COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 18, 2012) –  Left-handers Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., and Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., averaged 244 to lead qualifying Saturday in the Professional Bowlers Association Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 at Sequoia Pro Bowl.

Both players had a 2,199 nine-game pinfall with Ciminelli bowling games of 220, 246, 257, 219, 289, 204, 256, 245 and 263 and Page games of 225, 266, 280, 236, 259, 280, 226, 227 and 200.

“This is not normally a shot I would do real well on,” Ciminelli said. “The key for me is to take advantage of the condition right off the bat where there is a good hook spot right around the 6-8 board. But then you really have to pay attention to the motion of the ball to keep pace with the changing conditions throughout the block and I was able to stay ahead of the transitions.”

Ciminelli is trying for his second career PBA Tour title having won his first title in last season’s Earl Anthony Memorial Open in Dublin, Calif. This season his best finish was 10^th in the PBA World Championship.

Page, a three-time Tour champion, with his last win coming in the 2009 PBA Viper Championship, has a best finish of 17^th which also came in the PBA World Championship.

“I’ve been practicing a lot and really working on my mental game,” Page said. “I’m working on not getting so emotional and eliminate the ups and downs. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve really felt as prepared as I should be going into a tournament.”

Ciminelli and Page topped 22 other players who advanced to Sunday’s match play round which will determine the four finalists for Sunday evening’s stepladder finals which will get underway at 6 p.m. ET. Rounding out the top five in Saturday’s qualifying were PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, 2,083; and Dom Barrett and Patrick Dombrowski both with 2,077.

The Ricart Ford Open is the second PBA Tour event of the season to be streamed live exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. Two more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season. Xtra Frame subscription information is available by visiting pba.com.

PBA RICART FORD OPEN PRESENTED BY COLUMBIA 300 
Sequoia Pro Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Saturday

QUALIFYING RESULTS 

After 9 games, top 24 advance to Sunday’s match play

1 (tie), Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,199.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,083.
4 (tie) Dom Barrett, England and Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 2,077.
6, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 2,064.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,056.
8, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,055.
9, Jason Lundquist, Groveport, Ohio, 2,049.
10, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,035.
11, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 2,019.
12, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,015.
13, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 2,012.
14, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,011.
15, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,002.
16, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,992.
17, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,987.
18, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,983.
19, Chuck Tompkins, New Albany, Ohio, 1,968.
20 (tie), Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,966.
22, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,961.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,953.
24, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,951.

Did not advance
25 (tie), Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,950 and John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 1,950, $840.
27, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,933, $820.
28 (tie), Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. and Art Oliver Jr., Hamilton, Ont. Canada, 1,932, $805.
30, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,924, $790.
31 (tie), Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., and Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 1,923, $775.
33, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,905, $760.
34, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 1,904, $750.
35, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,903.
36, Stuart Williams, England, 1,901.
37, Ed Carter, Akron, Ohio, 1,896.
38, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,895.
39, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,893.
40 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. and Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,891.
42, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 1,883.
43, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,879.
44 (tie), Kyle Jones, Groveport, Ohio and Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,877.
46, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,869.
47, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,867.
48, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,861.
49, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,860.
50, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,858.
51 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas and Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 1,857.
53, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,850.
54, Greg VanGundy, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 1,845.
55, Steve Rogers, Manteno, Ill., 1,838.
56, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,833.
57, Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, Ohio, 1,830.
58, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,820.
59, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,817.
60, Adam Monks, Conway, S.C., 1,816.
61, Michael Ahlquist, Sweden, 1,810.
62, Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,808.
63, Jerry Kessler, Englewood, Ohio, 1,795.
64, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,791.
65, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 1,790.
66, Kevin Leach, Columbus, Ohio, 1,787.
67, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,780.
68, Jason Flaugh, Avilla, Ind., 1,774.
69, Mason Brantley, Detroit, 1,760.
70, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 1,759.
71, Brian Fite, Grayson, Ky., 1,757.
72, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,747.
73, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,742.
74, Timothy Miller, Bowling Green, Ky., 1,735.
75, Kirby Allen, Ironton, Ohio, 1,727.
76, Ellis Breeden, Hilliard, Ohio, 1,724.
77, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,717.
78 (tie), Josh Stephens, Leavenworth, Kan. And Robert Gatas, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,716.
80, Carl See, Warrensburg, Mo., 1,715.
81, Larry Cross, Richardson, Texas, 1,712.
82, Charles McClellan, Grandview Hts., Ohio, 1,711.
83, David Harold II, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 1,709.
84, Ernest Lukacs, Manville, N.J., 1,706.
85, Christine Bator, Warren, Mich., 1,705.
86, Aaron Gall, New Castle, Pa., 1,704.
87, Ernest Lukacs Jr., Manville, N.J., 1,702.
88, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,688.
89, Fred Augustin, Burlington, Ky., 1,682.
90, Dustin Baker, Melbourne, Ky, 1,672.
91, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,669.
92, Joshua Lewis, Asheville, N.C., 1,647.
93, Robert Wade, Winter Springs, Fla., 1,645.
94, Steven Kammerman, Cincinnati, 1,638.
95, Tim Wingate, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 1,618.
96, Jason Schaub, Polk, Ohio, 1,567.
97, Jason Phillips, Greenwood, Ind., 1,559.
98, Thomas Parker III, Columbus, 1,553.
99, Sean Johnson, Moundsville, W.Va., 1,542.
100, Diego Lopez, Colombia, 1,537.
101, Scott Karnes, Columbus, Ohio, 1,531.
102, Phillip Collins, Columbus, Ohio, 675.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite rolling a gutter ball on his first shot of the opening stepladder match, Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., quickly regained his composure to win three consecutive matches for the PBA Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 title Sunday at Sequoia Pro Bowl.

The 28-year-old Newell won his first Tour title by defeating tournament leader and one-time Tour winner Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 247-245, in a title match that went down to the 10^th frame. Leaving the tricky 2-8 on the first ball of the 10^th frame, Newell was able to make the spare and then strike on the final ball for the victory.

“I may have looked composed on the outside but I was shaking on the inside,” said Newell who owns three regional tour titles and a best previous Tour finish of 12th. “I just had to take a deep breath and remind myself to stay focused and do what I do best.”

In the semi-final match, Newell survived another nail biter when he defeated three-time Tour titlist Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., 238-237. In that match he had to convert a 10-pin on the final shot to secure the win.

“You try to prepare yourself the best you can for pressure situations but you never know how you’re going to perform until those situations present themselves,” Newell said. “A lot of people say you have the ability and you can get it done but it’s just a great relief when you finally do.”

In the first frame of the opening stepladder match against Dom Barrett of England, Newell threw the gutter ball after it hit his ankle which he admitted was a sign of his nervousness. He regained his composure enough to then make the spare and went on to defeat Barrett 255-202.

“It was just a matter of getting too quick with my feet and my timing was off,” Newell said. “It was probably good that I made that mistake right away because I could then put it behind me and get on with the rest of the match.”

Barrett was trying for his second Tour title after winning the PBA Scorpion Open which, ironically, was aired on an ESPN taped-delayed telecast earlier in the day.

The Ricart Ford Open was the second PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. Two more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season.

The next stop for the PBA Tour will be the 69^th U.S. Open—the third major of the season— from Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J., Feb. 20-26. .

PBA RICART FORD OPEN PRESENTED BY COLUMBIA 300

Sequoia Pro Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Sunday

FINAL STANDINGS:

1, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., three games, 740 pins, $10,000

2, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., one game, 245 pins, $5,000

3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., one game, 237 pins, $3,000

4, Dom Barrett, England, one game, 202 pins, $2,500

PLAYOFF RESULTS:

Match One – Newell def. Barrett, 255-202

Semifinal match – Newell def. Page, 238-237

Championship match – Newell def. Ciminelli, 247-245

MATCH PLAY RESULTS

After 22 games, including match play records and total pinfall including bonus pins. Top four advanced to stepladder finals.

1, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7-6, 5,569.
2, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 11-2, 5,527.
3, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 10-3, 5,343.
4, Dom Barrett, England, 8-5, 5,302.
5, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 8-5, 5,260, $2,200.
6, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 9-4, 5,215, $1,950.
6, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 9-4, 5,215, $1,950.
8, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 6-7, 5,196, $1,800.
9, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 9-4, 5,152, $1,750.
10, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5-8, 5,145, $1,700.
11, Jason Lundquist, Groveport, Ohio, 6-7, 5,105, $1,650.
12, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 5-8, 5,089, $1,600.
13, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 5-8, 5,054, $1,550.
14, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6-7, 5,051, $1,500.
15, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 6-7, 5,040, $1,450.
16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 7-6, 5,038, $1,400.
17, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 5-7-1, 5,018, $1,350.
18, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 7-6, 5,012, $1,300.
19, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 6-7, 4,939, $1,275.
20, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5-8, 4,936, $1,250.
21, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5-7-1, 4,794, $1,225.
22, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4-8-1, 4,793, $1,200.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-9-1, 4,670, $1,175.
24, Chuck Tompkins, New Albany, Ohio, 2-11, 4,406, $1,150.

Event: World Series of Bowling

Tournament: The Scorpion Open is the third of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the World Series of Bowling.

Where: South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas

Eliminator Format: Four finalists will bowl a one-game match. The player with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three survivors will bowl another game, with the low man ousted. The two finalists will then bowl a final game for the title.

Television: ESPN (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET)

Making up the four-player eliminator field will be England’s Dom Barrett; Dave Wodka of Henderson, Nev., who won his only PBA Tour title in the 1999 Greater Detroit Open; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who qualified for the ESPN finals in a record six PBA World Series of Bowling events, and 13-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Allen of Baltimore, who is seeking his first title in two years.

Barrett earned the top qualifier position for the Scorpion finals by averaging 233.14 over 14 qualifying games, posting a 3,264 pinfall total. Wodka finished 17 pins behind, followed by Rash and Allen.

