelly Kulick, United States, 3,262
BRONZE - Valerie Bercier, Canada, 3,255

UNITED STATES, ARUBA WIN SINGLES AT 2018 PABCON CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

RIO DE JANEIRO - Hours after arriving in Brazil for his Team USA debut, Matt Russo of Millstone Township, New Jersey, found out his grandfather, Tom Russo Sr., had lost his short battle with cancer.
The possibility was in the back of Russo's mind during the journey of more than 4,000 miles, but he wasn't exactly sure how to react to the news if it came while he was away from the United States. Ultimately, it added to his motivation when he hit the lanes for singles Tuesday at the 2018 Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event.
"I knew there was a chance I might not be able to see him again, and when I found out, I didn't know what to say or whether or not to cry," Russo said. "I tried to go home before I came here, but I wasn't able to. During the last FaceTime call we had, I told him I was going to win him a gold medal. I was hoping to get the chance for one last phone call to tell him how we did, which makes today really bittersweet."
The two-time Team USA member, who attends Webber International University in Babson Park, Florida, went on to claim the first gold medal of his career, securing the win Tuesday with an 11-strike 279 effort in his final game at the 26-lane Bowling Social Club.
Russo, 21, entered the finale with a 12-pin lead over Costa Rica's Marco Moretti and opened with eight consecutive strikes to pull away for good.
He finished the eight-game block with a 1,837 total, a 229.63 average, while his Team USA teammate, Matt Farber of Plainview, New York, closed with 268 and surged into second place with a 1,740 total. Moretti held on for the bronze medal with 1,726.
"I'm shocked and excited, but, most importantly, there's one person I wanted to win a gold medal for, and that's my grandfather," said Russo, the 2017 U.S. Amateur champion. "It meant a lot to both of us just to have the opportunity to come here to do this. I thought winning the U.S. Amateur title was big, but winning a gold medal for Team USA is such an incredible feeling. I'm kind of speechless right now."
Russo, a two-handed bowler who attacks the lane from the left side, and Farber, a right-hander also making his Team USA debut this week, both started the day with games in the 240s and pushed each other to find that momentum again at the end of the block.
The duo started the final game with 15 consecutive strikes, before Farber's string ended with a 5 pin in the eighth frame, and Russo's run ended with a 7 pin in the ninth frame.
"I definitely was thinking about the 300 and how cool it would be to bowl one at this event," Russo said. "I actually thought about it twice today, and though it didn't work out, it was an incredible day overall. I don't know if it's possible to beat the feeling of winning gold and silver in the first event, but we still have two days of competition to go, and we have every intention of staying focused and continuing to do what we did today."
The women's singles gold medal went to Aruba's Thashaina Seraus, who has been dealing with nerve pain in her sliding leg and wasn't even sure she was ready to compete this week in Brazil. The injury sidelined her for last month's PABCON Women's Championships in the Dominican Republic.
Navigating the challenging 44-foot World Bowling London oil pattern and focusing on the tendencies of each lane at Bowling Social Club helped keep her mind occupied and off the lingering pain.
The right-hander averaged nearly 226 for her eight games, which included a high game of 266 (twice) and a low game of 178.
She attributed the peaks and valleys to a challenging transition and the characteristics of the center, and she's hoping the information she collected Tuesday will help her see the changes and differences sooner the rest of the week.
Seraus topped the standings with a 1,807 total and was followed by Valerie Bercier of Canada (1,724) and Kelly Kulick of the United States (1,641).
"Coming here, again, I didn't feel ready because of the injury, but I'm really happy with such a great start and a medal in singles," said Seraus, who competed collegiately for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. "We learned a lot today, too, and we'll definitely go back to the notes tomorrow, so we can make sure we have a solid plan."
Team USA's Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, struggled in singles and finished 15th overall with a 1,429 total.
All competitors will return to the lanes at Bowling Social Club on Wednesday for eight games of doubles. The men will start the day, getting underway at 8 a.m. Eastern, and the women will take their time in the spotlight at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, following the singles medal ceremony.