Barrett, who qualified for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions by winning a PBA West Regional title in Reno, Nev., just before the World Series of Bowling, hopes to join fellow British competitor Stuart Williams as the second English player to win a PBA Tour title. Williams won his first PBA Tour title in the Bayer Viper Open.

Barrett also hopes to become the fourth straight international player to win a World Series of Bowling title. Rash, a four-time PBA Tour champion, is trying for his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters.

Last Season: Yong-Jin Gu of South Korea upset four straight opponents at the South Point Bowling Center, including top qualifier Jun-Yung Kim, 236-224, in the all-South Korea championship match, to become the first South Korean ever to win a PBA Tour event.

PBA:39X60 Pre-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Tune into PBA.com’s Xtra Frame for interviews with the finalists as they give their insight into strategy and equipment selection. All World Series preview shows on Xtra Frame will be available the Wednesday before each Sunday ESPN telecast for free.

PBA:39X60 Post-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation.

Social Networking on PBA Facebook/Twitter:   Follow PBA social networking through PBA on Facebook and Twitter for exclusive photos, videos and information, click the links on PBA.com to provide greater details and information on PBA players, tournaments and news.

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Sixteen-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour titlist Jason Couch and 11-time PBA Senior Tour winner Gene Stus have been elected to the PBA Hall of Fame.

The 42-year-old Couch is the only player in Tour history to win three consecutive PBA Tournament of Champions titles, an event many players consider one of the most demanding to win because a player must win a PBA title to be eligible to compete.

In addition to his Tournament of Champions titles, which came in 1999, 2000 and 2002, Couch won a fourth Tour major in the 1993 PBA Touring Players Championship.

Couch, who makes his home in Clermont, Fla., began his Tour career in 1992 when he earned Rookie of the Year honors. His first title would come the next season in Windsor Locks, Conn.

“I’m a firm believer in setting goals along the way in your career, working hard at achieving those milestones and hopefully you’ll be rewarded with a great honor like being elected to the PBA Hall of Fame,” Couch said. “I went out and did my best and when I achieved one milestone, continued to work hard and went on to the next one.”

Couch’s career path was probably a foregone conclusion as the son of parents who owned a Florida bowling center.

“Bowling on Tour has been a dream of mine since I was four years old watching PBA Tour telecasts on ABC on Saturday afternoons,” said Couch. “Growing up in a bowling center certainly helped, but it took the right combination of hard work and desire.”

Throughout his 20-year Tour career, Couch had a string of winning at least one title in six straight seasons (1998-2004) and he won multiple titles in five seasons. Still active on Tour, he has more than $1.6 million in career earnings and was ranked 24th among PBA’s 50 greatest players in history as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary in 2009.

As a competitive bowler for most of his adult life, the 71-year-old Stus had always wondered how he might have done on the PBA Tour. But the opportunity to compete in Tour competition didn’t present itself until he was able to retired from General Motors after 32 years at the age of 50 and became a regular on the Senior Tour.

Stus’ 11 Senior Tour titles rank fourth on the all-time list behind fellow Hall of Famers John Handegard with 14 titles, and Gary Dickinson and Dale Eagle each with 12.

In 1992, Stus, who currently resides in Taylor, Mich., earned Senior Player of the Year honors thanks in part to winning two titles. In July of that year he became the first Senior Tour player to bowl a 300 game on national television, defeating Don Gilman, 300-188, in the Pacific Cal Bowl Senior Open in Lakewood, Calif.

“It was an honor to bowl with bowling’s greats who I admired my whole life and I always wondered how I would measure up,” said Stus, who had 50 top-five finishes in 173 Senior Tour events. “When I was able to retire at 50, I started to get back to bowling seriously and found I still had the touch.

“Bowling on the Senior Tour was a lot more than achieving the dream of bowling with the greats of the game,” he added. “Just to be around them and to remember all the fun we had on and off the lanes for those years was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Couch and Stus will be inducted during ceremonies at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Saturday, April 14. Additional details regarding the Hall of Fame ceremonies will be released at a later date.

Xtra Frame’s coverage will continue through the final round of match play on Saturday, Feb. 25, including the position round of match play when the four players who will advance to Sunday’s stepladder finals, televised live on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET, will be decided.

Xtra Frame’s schedule includes eight-game qualifying rounds Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. each day. Fridays’ coverage will include the cashers’ round at 9 a.m. and the first eight games of match play at 6 p.m. Saturday’s match play coverage begins at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. All times are Eastern.

U.S. Open coverage followed the Xtra Frame Tour Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 from Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, which will be webcast live in its entirety on Xtra Frame Saturday and Sunday.

PBA fans around the world can follow all of the Ricart Ford Open and U.S. Open coverage for the $7.99 monthly rate. A full-year subscription costs $64.99. In addition to live coverage, subscribers have access to a complete library of previous telecasts, coaching segments, new product discussions and much more. To subscribe, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

FEBRUARY 26 IS FINAL QUALIFYING DATE FOR XTRA FRAME DICK WEBER PBA PLAYOFFS

The deadline for PBA Regional players to earn points for the Xtra Frame Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer is closing in. Remaining qualifying events leading up to the February 26 deadline include the PBA South Region Dave Edwards Spartanburg Senior Open presented by Etonic, Feb. 17-19, at Paradise Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C.; and the PBA Central/Midwest Region Eastown Recreation Center Open presented by Hammer, Feb. 24-26, in Jasper, Ind., and the PBA Midwest/Central Region Showtime Lanes Senior Open sponsored by Allstate Insurance, Feb. 24-26, in Virden, Ill.

The Xtra Frame Dick Weber PBA Playoffs is set for March 30-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. Fifteen players from six PBA Regional programs (East, South, Central, Midwest, Southwest and West/Northwest) will qualify for the playoffs along with the top 66 players on the 2011-12 PBA Tour points list and the top 11 PBA Senior Tour players based on their 2011 points list. The field of 156 will meet in Indianapolis to bowl elimination rounds within their respective regional groups leading up to Regional, Conference and Championship rounds.

The PBA Regional schedule for March 2-4 includes the Midwest/Central Region Plamor Lanes Open presented by Brunswick in Muscatine, Iowa; the South Region New Liberty Lanes Open in Pensacola, Fla., and the Southwest Region Duncan Etonic Open at Freedom Lanes in Duncan, Okla.

For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

TOMMY JONES WINS WBT INTERNATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP IN JAPAN

Tommy Jones is beginning to love bowling in Japan. Jones, who won his 13th and most recent PBA Tour title in the 2010 Japan Cup, claimed the $77,500 first prize in the 2012 International Bowling Championship supported by DHC Hakata Star Lanes in Hakata, Japan, Saturday, Feb. 11, defeating fellow PBA Tour star Mika Koivuniemi, 290-204, in the title match.

The International Bowling Championship was the fourth stop of the World Tenpin Bowling Association’s 2012 World Bowling Tour. Koivuniemi, who earned $38,500, defeated South Korea’s Choi Bok-Eum, 226-211, to advance to the title match after Choi eliminated Malaysia’s Zulmazran Zulkifli, 241-198.

Zulkifli won the opening six-man shootout match, nationally-televised in Japan and just missing a $125,000 perfect game bonus, when he fired a 298 game to eliminate Mike Fagan (267), Dan MacLelland (248), Chris Barnes (224), Park Kyung-Sin and Shota Kawazoe (182). Other PBA Tour players among the 24 finalists were Scott Norton, 10th; Bill O’Neill, 14th; Sean Rash, 18th, and Patrick Allen, 22nd.

Jones, Koivuniemi, O’Neill and Rash were among PBA Tour players who earned invitations to participate in the event based upon their performances during the 2010-11 PBA Tour season. Barnes, Allen and Malott were invited based on their top three finishes in the Masters event during the 2010 WTBA World Men’s Championships.

In the companion women’s event, Cherie Tan of Singapore won the $77,500 first prize, defeating Malaysia’s Dayang Khairuniza, 218-179. Tan ousted South Korea’s Jeon Eun-Hee in the semifinal match after Jeon eliminated PBA member Missy Parkin, 224-206. Parkin won the women’s shootout match, rolling a 267 game to eliminate Wendy Macpherson (246), Maki Nakano (218), Zandra Aziela (212), Mari Kimura (208) and Carol Gianotti (183). Past and present PBA members among the women’s finalists were Diandra Asbaty, 13th; Kelly Kulick, 15th, and Shannon Pluhowsky, 22nd.

The WBT points leaders after the DHC Japan event, based on cumulative points earned in 2011 and 2012, include: Mika Koivuniemi, 308; Mike Fagan, 237; Chris Barnes, 195; Sean Rash, 162, and Tommy Jones, 144. Women’s points leaders are: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, 186; Kelly Kulick, 167; Liz Johnson, 155; Sandra Andersson, Sweden, 151, and Missy Parkin, 145. The top three in each division following the 2012 Australian Masters will advance to the WBT Finals presented by the PBA as part of the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas in November.

XTRA FRAME TOUR’S NEXT STOP: DETROIT

The third of four exclusive Xtra Frame Tour events, the Detroit Open presented by Track, is set for Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., March 11-12. At stake is a $10,000 first prize, a PBA Tour title and an automatic berth in the Round of 36 in the PBA Tournament of Champions April 8-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

The Xtra Frame Detroit Open will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel to an international audience beginning with Saturday’s qualifying squads at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. All of Sunday’s match play competition will be webcast with squads at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. leading up to the four-player stepladder finals at 6 p.m. Full-year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on pba.com.

UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL FROM AN XTRA FRAME FAN

It’s one man’s opinion, but an Internet blogger named Steve writes: “Any serious bowler who wants to get better and can afford $7.95 a month or $65 a year for Xtra Frame is crazy not to subscribe and start soaking up like a thirsty sponge the incredible information offered. And if you do subscribe and miss events like what I just described, you can always catch them in the archives and go over them as many times as you wish to learn everything you can and want to learn from them.”