The fifth edition of the tournament, first contested in 2008, includes 11 women's teams and 13 men's teams, each with two players.
All competitors this week will bowl eight games of singles and eight games of doubles, and their 16-game pinfall totals will determine the eight women and eight men who advance to Thursday's Masters match play.
Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in each event.
The PABCON Champion of Champions last was held in 2016 (Puebla, Mexico), and the United States claimed both doubles titles.
For more information on Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA.
For more information, or to follow the scores from the 2018 PABCON Champion of Champions, visit PABCON.org.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2018 PABCON Champion of Champions
At Bowling Social Club
Rio De Janeiro

Tuesday's results
MEN'S SINGLES
(Eight games)
GOLD - Matt Russo, United States, 1,837
SILVER - Matt Farber, United States, 1,740
BRONZE - Marco Moretti, Costa Rica, 1,726
WOMEN'S SINGLES
(Eight games)
GOLD - Thashaina Seraus, Aruba, 1,807
SILVER - Valerie Bercier, Canada, 1,724
BRONZE - Kelly Kulick, United States, 1,641

Jin Young Ko Earns 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award

 

Ko clinches honor with four events remaining in the 2018 season

 

A. Jutanugarn leads Rolex Player of the Year race

 

 

 The LPGA Tour announced today that Jin Young Ko has earned the 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award. With four events remaining in the 2018 season, Ko, a two-time LPGA Tour winner, leads the standings with 1,137 points, 383 points ahead of second-place Georgia Hall, and cannot be caught.

 

“I feel honored to clinch the Rookie of the Year award here on the LPGA Tour, which I wasn’t able to get on the KLPGA Tour,” said Ko, of Seoul, Republic of Korea. “I really enjoyed my first season on the LPGA and I am looking forward to having another energetic season next year.”

 

Ko, 23, captured her first LPGA Tour title at the 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship as a non-member, a win that earned her LPGA Membership for the 2018 season. She then opened her LPGA career in style, winning February’s ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and becoming the second player in LPGA history to win in her debut event, joining Beverly Hanson (1951 Eastern Open).

 

Ko has 11 top-10 finishes in 2018, with a tie for second at the HUGEL-JTBC LA Open and a tie for third at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open joining her win in Australia. Ko also has 10 victories on the Korean LPGA Tour, where she played full-time through 2017.

 

With four events left in the season, Ko sits eighth on the LPGA Official Money List with $1,045,572 in season earnings. She leads the LPGA Tour in greens in regulation at 77.44% and is second in scoring average at 69.6. Should Ko lead the Tour in scoring average at the end of the season, she would join Nancy Lopez (1978) and In Gee Chun (2016) as the only rookies in LPGA history to also earn the Vare Trophy, which is given to the player with the season’s lowest scoring average.

 

Ko will receive the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award at the 2018 Rolex LPGA Awards ceremony, to be held Thursday, Nov. 15, at Tiburon Golf Club during the week of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

 

Since its inception in 1962, nine Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winners have become members of the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame: Joanne Carner (1970), Amy Alcott (1975), Nancy Lopez (1978), Beth Daniel (1979), Patty Sheehan (1981), Juli Inkster (1984), Annika Sorenstam (1994), Karrie Webb (1996) and Se Ri Pak (1998). Ko is the 12th player from the Republic of Korea to capture the honor and the fourth consecutive, joining Sung Hyun Park (2017), In Gee Chun (2016) and Sei Young Kim (2015).

 

Additionally, with three victories in 2018, Ariya Jutanugarn sits atop the Rolex Player of the Year race with 219 points. She leads second-place Sung Hyun Park by 83 points and is 109 points clear of Minjee Lee and Brooke Henderson, who are tied for third. Park, Lee and Henderson are the only players with a mathematical chance of catching Jutanugarn.

 

About the LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.

 

The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives, such as LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.

 

Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram and Snapchat at @lpga_tour.

PAGE EXCITED TO DEFEND TITLE AT U.S. OPEN

ARLINGTON, Texas – Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, captured his first major championship last year at the U.S. Open, and the 35-year-old left-hander is looking forward to putting his title on the line this week in Wichita, Kansas.

Page will lead a field of 144 competitors at Northrock Lanes starting Friday, and the 2018 event will conclude Oct. 31 with a live broadcast of the stepladder finals on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern. The winner will claim the $30,000 top prize and take home the famed green jacket.

The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 Professional Bowlers Association Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.

At the 2017 U.S. Open in Liverpool, New York, Page bested fellow southpaw Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Arizona, in the title match, 256-222, to win his sixth career PBA Tour title.

In addition to the green jacket, Page also claimed the 2017 PBA Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group Classic title on his way to being selected as the winner of the 2018 Best Bowler ESPY award.

“It was everything you could dream of and more,” Page said. “I get goosebumps every time I think about it. Confidence wise, it’s been very good for me. And, so far, it has been the defining moment of my career.”

Page’s 2018 season has had its share of ups and downs, and he recently experienced another rollercoaster week at the FloBowling PBA Fall Swing in Owasso, Oklahoma.