QUICK NOTES:

Veteran PBA Senior Tour competitor Robert McDonald of Addison, Ill., died on Feb. 5 after a lengthy battle with pulmonary lung disease. He was 71. McDonald bowled in 112 PBA Senior Tour events, and almost as many PBA Senior Regional tournaments. In his first tournament as a PBA member, McDonald finished third in the 1993 ABC Senior Masters. He never won a national title, but he won four senior regional titles during a career which after he turned 50. He is survived by his companion, Joyce Hardy; six children, 22 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

Two highly-visible and long-time personalities in the background at PBA Tour events have new roles. Storm Products Inc. has promoted long-time PBA Tour Consultant Chris Schlemer to a new position as Marketing Manager for Roto Grip, and the company has hired PBA Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr. to fill Schlemer’s role as PBA Tour Consultant.

March 1 is the “early bird” enrollment deadline for a new three-day, world-class Brunswick Bowling Camp hosted by Sean Rash and the entire Brunswick/DV8 pro staff. The event will be held at Brunswick Zone XL in Romeoville, Ill., July 6-8. PBA Tour players who will be involved in the camp include PBA Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Parker Bohn III, high-rev players Rash, Tom Smallwood and Ronnie Russell, two-hander Brian Valenta, left-hander Ryan Ciminelli, and PBA Tour veterans Mike Machuga and Chris Loschetter. The early enrollment fee is $1,200 ($1,300 after March 1). For more information, contact Rash at seanrashfan@gmail.com or visit parkerbohn.com.

PBA Hall of Famers Nelson Burton Jr., Johnny Petraglia and Walter Ray Williams Jr. will be on hand for the 28th annual Frank Bacom Memorial Strike-A-Thon, a benefit for the Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, Sunday, March 18 at Brookfield Lanes in Brookfield, Conn. Burton, who has participated in all 28 fundraisers, has helped raise more than $200,000 for the hospice. For more information, contact Frank Acri with the Danbury News Times (frankacri@sbcglobal.net, cell phone: 203-733-7956).

PBA professional and Team USA member Tommy Jones captured the title in the International Bowling Championship 2012 supported by DHC Saturday in Hakata, Japan, earning the 6 million Yen (approx. $77,500) top prize.

In the men’s title match, top seeded Jones, who has won three of his 13 PBA titles in Japan, flew past reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 290-204, to wrap up the title. On the women’s side, No. 2 seed Cherie Tan defeated women’s top seed Dayang Khairuniza, Malaysia, 218-179, for the biggest payday in her career.

The TV Finals started on Friday evening with a shootout match between players ranked fourth to 9th after the semifinals to determine the No. 4 seed for the stepladder finals.

Zulmazran Zulkifli of Malaysia who took the ninth and last place for the men’s shoot-out match, almost rolled the first 300 game of the tournament, firing a 298 game to defeat #5 Mike Fagan, United States (267), #4 Dan MacLelland, Canada (248), #6 Chris Barnes, United States (224), #7 Park Kyung-Sin, Korea (214) and #8 Shota Kawazoe, Japan (182).

In the opening match of the stepladder finals, Zulkifli fell to No. 3 seed, Choi Bok-Eum of Korea, 241-198. Zulkifli struck on six of his first eight shots but suffered two open frames. Bok-Eum bowled a clean game including a four-bagger and a three-bagger to put the match away well before the final frame.

In the semifinal match it was current World Bowling Tour point ranking leader Koivuniemi, who bowled a clean game to defeat the Korean lefty, 226-211, to advance to the title match. Heading into the final frame, Bok-Eum held a 17-pin lead behind seven strikes and two open frames. Koivuniemi struck out in the 9th and 10th frame to force Bok-Eum to strike on his first ball in the last frame. When the Korean failed to strike, the match was over.

Koivuniemi pocketed 3 million Yen for second place. Bok-Eum received 1.5 million Yen for third and Zulkifli walked away with 800.000 Yen for fourth place.

The International Bowling Championship 2012 supported by DHC was the fourth stop of the 2012 World Bowling Tour and offered a total prize fund of 30 million Yen or more than 380,000 U.S. Dollars.

Men and women competed in separate divisions. Each division consisted of 84 players - 45 local bowlers (15 each from three pre-qualifying tournament), the top 16 of the international trials (Feb. 7 and 8), as well as 23 seeded and invited players.

All 84 men and 84 women bowled nine games of qualifying divided into three blocks of three games. Based on the nine-game total, the top 24 men and the top 24 women advanced to the semifinals.

Those 24 bowled another two three-game blocks on Friday with the pinfall from the qualifying being carried forward. The top 9 men and the top 9 women with the highest 15-game total qualified for the TV Finals.

The top three in each division advanced straight to the TV stepladder finals on Saturday, while bowlers seeded fourth to ninth determined the No. 4 seed for the stepladder in a single-game shoot-out match.

In the TV stepladder finals, which were broadcasted nationwide by NHK Global Media Services, Inc., were staged on specially constructed lanes in Diamond Hall on the second floor of the building.

The prize money for each division was the same, with the men’s and women’s winner each taking 6 million Yen or more than $77,000, with $38,500 and $19,250 going to the second and third place finishers, respectively.

Men’s Division - TV Finals

Championship Round:
1. Tommy Jones, United States, 6.000.000 JPY
2. Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 3.000.000 JPY
3. Choi Bok-Eum, Korea, 1.500.000 JPY
4. Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 800.000 JPY

Playoff Results:
Shoot-out to determine the No. 4 seed for the stepladder finals:
#9 Zulkifli (298) def. #5 Fagan (267), #4 Maclelland (248), #6 Barnes (224), #7 Kyung-Sin (214) and #8 Kawazoe (182)
First Match: No. 3 Choi def. No. 4 Zulkifli, 241-198
Second Match: No. 2 Koivuniemi def. Choi, 226-211
Championship: No. 1 Jones def. Koivuniemi, 290-204.

Women’s Division - TV Finals

Championship Round:
1. Cherie Tan, Singapore, 6.000.000 JPY
2. Dayang Khairuniza, Malaysia, 3.000.000 JPY
3. Jeon Eun-Hee, Korea, 1.500.000 JPY
4. Missy Parkin, United States, 800.000 JPY

Playoff Results:
Shoot-out to determine the No. 4 seed for the stepladder finals:
#5 Parkin (267) def. #6 Macpherson (246), #9 Nakano (218), #7 Aziela (212), #8 Kimura (208) and #4 Gianotti (183)
First Match: No. 3 Jeon def. No. 4 Parkin, 224-206
Second Match: No. 2 Chan def Jeon, 235-189
Championship: Tan def. No. 1 Khairuniza, 218-179.

And while their stories are similar in many aspects, they remain worlds apart as competitors and bowling stylists.

For starters, Belmonte grew up in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Born on July 29, 1983, he’s the older of the two by 112 days. “Belmo” is 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds. Palermaa, who also is 28, was born on Nov. 18, 1983 and grew up in Espoo, Finland. He is 6-foot and weighs 200 pounds.

“It’s pretty weird how our stories are the same, and we’re the same age,” said Palermaa. “We just happened to live, one here and the other on the other side of the globe. The only difference is (Belmo’s) father owned a bowling center and mine worked at one.”

Both naturally migrated to the two-handed technique as tots, far too young to be able to pick up a bowling ball and throw it with one hand. So they independently learned to roll the ball using two hands. Neither had mentors teaching them the technique because it just wasn’t the way you were supposed to bowl. But for them, it worked.

And even though they both engage both hands in their delivery, they don’t thing they bowl the same, at all.

“We actually throw the ball quite a bit different,” Palermaa said, “but there are similarities as well. I guess I’m a little more powerful. I have a little more speed and more revs. I’ve been working on getting the revs down and I think he has been, also. I’m also working on slowing my speed. With the bowling balls we have now, it’s not an advantage to have 500, 600 revs.”

Belmonte agrees.

“Just like one-handed bowlers, no two two-handers will throw the ball alike,” he said. “It’s kind of frustrating to put us all into one category, that we throw the ball the same, because we’re different people, we’re different bowlers.

“Osku has his skills and I have mine. It’s like saying Pete Weber and Walter Ray throw the ball the same because they throw the ball one-handed. It’s a really ridiculous comment. And what about Brian Valenta (another two-handed PBA Tour player who lives in Lockport, Ill.)? I could keep going. Of every two-hander I’ve ever seen, no one throws the ball like me, and I don’t throw it like them, and I’ve never seen two who are alike.

“It’s just another style,” Belmonte said, “and you put your own spin on it – your own touch, your own personality. Unless there are two people who are identical in every way, shape and form, then perhaps they could bowl the same. But as far as I know there are no two bowlers who are alike.

“There are a lot of things (Osku and I) have in common. Our rev rates are high, our ball speeds are high. But Osku’s tilt on the ball, his hand position, his feet are a lot different than mine. I can’t quite throw it a million miles an hour like he can, but we also share a lot of traits.

“We have really quick steps, we’re both very much over the ball at the release point, our follow-throughs are very close, right in front of our faces. There are a lot of similarities, but we’re a world apart, too.”

The bottom line for Belmonte is, he no longer feels like an oddity. He and Palermaa and a handful of others have provide the two-handed style is a legitimate, effective way to bowl, and it appears there are a growing number of young people who are embracing the high-revolution, pin-scattering technique as their way of playing the game.

“Seven or eight years ago, you didn’t see a single person bowling two-handed. Now you see Osku, and Brian Valenta, and Cassidy Schaub, and others. I get all kinds of e-mails from people who want to learn how to do it. It’s really an inspiration.”

Belmonte and Palermaa will meet in a PBA Tour televised contest for the third time when ESPN airs the finals of the Chameleon Open Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. In their two previous meetings, Palermaa has won both times, defeating Belmonte, 182-176, in the 2010 GEICO Shark Championship semifinal match and 10-6 in a one-ball rolloff after they tied at 203-203 in round one of the PBA World Championship elimination finals, knocking Belmonte out of title contention in that event.