He was second overall with one squad left in qualifying at the PBA Wolf Open but finished in 10th place, missing the stepladder finals. At the PBA Bear Open, Page was unable to find the right look and finished tied for 64th place. He also missed a spot in match play for the PBA Tulsa Open, which included the top 18 competitors from the two events, based on their 24-game pinfall totals for the week.

Though the results last week at The Lanes at Coffee Creek may have not gone in his favor, Page feels the work he’s put in to get ready for the last portion of the PBA Tour season will pay dividends.

“It’s been a tough season for me,” said Page, who has a high finish of fourth place in 2018, which took place at the PBA Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group Classic. “I was really close at the Wolf Open. I had worked extremely hard on that pattern, since it has been tough for me over the years. To be in second and drop to 10th was a little disappointing. Nevertheless, I felt I bowled very well. I’ve done a lot of prep work in the last two months, not only on the lanes, but at the gym, too, and I feel strong.”

One of the big challenges for competitors this week at Northrock Lanes will be facing four different lane conditions. At the 2017 event, there only was one oil pattern, and bowlers had to navigate different phases of the condition – fresh, burn and double-burn.

In 2018, all squads will be contested on a fresh oil pattern, and players will compete on three different conditions during the first three rounds of qualifying. The fourth oil pattern will be introduced starting with the cashers’ round Oct. 29 and be used for the remainder of the tournament.

Although Page knows this will be a big factor, he’s ready to rely on his strengths to make another run at the title.

“It’s going to take a lot of great shot-making,” Page said. “With four different patterns this year, it's really hard to anticipate what’s going to happen, but I know physically I’m where I need to be. I’m going to have to focus on the mental aspect, keep an open mind and make sure my prep work each day is really good. At the end of the day, it’s still the U.S. Open, and spares are going to matter. That’s my strength, being able to grind my way through a tournament.”

Page has drawn motivation from different sports as he prepares to put his title on the line.

He watched 2018 PGA Tour Player of the Year Brooks Koepka successfully defend his U.S. Open title earlier in 2018, and Page feels ready to become the first player since USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Dave Husted to repeat as champion at one of bowling’s premier events.

Husted captured the title in 1995 and 1996, and he also won the 1982 U.S. Open. He’s one of just four players to win at least three U.S. Open titles.

“Seeing Brooks Koepka win back-to-back U.S. Open titles in golf was a very big motivator for me,” Page said. “If he can do it in his sport, I can do it in mine. I really used that as a driving force to get ready for this event.”

The 2018 U.S. Open will play a major role in determining a tightly contested race for the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award.

EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana, the 2016 Player of the Year, won his third title of the season at the PBA Bear Open last week, while Butturff, Andrew Anderson of Holly, Michigan, Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, and Australia’s Jason Belmonte each have claimed two titles on the year. Belmonte is the reigning Player of the Year, having also earned the award in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Anderson is the only player in the group to have captured a major championship in 2018, winning the USBC Masters in April.

A total of 116 of the 144 competitors this week received a direct entry into the 2018 U.S. Open based on their on-lane performances during 2017. The final 28 spots will be awarded through a pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ), which will take place at Northrock Lanes on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern.

The PTQ will feature eight games, with total pinfall determining who advances to the main event. Qualifying for the full field at the U.S. Open will begin Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern.

Qualifying will consist of three eight-game blocks over three days. After 24 games, the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the cashers’ round, which will include an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.

Match play will begin next Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern with the first of three eight-game rounds. Match play resumes Tuesday at 11 a.m. Eastern with the final two blocks, including a position round. The five finalists will be determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.

Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals will be broadcast live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

For more information on the U.S. Open, visit BOWL.com/USOpen.

ROLEX RANKINGS UPDATE FOLLOWING 2018 BUICK LPGA SHANGHAI

 

After completion of the 2018 Buick LPGA Shanghai, projections for the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings show that Sung Hyun Park will remain at World No. 1 with 8.1056 points, followed by Ariya Jutanugarn with 8.0279 points. Pre-tournament projections showed that Jutanugarn could pass Park if she finished solo second and Park finished sixth or worse. However, the projections did not encompass Jutanugarn’s seven-way tie for second, which altered the share of points she received. Park finished tied for 26th.