● The PBA’s January ESPN ratings for the Petraglia Division finals of the PBA World Championship followed by the PBA World Championship finals both exceeded audience records for PBA World Series of Bowling telecasts, only to be topped by the live finals of the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters telecast on January 29, which reached an audience of 1.1 million viewers – the largest in two years.

● During the USBC Masters, PBA and World Tenpin Bowling Association leaders put their heads together and formed an historic alliance that will create the first true global bowling tour, awarding PBA Tour titles at a series of World Bowling Tour tournaments in 2012. At the close of the year, the top three men and top three women in WBT points will bowl for increased prize funds in the WBT Finals presented by the PBA during the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas.

● Bowlers from around the world can start planning for the 2012-13 season, which will get underway with the fourth annual PBA World Series of Bowling Nov. 2-11 at South Point Casino, Hotel and Bowling Center. The 2012 World Series will feature four “animal pattern” championships, the PBA World Championship and the WTBA World Bowling Tour men’s and women’s finals presented by the PBA. Details will be forthcoming.

● The PBA has reached agreement with Killer B Promotions to conduct a series of Teen Masters qualifying tournaments in conjunction with PBA Regional events across the country in the months ahead. The Teen Masters finals will be conducted in Cleveland, Ohio, in July.

● The inaugural Xtra Frame Tour Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite, the first PBA Tour event broadcast exclusively over the Internet, drew a field of 143 players to Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif. Eugene McCune successfully defended his Cheetah Open title.

● The PBA unveiled a new membership program that included a low-cost PBA24 membership package exclusively designed for young bowlers just entering the PBA ranks, a new International membership to grant specific privileges to international players who want to experience PBA competition, internationally and within the U.S., and a membership renewal program that provides amnesty for back dues while waiving initiation fees for many former members.

● The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational, which aired on ESPN in front of the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, also introduced “Sheets” as a new corporate sponsor. Sheets is a new fast-absorbing energy strip.

● The celebrity aspect of the Chris Paul event creates staggering media exposure for the PBA. As a group, celebrity participants Paul, Michael Strahan, Ciara, Jesse Williams, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Hart, Blake Griffin, Reggie Bush, Drew Carey, Mindless Behavior, the L.A. Clippers and the NBA have a combined total of more than 100 million Twitter and Facebook followers. Sports Illustrated’s website, si.com, has posted a special “Athletes in the Bowling Alley” photo gallery using photos from this year’s (and earlier) events, and Kevin Hart and PBA West Region competitor J.T. (Action) Jackson, a Los Angeles-based actor, made a brief appearance on “TMZ” to discuss bowling as a sport (you can easily links to the si.com gallery and TMZ clip by clicking on the “In the News” tab on pba.com).

PBA TOUR STARS SHINE IN WTBA EVENTS FOLLOWING USBC MASTERS

Immediately following the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters at Sunset Station in Las Vegas, Liz Johnson, Chris Barnes and Walter Ray Williams Jr. earned berths in the stepladder finals of the inaugural World Tenpin Bowling Association International Open, which will be held in conjunction with the Brunswick Euro Challenge in suburban Paris in March.
The WBTA International Open, the first tournament exclusively owned and operated by the WTBA, was part of a special three-event “bonus” series held at Sunset Station. Johnson, a two-time PBA Women’s Series titlist and 12-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association winner, took advantage of the six handicap pins per game awarded to women in many WTBA events to lead all qualifiers with a 1,418 total. Barnes was second with 1,367 pins and Williams qualified third, four pins behind Barnes.

The inaugural WTBA International Open drew a field of 132 players (123 men and nine women), including 36 PBA Tour exempt players. Other top PBA Tour finishers included Mika Koivuniemi, fourth for $6,000; Pete Weber, fifth for $4,500; Cheetah Open winner Eugene McCune, sixth for $3,000; Stuart Williams, eighth for $2,000, Masters champion Mike Fagan, ninth for $1,500, and PBA South Region competitor Scott Newell, 10th for $1,500.

Former PBA exempt player DJ Archer averaged over 240 in the qualifying rounds of the USBC Masters, WTBA International Open and the International Mini to win the $10,000 top prize for combined pinfall for 20 game in all three events. Chris Barnes was second with 4,766 pins for $5,000 with Mike Fagan was third with 4,727 pins for $2,500.

Canadian citizen Dan MacLelland earned $30,000 as International Mini champion. As the Gold Division representative, MacLelland bowled against the Silver and Bronze Division representatives in the finals, posting a 203 to top Darrin Remiticado, Stockton, Calif., who had a 187 game including handicap for $15,000, and Willie Wells, Herriman, Utah, who rolled a 182 with handicap for a $10,000 prize.

Ildemaro Ruiz and Mika Koivuniemi each won $2,000 by reaching round five in the gold division while Chris Barnes, Martin Larsen and Mike Fagan each earned $1,500 by advancing to round four.

XTRA FRAME TOUR HEADS TO COLUMBUS, OHIO

The second of four Xtra Frame Tour events, the Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300, is set for Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 16-19. At stakes is a $10,000 first prize, a PBA Tour title, an automatic berth in the Round of 36 for the PBA Tournament of Champions, and valuable points for players trying to qualify for both the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs and the 2012 Japan Cup.

The tournament will not only feature a specifically created 45-foot lane conditioning pattern named in honor of the late PBA Hall of Famer Don Johnson, a long-time Columbus resident, but also will include a Thursday night fundraiser in Johnson’s honor to benefit Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, beginning with Saturday’s qualifying squads at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. All of Sunday’s match play competition will be webcast with squads at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. leading up to the four-player stepladder finals at 6 p.m. Full-year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on pba.com.

GREG THOMPSON WINS WEST REGION TITLE IN SUTTER CREEK

Greg Thompson Jr. of Dublin, Calif., posted a 9-3 match play record and a 20-game total of 4,957 pins to win the PBA West Region Jackson Rancheria Classic on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Gold Country Lanes in Sutter Creek, Calif. Thompson, who earned $2,400, defeated Robby Porter of Rancho Cordova, Calif., by 118 pins for his second PBA Regional title.

The Sutter Creek tournament again included a fundraising effort to benefit the people of Haiti who are still recovering from the devastating earthquake that rocked their nation in 2010. One of the survivors of the earthquake is 8-year-old Claire Bryditzki, the adopted daughter of Scott and Debbie Bryditzki of Auburn, Calif., who are actively involved in the fundraising effort.

In other PBA Regional activity, Marc Lineberry of Camanche, Iowa, defeated Dave Doane of Buffalo, Iowa, 201-179, to win the joint PBA Midwest/Central Region Sparetime Lanes Senior Open sponsored by Allstate Insurance in Decatur, Ill., on Sunday. The title was Lineberry’s sixth in PBA Regional competition. He also earned $1,600.

In Houston, Texas, Carlos Gonzalez from Houston defeated fellow amateur Steve Wright of Cypress, Texas, 209-206, to win the second annual PBA Southwest Region Carol “Stormin” Norman Pro Shop U Can Bowl 2 Houston Open at Del-Mar Lanes. Because Gonzalez isn’t a PBA member, he doesn’t receive credit for a PBA title.

This weekend’s calendar includes the inaugural Regional Players Doubles Championship presented by Hammer Feb. 10-12 at The Orleans in Las Vegas. The field will be limited to 70 teams on a first-come basis. For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

QUICK NOTES:

PBA Tour member Dan MacLelland , Windsor, Ontario, has been named Canada’s 2011 Male Bowler of the Year. MacLelland was the men’s gold medalist at the Canadian National Championships and won the Masters gold medal in the 2011 Pan American Games.

But on the bowling lanes in Sunday’s ESPN telecast of the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by Sheets Brand from Lucky Strike LA Live, Paul gave Griffin an unwanted “assist” that helped Griffin’s team win the trios event and end Paul’s two-year hold on the trophy.

The fourth annual Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by Sheets Brand, a fundraiser to benefit Paul’s CP3 Foundation, featured PBA stars Pete Weber, Jason Belmonte, Wes Malott and Ryan Shafer along with several of Paul’s celebrity friends from the worlds of sports and entertainment.

In this year’s event, an expanded roster of celebrities got the competition underway with a special one-ball, low-man-out Super Shootout. Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush was the first player eliminated, followed by Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ciara, former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, comedian Kevin Hart, Entourage actor Jerry Ferrara and Griffin. In the final showdown frame between Paul and Grey’s Anatomy actor Jesse Williams, Williams threw back-to-back strikes for the victory.

The celebrities then teamed up with the PBA stars for the Baker format trios event, with the PBA player throwing shots in the first, fourth, seventh and 10th frames, and the celebrities filling out the other frames. In the opening round, Belmonte, Hart and Paul routed Shafer, Ciara and Strahan, 178-90, while Weber, Ferrara and Griffin eliminated Malott, Williams and Bush, 154-131.

In the championship match, Belmonte, Hart and Paul trailed Weber, Ferrara and Griffin by only one pin after seven frames. Hart and Paul converted eight-count spares in the eighth and ninth frames, respectively, but consecutive strikes by Ferrara and Griffin set up a dramatic finish. Belmonte’s double in the 10th frame forced Weber to strike on his first shot to lock up the 187-180 victory.

“Blake (Griffin) set me up for the 10th frame when he threw the best shot of the entire night,” Weber said. “It was kind of neat of him to do that. I don’t think Chris (Paul) enjoyed it, but I’m sure Blake enjoyed it a whole lot.

“For someone who doesn’t bowl a lot, Blake understands the object of the game,” Weber added. “He hit the headpin almost every time he threw the ball, and then he made his spares.”

“Normally it comes down to the pro needing to strike to win, but in this case it was up to the celebrities,” Belmonte said. “Chris and Kevin did their jobs on my team by getting spares, but unfortunately Jerry and Blake got strikes on the other team. Kevin made lots of comments about the odds of that ever happening. It was very funny. I didn’t expect both of them to strike, but they both stepped up and did their jobs.

“I doubled to force Pete to strike and then he did what he does best, which is strike when he has to strike.”

If Paul would have struck in the ninth frame, the outcome might have been different.

“Chris is a competitor. They all are,” Belmonte added. “He doesn’t like losing, whether it’s basketball or bowling, or anything else. He was a good sport about it, but I know it killed him to tell the other guys they did well.”

“Michael Strahan was great,” said Shafer, who bowled with the former NFL star, “and he doesn’t like to lose. But I don’t think anyone doesn’t like to lose as much as Chris Paul. He really doesn’t like to lose.

“It was a great time for all of us,” Shafer added, “and I gained a lot of respect for Chris Paul because he had to play host, he had to do the PBA thing, the charity thing, the Sheets Brand thing, and bowl. He did all of them and he did a great job.”

The PBA Tour’s next telecast will be the finals of the Chameleon Open Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. The finalists will be Belmonte, Finland’s Osku Palermaa, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz. A free preview of the finals will be webcast on pba.com’s Xtra Frame starting Wednesday.

The nation’s top youth bowlers will have the opportunity to compete on Professional Bowlers Association lane conditions and rub elbows with the greats in the game when Teen Masters qualifiers will be conducted in conjunction with selected PBA Regional tournaments in 2012.

PBA has entered into an agreement with Killer ‘B’ Promotions to conduct 18 Teen Masters qualifiers at PBA Regional events beginning in March through the end of May. The Teen Masters qualifiers will be conducted on lanes designated for Teen Masters competition.

The Teen Masters, America’s longest running national championship event for youth bowlers, has featured challenging lane conditions since its beginning in 1997. “Our slogan has always been ‘Bring Your Spare Game!’ Our partnership with the PBA strengthens the opportunity for America’s top high school competitors to test their bowling skills and mental fortitude in a demanding environment,” said Teen Masters founder, Gary Beck.

“This is a great program because it will provide youth bowlers with additional topflight competitive bowling opportunities through the setting of PBA competition,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “The goal is to grow competitive bowling among youth bowlers who love the sport and this is a great vehicle in which to do it.”

Many Teen Masters champions have gone on to advance to the top levels of the sport. On the boys side, Mike Fagan, the 1997 champion, and Ryan Ciminelli, the 2004 champion, have both become national PBA champions. On the girls side, Brittni Hamilton, the 2006 champion, and Danielle McEwan, the 2009 champion, have both claimed NCAA titles and membership on Team USA.

Teen Masters will also conduct a regular schedule of stand-alone qualifiers that youth bowlers can enter to earn spots for the National Championships. All qualifying events will determine invitations for the Teen Masters National Championships which will be conducted July 8-12 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Teen Masters conducted a landmark national championship event in 2011 that culminated with the Grand Championships being conducted on a specially-constructed lane in New York’s Grand Central Terminal where Zack Hattori of Las Vegas earned a record $64,000 scholarship.

The Teen Masters consists of four youth divisions: Boys High School, Boys Under 14, Girls High School, and Girls Under 14.

Entries are now being taken for Teen Masters qualifiers. For entry and additional schedule information visit http://www.teenmastersbowling.com/.

PBA Regional schedule that will include Teen Masters qualifiers

Midwest

March 2-4 – Pla Mor Lanes Open Presented by Brunswick, Muscatine, Iowa

March 30-April 1 – Liberty Lanes Senior Open Presented by Chuck Suda Allstate, Carpentersville, Ill.

May 18-20 – Stars & Strikes Open Presented by Ebonite, Scott AFB, Ill.

Central

April 20-22 – Grove City Open, AMF Stardust Lanes, Grove City, Ohio

May 18-20 – Baldo Campana Senior Open, Rebman Recreation, Lorain, Ohio

Southwest

March 2-4 – Etonic Open, Freedom Lanes, Duncan, Okla.

April 13-15 – Shawnee Firelake Bowling Center/Flintco Open, Shawnee, Okla.

May 18-20 – Fort Sill Open, Twin Oaks Lanes, Fort Sill, Okla.

Northwest

March 16-18 – DV8 Open, Caveman Bowl, Grants Pass, Ore.

March 30-April 1 – Tacoma Dodge Open Presented by Pawn Brokers, Paradise Bowl, Tacoma, Wash.

April 20-22 – Hawaii Storm Open, Hickam AFB, Honolulu

West

April 6-8 – Non-member Doubles Presented by Storm, South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas

April 27-29 – Earl Anthony Memorial Classic, Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl, Dublin, Calif.

East

March 23-25 – Mt. Greylock Bowl Open, North Adams, Mass.

April 5 – Kingpin Lanes Open Presented by Brunswick, Rome, N.Y.

South

March 23-25 – Fayetteville Senior Open, Lafayette Lanes, Fayetteville, N.C.

May 10-12 – Canton Open Presented by Columbia 300, Cherokee Lanes, Canton, Ga.

May 24-26 – Wild Magnolia Senior Open, Presented by Track, Sport Lanes, Martinsville, Va.

The new membership campaign introduces a new low-cost PBA24 membership specifically designed for players ages 19-24, and a new PBA International membership to grant specific PBA benefits, including the ability to win PBA Tour titles, to international players who bowl in PBA-WBT events.

“The PBA24 program is designed to make membership significantly more accessible to a vital group of talented young bowlers who have decided they are not going to bowl in college or exhausted their collegiate eligibility, and are looking for the next challenge to expand their skills,” said PBA CEO Geoff Reiss. “There is no better place to do that than in PBA competition.”

In addition to the competitive challenges, membership in the PBA includes financial advances including discounted lineage fees for practice at hundreds of bowling centers across the nation that support the PBA, discounts on the latest in bowling equipment provided by PBA’s Registered Product Companies, instructional opportunities, a membership newsletter and a number of other privileges.

“From a purely economic standpoint, PBA membership provides a wide range of benefits that vastly out-weigh the cost of membership dues,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark.

For past members, the PBA is offering a no-penalty renewal program through March 31. Reinstatement and/or initiation fees will be waived for those who restore full and standard memberships – a savings of $99 – and an amnesty program will waive up to three months of dues owed for 2010 and/or 2011. Players who rejoin by March 1 who have won a PBA Tour, Regional or Senior title at any point in their careers will be eligible to enter the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions.

New members and players who rejoin will be eligible for the new Regional Players Doubles Championship presented by Hammer (Feb. 10-12 at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas), and to receive invitations for the 2013 Dick Weber PBA Playoffs. And they will be eligible for all PBA Tour events during the 2012-13 season when the PBA returns to an open entry (non-exempt) policy for all tournaments.

The new PBA24 membership costs only $49 and includes all Standard Membership benefits plus a $50 discount off the entry fee for the player’s first PBA Regional tournament. Players must have a 200 or higher average for at least 36 games in the current league season, or a 190 or higher average in a PBA Experience or USBC Sport league, or in USBC-certified collegiate competition.

The PBA International membership costs $99 and is designed to allow international bowlers who compete in World Bowling Tour events to earn PBA titles, and to make those players eligible to bowl in the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling. International members also will be allowed to enter up to three PBA Regionals and one non-WBT PBA Tour event in the U.S. other than a World Series event.

Players who apply for PBA International membership must be members-in-good-standing in their home country’s WTBA federation. A player who wins a PBA-WBT co-branded event must upgrade to full or standard membership in order to bowl future PBA events.

The PBA also has introduced a referral program whereby existing PBA members will earn a $50 discount on a PBA Regional entry for every PBA24 member who enrolls and designates the player as his/her “sponsor.”

To join, click on the “Join PBA” link in the upper right-hand corner on pba.com’s home page.

Tournament: Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters. The second of four PBA Tour majors during the 2011-12 season.

Where: Sunset Station Strike Zone, Henderson, Nev.

Purse: $250,000 prize fund. First prize: $50,000

Format: Four-player stepladder finals

Television: ESPN (live Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET)

A field of more than 300 of the world’s top PBA professionals and amateur bowlers will be narrowed to the top four players who will advance to the stepladder finals of the 2012 Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters which will be telecast live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday from Sunset Station Strike Zone in Las Vegas.

After an emotional victory in the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Masters, Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, will be trying to become the first player in four decades to win back-to-back titles in one of professional bowling’s most prestigious match play events. In 2011 he defeated Jack Jurek in the championship match, 225-214, for his first Tour title.

The challenging format featured 15 games of qualifying with the top 64 players advancing to the grueling double-elimination, three-game match play rounds.

The Masters has been a breakthrough event for amateurs and professionals like Hess. But the list of Masters champion also reads like a “who’s who” of bowling, among them are: Earl Anthony (1977, 1984), Mike Aulby (1989, 1995, 1998), Ernie Schlegel (1996), Don Carter (1961), Ray Bluth (1959), Billy Welu (1964, 1965), Dick Hoover (1956, 1957), Harry Smith (1958), Norm Duke (1993), Buzz Fazio (1955), Billy Golembiewski (1960, 1962), Danny Wiseman (2004), Sean Rash (2007), Doug Kent (2002, 2007), Mike Scroggins (2005), Parker Bohn III (2001), and Walter Ray Williams Jr. (2004, 2010).

The Masters began as a Clinic and Double Elimination Tournament at the 1951 ABC Tournament in St. Paul, Minn. with a field of 32 players. Eight of the nation’s top stars were invited and matched against eight of the best bowlers from St. Paul, eight from Minneapolis and eight others from other cities in Minnesota. Lee Jouglard of Detroit won the 1951 “Eliminations,” defeating Joe Wilman of Chicago.

PBA:39X60 Post-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Sunday 2 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation.

Social Networking on PBA Facebook/Twitter: Follow PBA social networking through PBA on Facebook and Twitter for exclusive photos, videos and information, click the links to PBA.com provide greater details and information on PBA players, tournaments and news.

To ‘like’ the Professional Bowlers Association on Facebook, visit PBA.com and click the Facebook icon.