England’s Stuart Williams Wins FloBowling PBA Tulsa Open

For Second Go Bowling! PBA Tour Title

Williams wins four matches and beats Andrew Anderson in the

title match, 237-215, for first win since 2012

 

OWASSO, Okla. (Oct. 20, 2018) –  Stuart Williams of England won all four matches and averaged 251 in the stepladder finals to win the FloBowling PBA Tulsa Open Saturday, the pinnacle event of the FloBowling PBA Fall Swing at The Lanes at Coffee Creek.

 

In a stepladder final that featured a dual lane condition pattern –  PBA 39-foot Bear condition on the left lane and 33-foot Wolf condition on the right lane – Williams beat two-time Go Bowling! PBA Tour winner and finals top qualifier Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., 237-215, in the title match for his second career title and the $30,000 first prize.

 

Williams, the No. 4 qualifier for the finals, was in control from the start when Anderson, the 2018 USBC Masters champion, opened in the first two frames after leaving splits.

 

“Bowling on two different conditions in the finals it was important to go with ball choices that I felt the most confident in and commit to those choices,”  the 37-year-old Williams said. “I was fortunate that I was able to stay with the same balls and game plan for all four matches and that really confirmed I made the right decisions.

 

“On the longer condition I wanted to throw slower and use a release where my hand came more around the ball. For the shorter condition, I concentrated on keeping my ball speed up and getting the ball to roll more end over end.”

 

The win was William’s first title since winning the 2012 PBA Viper Open. This season he has had best finishes of second in the WBT/PBA World Bowling Tour Thailand and fourth in the Brunswick Euro Challenge.

 

“It’s nice to get another win here in the States,” Williams said. “It almost seems worse having one title than none. There’s a kind of validation when you win your second title, especially when you win in a tournament as difficult as this one is. It gets kind of frustrating when people say ‘your time will come’ and you’re still hanging there with one win.”

 

Live streamed on Xtra Frame on FloBowling, Williams started the stepladder finals with a 236-227 win over No. 5 qualifier Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill., who finished third in the Wolf and Bear Opens earlier in the Fall Swing. Williams then beat Wolf Open winner 2016 PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., 245-212, in the second match to advance to the semifinal.

 

In the semifinal, Williams beat fellow Englander Richie Teece, who was trying for his second tour win, 288-203, to advance to the title match against Anderson. In the 288 game, Williams fired the first 10 strikes before leaving the 6-10 on the 11th shot.

 

In the two other Fall Swing events, Williams finished 31st in the Wolf Open and second in the Bear Open which led up to the Tulsa Open.

 

Tackett’s win in the Bear Open made him the season’s first three-time winner and a leading contender for PBA Player of the Year going into the U.S. Open at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan. Oct. 24-31, which concludes the season.

 

It was also a productive week for Anderson, another player of the year candidate, finishing fourth in the Bear Open and second in the Wolf Open in addition to his runner-up finish in the Tulsa Open. Teece finished fifth in the Bear Open and 43rd in the Wolf Open.

 

To get the Tulsa Open stepladder finals, the players had to first make the top 18 after 24 games of qualifying in the Wolf and Bear events and then compete in three six-game rounds of round robin match play which also used the dual lane condition.

 

FLOBOWLING PBA TULSA OPEN

The Lanes at Coffee Creek, Owasso, Okla., Saturday

 

Final Standings

1,  Stuart Williams, England, $30,000

2,  Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., $15,000

3,  Richie Teece, England, $10,000

4,  EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., $8,000.

5,  Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., $7,000.

 

Stepladder Results

Match One – Williams def. Prather, 236-227.

Match Two – Williams def. Tackett, 245-212.

Semifinal – Williams def. Teece, 288-203.

Final –  Williams def. Anderson, 237-215.

 

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS

(Includes match play record and 42-game pinfall total including bonus pins. Top five advance to stepladder finals)

1, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 10-8, 9,680.
2, Richie Teece, England, 11-7, 9,659.
3, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 10-8, 9,629.
4, Stuart Williams, England, 12-5-1, 9,605.
5, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 8-10, 9,551.
6, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 10-8, 9,424, $5,000.
7, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 10-8, 9,416, $4,500.
8, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 9-8-1, 9,382, $4,000.
9, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 9-9, 9,356, $3,800.
10, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 8-9-1, 9,343, $3,600.
11, Dom Barrett, England, 12-6, 9,311, $3,400.
12, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 10-8, 9,308, $3,200.
13, Michael Tang, San Francisco, 9-8-1, 9,287, $3,000.
14, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 8-10, 9,244, $2,900.
15, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 7-11, 9,220, $2,800.
16, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 8-10, 9,208, $2,700.
17, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 5-13, 9,113, $2,600.
18, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 4-14, 9,085, $2,500.