To ‘follow’ the PBA on Twitter, visit PBA.com and click on the Twitter icon.

To ’subscribe’ to PBA’s YouTube Channel, visit PBA.com and click on the YouTube icon.

To ’subscribe’ to PBA.com’s Xtra Frame, online Bowling Channel click on the Xtra Frame icon on the pba.com homepage

Doyle, a brain tumor survivor, got his chance to bowl with Rash through the Make A Wish Foundation. He spent more than an hour on the lanes with Rash on Jan. 28 at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center.

“When (Rash) first came on tour, he became my favorite,” Doyle said. “I love watching him. I want to be like him.”

Doyle, a 10th grader who carries a 208 average in his youth league, said Rash gave him some great tips about keeping good balance and working on his follow-through. Following his lesson, Doyle promptly threw six strikes in a row before leaving a solid 7 pin to end his streak.

“One thing athletes do great is give back,” Rash said. “I enjoy opportunities like this. When I was young and asked pros for help, they were always willing.

“It’s very touching to work with these kids, to see what they have to fight through. They battle through things that are life-threatening, but in reality, they’re human beings just like you and me, and that’s what matters most.”

Rash previously befriended 10-year-old Danny McCarty of Las Vegas, a victim of “brittle bone disease,” during the PBA World Series of Bowling.

CHRIS PAUL CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL “RED CARPET INTERVIEWS” NOW ONLINE

Red carpet interviews with PBA and celebrity participants in Sunday’s Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by Sheets Brand can be viewed on PBA Youtube page, including a Chris Paul interview by Xtra Frame’s Jackie Bowling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vtpxoc5TeA).

Additional interviews feature Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, Entourage actor Jerry Ferrara, former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, teenage musical group Mindless Behavior, “The Price is Right” host Drew Carey, Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin, and PBA stars Jason Belmonte, Pete Weber, Ryan Shafer and Wes Malott. The Chris Paul special event airs just in front of the Super Bowl Sunday on ESPN, starting at 4 p.m. ET.

NEW LANE PATTERN TO HONOR DON JOHNSON AT XTRA FRAME COLUMBUS EVENT

A new Don Johnson lane conditioning pattern will be specifically created for the PBA’s Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300, scheduled for Feb. 16-19 at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio. The Don Johnson pattern joins family of lane conditioning patterns the PBA has created in honor of some of its hall of fame superstars, including Earl Anthony, Dick Weber and Carmen Salvino, among others.

“The 45-foot pattern possesses excellent scoring potential if played correctly,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Kirk Von Krueger. “Shot-making combined with choosing the correct angle of attack are both critical to success. Using too much ball surface or playing too deep could inhibit the scoring pace.”

The Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 is the second of four PBA Tour events that will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. Full-year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on pba.com.

BOWER, TOMEK TEAM UP TO WIN CENTRAL REGION OVER/UNDER DOUBLES TITLE

Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pa. and partner Jim Tomek Jr. defeated Dick Gran of Hartville, Ohio and Bob Learn Jr. of Macomb, Mich., 2-1, in a best-of three-game match to win the PBA Central Region’s Legend Lanes Over/Under Doubles Classic at Legend Lanes in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Sunday.

Teams in the event were required to include one bowler age 50 or older, and one bowler under the age of 50. The title was Bower’s and Tomek’s first of the year in the PBA Central Region. It also was Bower’s 16th career PBA Regional title and Tomek’s eighth. They also split a $4,000 first prize.

Bower and Tomek won the first game against Gran and Learn, 422-400, lost the second game, 512-456, but claimed the title in the final game, 501-461.

On the Feb. 3-5 calendar are the PBA Southwest Region’s Carol “Stormin’” Norman Pro Shop U Can Bowl 2 Del Mar Lanes Open in Houston, Texas; the joint Midwest/Central Region Sparetime Lanes Senior Open presented by Allstate Insurance in Decatur, Ill., and the PBA West Region Jackson Rancheria Classic at Gold Country Lanes in Sutter Creek, Calif.

February’s schedule also includes a new Regional Players Doubles Championship presented by Hammer Feb. 10-12 at The Orleans in Las Vegas. The field will be limited to 70 teams on a first-come basis. For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

QUICK NOTES:

Veteran announcer Gary Thorne made a successful PBA Tour debut as play-by-play announcer for Sunday’s ESPN telecast of the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters, which drew the largest audience of the 2011-12 season – more than one million viewers. Thorne, who covers Major League Baseball and college football for ESPN, also is the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles and is a renowned for his National Hockey League broadcast coverage. He replaces Rob Stone, who has taken a new position with the Fox Sports Network.

PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss won the Columbia 300 Irish Open Tenpin Bowling Championships at Leisureplex Stillorgan in Dublin, Ireland, on Jan. 22, topping a 122-player field with a 27-game total of 6,582 pins, including match play bonus pins. Steve Kay of England finished second, 182 pins behind

Scott Salem, better known as “Scott the Engineer” to Howard Stern fans, will return to PBA competition during the 69th U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J., Feb. 20-26, and Howard TV will be on hand to cover all of Salem’s activities. Salem, an avid scratch league bowler in New Jersey, made his debut in PBA Tour competition during the 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling, generating extensive media coverage on Stern’s Sirius Radio broadcasts as well as on Howard TV.

LOS ANGELES – A “super bowl” of another kind will be televised Feb. 5 when four-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul hosts the fourth annual Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational Presented by Sheets™ Brand Sunday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Paul, who joined the Los Angeles Clippers at the start of the 2011-12 season, hosted the fundraiser which is fast-becoming a tradition during the PBA Tour season at Lucky Strike LA Live and will benefit charities supported by his CP3 Foundation.

The list of celebrities competing in the made-for-TV event include Reggie Bush (former USC star, Super Bowl winner and Miami Dolphins running back), Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers forward and reigning NBA Dunk Contest champ), Michael Strahan (NFL great, Super Bowl winner and Fox NFL Sunday analyst), Jerry Ferrara (from HBO’s Entourage), Jesse Williams (of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy), Grammy award-winning recording star Ciara, and comedian Kevin Hart.

The PBA Tour has an all-star lineup led by PBA Hall of Famer and 35-time Tour titlist Pete Weber; Jason Belmonte of Australia, one of only two players in Tour history to win a Tour title with a unique two-handed delivery; six-time Tour winner Wes Malott, and four-time winner Ryan Shafer. Storm Bowling Products is once again the official bowling equipment sponsor for the event.

The telecast includes the Celebrity Super Shootout featuring all eight celebrities bowling a one-ball eliminator competition where the bowler with the lowest pinfall is eliminated. This year’s Celebrity Invitational uses a trios Baker format where a pro is part of a team with two celebrities and the pro bowls the first, fourth, seventh and 10th frames.

Making up the trios teams are: Belmonte, Hart and Paul; Shafer, Ciara and Strahan; Weber, Ferrara and Griffin, and Malott, Williams and Bush. In the opening match, Team Belmonte faces team Shafer and in the second match Team Weber faces Team Malott with the winners facing off in the final.

The show will also feature chart-topping teen sensation Mindless Behavior who will perform music from their current hit CD, “#1 Girl,” one of the biggest selling debuts from a new artist in 2011. The group gained popularity touring with Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, and the Backstreet Boys. Their new single "Girls Talkin’ Bout" is climbing the radio charts now.

Paul, an accomplished bowler, founded his CP3 Foundation in 2005 as a tribute to his late grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, and the Winston-Salem, N.C., community where he grew up. The foundation has provided funding for activities ranging from a scholarship program to food drives to recreational support programs for children in under-served communities in both Winston-Salem and New Orleans.

Paul and Belmonte have won back-to-back titles in the special event. Other celebrity bowlers who have participated in previous events include fellow NBA stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay; NFL stars Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Jack Del Rio and Bush, and hip-hop stars Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Lil Wayne and Nelly.

Barnes went 6-0 in the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center and is now one more victory away from claiming his first career Masters title. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Barnes earned the top seed by virtue of an 806-743 victory over Mike Fagan of Dallas. Fagan, who was previously unbeaten, is the No. 2 seed for the finals. Rounding out the telecast is No. 3 seed Dan MacLelland of Canada and No. 4 seed Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore.

"Things definitely fell my way today," said Barnes, who finished as the runner-up to Walter Ray Williams Jr. at 2004 and 2010 Masters. "This is where I wanted to be at the start of the week. After having Walter Ray fire a 268 and a 290 at me when I was the top seed previously, I feel like this time it’s my turn. I’m a big believer that everything evens out, and I’m a long way from being even."

A victory by Barnes would make him the third Professional Bowlers Association Grand Slam winner in history, joining bowling greats Mike Aulby and Norm Duke. The Grand Slam is made up of the four majors on the PBA Tour - the USBC Masters, PBA Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open and the PBA National/World Championship.

"Winning this event is definitely a bucket list item for me," Barnes said. "This tournament is the most important one on my career list right now."

Fagan plowed through five consecutive opponents before running into Barnes in the final match to determine the top seed for the TV show. He said he was just happy that match happened when it did.

"I feel good, and I’m just happy that match with Chris came at the end and not earlier in the bracket," said Fagan, who will be seeking his first major title. "I’m just trying to play my game and not worry about any of my competitors. That’s the frame of mind I need to keep for the TV show."

As for MacLelland, he knew getting to the championship would be a grind after winning his first match and then dropping into the losers bracket. He had to win seven matches in the losers bracket, including a 746-690 victory over Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., that locked up a spot on the telecast.

"My body isn’t quite what it used to be, and I knew it was going to be a grind coming into today," said MacLelland, who was a three-time collegiate bowler of the year at Saginaw Valley State. "I kept telling myself that I could do it, and I basically willed myself to the show."

Smith made the finals by overcoming a 29-pin deficit heading into the final game, rallying for a 660-625 victory against Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio. It’s the first time Smith has made a TV appearance since 2004 and his lone professional title came at the 2003 USBC Masters.

"My heart rate went up a couple times today, and when I was down in that last game my heart rate went up again," Smith said. "Come Sunday, I’m sure there will be some nerves. When this isn’t something you do on a regular basis anymore, it can be a bit more nerve wrecking."

The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund and $50,000 first-place prize.

2012 ALKA SELTZER PLUS LIQUID GELS USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Friday’s results
 
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
 
ROUND 2 WINNERS BRACKET
Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., def. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 669-630.
Mike Fagan, Dallas, def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 639-572.
Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 676-664.
Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., def. Stuart Williams, England, 663-620.
Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 788-622.
Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., def. Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 637-594.
Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 686-651.
Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 693-688.
 
ROUND 3 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Dan MacLelland, Canada, def. Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 675-613.
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 680-666.
PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 770-656.
Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 721-626.
Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, def. Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 621-586.
Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., def. Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 678-579.
John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., def. Paul Ashby, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 711-581.
Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 750-645.
 
ROUND 4 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,300)
MacLelland def. Baker, 737-735.
S. Williams def. Jones, 682-567.
Wolfe def. Haggerty, 706-623.
O’Neill def. Shafer, 730-684.
Jurek def. Saitoh, 744-557.
McCracken def. Russell, 678-604.
Odette def. Szczerbinski, 613-574.
Belmonte def. Pilon, 749-625.
 
ROUND 5 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,900)
MacLelland def. S. Williams, 707-612.
O’Neill def. Wolfe, 682-638.
McCracken def. Jurek, 650-617.
Belmonte def. Odette, 751-677.
 
ROUND 3 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 777-685.
Warren def. Van Hees, 720-631.
Barnes def. Bohr, 692-665.
Loschetter def. Parkin, 784-605.
 
ROUND 6 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,700)
MacLelland def. Parkin, 763-606.
Bohr def. O’Neill, 728-566.
Van Hees def. McCracken, 595-541.
Smith def. Belmonte, 628-616.
 
ROUND 7 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $5,000)
MacLelland def. Bohr, 718-673.
Smith def. Van Hees, 703-602.
 
ROUND 4 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 756-585.
Barnes def. Loschetter, 673-669.
 
ROUND 5 WINNERS BRACKET
(Winner is top seed for ESPN stepladder finals; loser is No. 2)
Barnes def. Fagan, 806-743.
 
ROUND 8 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $7,000; winners advance to stepladder finals as No. 3 and No. 3 seeds)
MacLelland def. Warren, 746-690.
Smith def. Loschetter, 660-625.

HENDERSON, Nev. - Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli took the lead after the first round of qualifying Tuesday at the 2012 Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters by averaging 247.8 over the opening five games.

Monacelli, a 19-time PBA champion, fired 1,239 in the opening round to lead a field of 305 of the top bowlers in the country vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center. The finals of the event will be broadcast live on ESPN on Jan. 29 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

Fueled by a 298 finish, Monacelli, 50, surged into the lead in the final game of the day. He began the opening round with games of 255, 226, 215 and 245. Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, sits in second with 1,225.

"This morning when I was working out something came to my mind that I wanted to change in my game today," said Monacelli, who will be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame this April. "I wanted to accelerate a little more toward the release. That’s something I thought had been hurting me a little bit."

Another key to Monacelli’s success Tuesday was his ability to maintain a strong mental game, which is another area he has spent time working on lately.

"I’ve been working really hard to get my mental game back," said Monacelli, whose last PBA title came nearly seven years ago when he won the PBA Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open in 2005. "I have to keep my mind clean without thoughts of the past or future. I also am trying to keep my wishes and desires out of my body, and that has helped keep my anxiety down a lot."

Rick Steelsmith of Wichita, Kan., rounded out the top three with 1,206, while Alex Aguiar of North Dartmouth, Mass., was the high non-professional in the field in fourth place with 1,179.

After struggling in the Masters in the past, Aguiar was pleased to get off to a stellar start at the event. He’s never made the cut at the Masters and put himself in good position to do so with Tuesday’s opening round total.

"This tournament has been a disaster for me in the past," said Aguiar, who won a PBA member/non-member doubles event in January with USBC Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III. "This is one of those tournaments where things haven’t gone very well for me. It’s very satisfying to come out and not have to press to knock down pins in the second round that you didn’t get in the first round."

All 305 players will return Wednesday for five additional games of qualifying before the field is cut to the top 77 for five final games of qualifying Thursday morning. The top 63 players plus defending champion Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, will move on to the double-elimination match-play bracket Thursday afternoon.

The USBC Masters is a major on the PBA Tour, and the champion of the event will earn $50,000 for first place. The final four players who survive bracket play will advance to the nationally televised championship round.

2012 USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Tuesday’s Results
QUALIFYING - ROUND 1
(Five games)

1, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,239.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,225.
3, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 1,206.
4, Alex Aguiar, N. Dartmouth, Mass., 1,179.
5, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,150.
6, Stuart Williams, England, 1,149.
7, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,146.
8, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,145.
9, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,140.
10, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,136.
10, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,136.
12, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,133.
13, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,132.
14, Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 1,130.
14, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,130.
16, Christian Jensen, Wichita, Kan., 1,128.
17, Jason Duran, Arvada, Colo., 1,127.
17, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,127.
19, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,125.
20, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,120.
20, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,120.
22, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,119.
23, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,113.
23, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,113.
25, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,111.
26, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,110.
27, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,109.
27, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,109.
29, Vernon Peterson, Lake Wales, Fla., 1,108.
30, Jason Barnhouse, Maple Grove, Minn., 1,105.
31, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,104.
31, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,104.
33, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 1,103.
34, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 1,102.
35, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,101.
35, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,101.
37, George Brooks, Loveland, Colo., 1,099.
37, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,099.
39, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,098.
40, Kyle Barnes, Smyrna, Tenn., 1,096.
40, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 1,096.
42, Daniel Verdecchia, Lawrenceville, Ga., 1,095.
42, Siu Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 1,095.
44, Jessica Baker, Wichita, Kan., 1,092.
44, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,092.
46, Jeff Piroozshad, Coral Springs, Fla., 1,091.
47, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,089.
47, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,089.
47, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,089.
50, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,088.
51, Mathew Jones, Phoenix, 1,085.
52, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,084.
53, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,082.
53, Joe Salvemini, Oroville, Calif., 1,082.
55, Raul Rosales, El Monte, Calif., 1,080.
56, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,079.
57, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,078.
58, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,074.
59, Shigeo Saito, Japan, 1,072.
60, James Edwards, Columbus, Miss., 1,071.
60, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,071.
60, Chris Hayden, Las Vegas, 1,071.
63, Erik Vermilyea, Mansfield, Texas, 1,069.
64, Jarrett Mizo, Honolulu, 1,067.
65, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,066.
65, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,066.
65, Matt McNiel, Chanhassen, Minn., 1,066.
68, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 1,063.
69, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 1,057.
69, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,057.
71, Michael Herring, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 1,055.
72, Chad Pojas, Wahiawa, Hawaii, 1,051.
72, Nikita Koshelev, Russia, 1,051.
74, Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,050.
74, Gary Faulkner, Memphis, Tenn., 1,050.
74, Joseph Yockman, Kapolei, Hawaii, 1,050.
77, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 1,048.
78, Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., 1,046.
79, Cameron Smith, Glendale, Ariz., 1,045.
79, Stephen Pavlinko, Sewell, N.J., 1,045.
81, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,044.
81, Michael Biederman, Post Falls, Idaho, 1,044.
83, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,043.
83, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,043.
85, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 1,042.
86, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 1,040.
87, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 1,037.
88, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,036.
89, Tim Penner, Wichita, Kan., 1,035.
89, Adam Ishman, Las Vegas, 1,035.
91, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 1,034.
92, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,033.
92, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,033.
92, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,033.
95, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,032.
96, Paul Ashby, Middleburg Hts., Ohio, 1,031.
96, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 1,031.
98, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,028.
98, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,028.
100, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,027.
100, Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 1,027.
100, Ken Duffield, Madison, Wis., 1,027.
103, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,026.
104, Richard Mitchell, East Berlin, Pa., 1,024.
104, Tom Anderson, Bonney Lake, Wash., 1,024.
104, Kevin Mikalouski, Hebron, Ind., 1,024.
107, Marc Clyburn, Pittsburg, Calif., 1,023.
107, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,023.
109, Justin Ledwig, Floresville, Texas, 1,022.
109, Robert Gotchall, Lincoln, Neb., 1,022.
111, Alan Frederick, Las Vegas, 1,021.
112, Neil Makison, Boiling Springs, S.C., 1,020.
113, Jeremy Sonnenfeld, Sioux Falls, S.D., 1,019.
114, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,018.
114, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 1,018.
116, Tyler Wilds, Three Rivers, Mich., 1,017.
116, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,017.
118, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,016.
118, Robert Klann, San Antonio, Texas, 1,016.
118, Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash., 1,016.
118, Dennis Horan Jr., Oakley, Calif., 1,016.
118, Matthew O’Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,016.
123, Caleb Nakata, Loomis, Calif., 1,015.
123, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,015.
123, Scott Shiira, Honolulu, 1,015.
123, Jerry Pruitt, Omaha, Neb., 1,015.
123, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1,015.
128, J,R, Martino, McMurray, Pa., 1,014.
128, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,014.
130, George Gohagan III, Roswell, Ga., 1,013.
131, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore., 1,012.
131, Ricky Schissler, Henderson, Colo., 1,012.
131, Paul Moor, England, 1,012.
131, Peter Spreadbury, Oak Forest, Ill., 1,012.
131, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,012.
136, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,011.
136, Dom Barrett, England, 1,011.
136, Lloyd Burleson, San Diego, 1,011.
139, Thomas Parker, Columbus, Ohio, 1,010.
140, Kevin Duncan, Mexico, Mo., 1,009.
141, Carl Labayan, Long Beach, Calif., 1,008.
141, Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 1,008.
143, Eric Schacht, North St. Paul, Minn., 1,007.
143, Jeremy Wood, Bountiful, Utah, 1,007.
145, Eric Martinez, San Antonio, Texas, 1,006.
146, Gerald Marrs, Huntley, Ill., 1,005.
146, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Japan, 1,005.
148, Tony Biondi, Orlando, Fla., 1,004.
148, James Grago III, Rome, N.Y., 1,004.
150, Darwin Wimer, Mesquite, Nev., 1,002.
150, Michael Vasquez, Longmont, Colo., 1,002.
152, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,001.
152, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,001.
154, Mike Albert, Florence, S.C., 1,000.
154, Kyle King, Glendale, Ariz., 1,000.
156, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 999.
157, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 998.
158, Adam Barta, Girard, Ohio, 997.
159, Evan Nash, Kennewick, Wash., 995.
160, Chad Newman, Richardson, Texas, 994.
160, Brian Skidmore, Albuquerque, NM, 994.
162, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 992.
162, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 992.
164, L. Carnate, Glendale, Ariz, 991.
164, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 991.
166, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 989.
166, Bryson Rogers, Durham, N.C., 989.
166, Jacqui Reese, Roseto, Pa., 989.
169, Chad Vendeville, Euless, Texas, 988.
169, Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., 988.
171, Victor Torres, Elephant Butte, N.M., 987.
171, Robert Piroozshad, Brooklyn, N.Y., 987.
171, Anthony Thompson, Redding, Calif., 987.
174, Mike Bailey, Frisco, Texas, 986.
174, Gabriel Yanes, Corpus Christi, Texas, 986.
174, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 986.
177, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 982.
177, J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 982.
177, Mark Clark, Naperville, Ill., 982.
180, Takashi Kudoh, Japan, 981.
181, Daniel Hannagan, Mt. Juliet, Tenn., 980.
182, George Burruss, Gurley, Ala., 979.
182, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 979.
184, Artavius Clark, Oxen Hill, Md., 978.
184, Fred Mattson, University Place, Wash., 978.
184, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 978.
187, Joseph Ramsdell III, Skowhegan, Maine, 975.
188, John DeBenedetta Jr., Las Vegas, 974.
189, Jason Lee Hummell, Hermiston, Ore., 970.
190, Justin Pisarski, Pittsburgh, 969.
190, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 969.
192, Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash., 967.
192, Dustin Ochoa, San Antonio, Texas, 967.
194, George Branham III, Indianapolis, 966.
195, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 964.
196, Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mt., N.C., 963.
196, Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J., 963.
196, Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 963.
199, Billy Bundza, Tucson, Ariz, 962.
200, Robert McBride, Plano, Texas, 961.
200, Cassandra Leuthold, Black Hawk, S.D., 961.
202, Brandon Kraye, LaHabra, Calif., 960.
202, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 960.
202, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 960.
205, Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa., 959.
205, George Koufakis, Orlando, Fla., 959.
205, Tim Ursillo, Spring Valley, Calif., 959.
208, David Oulman, Medford, Minn., 958.
209, Aric Nagel, Scottsdale, Ariz., 957.
210, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 956.
211, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 954.
212, Curt Schmidt, Algonquin, Ill., 952.
212, Rob Shepherd, Sierra Vista, Ariz., 952.
214, John West, Milwaukie, Ore., 951.
214, Christopher Ziesig, Hicksville, N.Y., 951.
216, Jeffrey Alan Darden, Helena, Ala., 950.
216, Mark Tarkington, Elizabeth City, N.C., 950.
218, Mitch Sacks, Jersey City, N.J., 948.
218, Billy Langford, Lone Grove, Okla., 948.
220, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 946.
221, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 944.
222, Miguel Rosales, Anaheim, Calif., 942.
222, Mike Kanada, Camarillo, Calif., 942.
222, Shinichiro Tamai, Japan, 942.
222, Elysia Current, Ephrata, Pa., 942.
226, Michael Hamilton, Miami, 941.
227, Naoyuki Iguchi, Japan, 940.
227, Rick Kouri, Castle Rock, Colo., 940.
227, Donald Barry Jr., Omaha, Neb., 940.
230, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 939.
231, Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 938.
232, Rob Herman, Las Vegas, 937.
232, Kyle Taylor, Loveland, Colo., 937.
234, Chris Viale, Westfield, Mass., 935.
234, Adam Miller, Charlotte, N.C., 935.
234, Riand Poblete, Lynnwood, Wash., 935.
237, Warren Blankenship, Ardmore, Okla., 933.
238, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 932.
239, Joseph Nereu, New Bedford, Mass., 929.
240, Dee Dee Jeffery, Newport, Ark., 927.
241, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 925.
242, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 923.
242, Corey Husted, Milwaukie, Ore., 923.
244, Lowell Huber, Westminster, Calif., 921.
245, Eric Tseng, Hong Kong, 920.
246, Martin Haberstich, Henderson, Nev., 919.
246, Robert Miller, Bishop, Calif., 919.
248, Don Allen III, , 918.
249, Justin Stevens, Aiea, Hawaii, 917.
249, Michael Monyak, Las Vegas, 917.
251, Ryan Losli, Portland, Ore., 914.
252, Don Wright, Casper, Wy., 913.
253, Jack Zuniga, Tulsa, Okla., 911.
254, Larry Lanehart, Eagle River, Alaska, 909.
255, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 908.
256, Tracy Teeters, Beaverton, Ore., 905.
257, Ralph Solan, Harvest, Ala., 904.
258, Kenneth Bland Jr., Germany, 903.
259, James Delacerda, Natchitoches, La., 902.
260, James Peryea, Mooers, N.Y., 900.
261, Rick Rucker, Rock Falls, Ill., 899.
261, Scott Peterson, Oceanside, Calif., 899.
263, Robert Lee, Japan, 898.
264, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 897.
264, Nicholas Amrein, Hillsboro, Ore., 897.
266, David Taylor, Largo, Fla., 896.
266, Michael Teahl, Las Vegas, 896.
268, Daniel Du, Tinley Park, Ill, 895.
269, Scott Brown, Lehi, Utah, 894.
270, Stoney Burke Jr., Rio Rancho, N.M., 893.
271, Michael Mullin, Congers, N.Y., 891.
272, Adam Allen, Spokane, Wash., 889.
273, Philip Layral, Fairbanks, Alaska, 886.
274, John Reed, Pueblo, Colo., 884.
275, Kevin Cook, Casper, Wyo., 882.
276, Derek Swanson, Las Vegas, 881.
277, Harold Hill Jr., San Diego, 878.
277, David Labinski, Milwaukee, 878.
279, Thomas Wolf, Bismarck, N.D., 876.
280, Daniel Struzynski, Dunkirk, N.Y., 875.
281, Devin Bidwell, Simi Valley, Calif., 872.
281, Steven Smith, San Diego, 872.
283, Toshiyuki Kaneko, Japan, 868.
284, Riley Dempsey, Avondale, Ariz., 864.
285, Camerson Potts, Hicksville, N.Y., 862.
286, Brandi Wolfe, Tempe, Ariz., 861.
287, Chris Helton, Fountain, Colo., 855.
288, Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 848.
289, William Bell, Roy, Utah, 847.
290, John Schriner, Middletown, Md., 846.
291, Cody Reichenberger, Sarasota, Fla., 840.
292, Chris Hook, Mira Loma, Calif., 837.
293, Chad Lusche, Arvada, Colo., 833.
294, Justin Lynn, St. Charles, Mo., 827.
295, Shane Gillmore, Mayflower, Ark., 825.
296, Dale Lee Lookabaugh, New Kensington, Pa., 822.
297, Robert Danevich, Gilbert, Ariz., 818.
297, Richard Lista, Colorado Springs, Colo., 818.
299, Sean Terry, Chino, Calif., 788.
300, Nicole Ellison, Chatsworth, Calif., 787.
301, Gary Smalling, Johnson City, Tenn., 785.
302, Raymond Gaunt, LaPuente, Calif., 775.
303, Dave Terwilliger, Gilbert, Ariz., 774.
304, Dru Schott, Grants, N.M., 684.
305, William Williams, Stafford, Va., 676.

Barnes went 6-0 in the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center and is now one more victory away from claiming his first career Masters title. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Barnes earned the top seed by virtue of an 806-743 victory over Mike Fagan of Dallas. Fagan, who was previously unbeaten, is the No. 2 seed for the finals. Rounding out the telecast is No. 3 seed Dan MacLelland of Canada and No. 4 seed Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore.

"Things definitely fell my way today," said Barnes, who finished as the runner-up to Walter Ray Williams Jr. at 2004 and 2010 Masters. "This is where I wanted to be at the start of the week. After having Walter Ray fire a 268 and a 290 at me when I was the top seed previously, I feel like this time it’s my turn. I’m a big believer that everything evens out, and I’m a long way from being even."

A victory by Barnes would make him the third Professional Bowlers Association Grand Slam winner in history, joining bowling greats Mike Aulby and Norm Duke. The Grand Slam is made up of the four majors on the PBA Tour - the USBC Masters, PBA Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open and the PBA National/World Championship.

"Winning this event is definitely a bucket list item for me," Barnes said. "This tournament is the most important one on my career list right now."

Fagan plowed through five consecutive opponents before running into Barnes in the final match to determine the top seed for the TV show. He said he was just happy that match happened when it did.

"I feel good, and I’m just happy that match with Chris came at the end and not earlier in the bracket," said Fagan, who will be seeking his first major title. "I’m just trying to play my game and not worry about any of my competitors. That’s the frame of mind I need to keep for the TV show."

As for MacLelland, he knew getting to the championship would be a grind after winning his first match and then dropping into the losers bracket. He had to win seven matches in the losers bracket, including a 746-690 victory over Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., that locked up a spot on the telecast.

"My body isn’t quite what it used to be, and I knew it was going to be a grind coming into today," said MacLelland, who was a three-time collegiate bowler of the year at Saginaw Valley State. "I kept telling myself that I could do it, and I basically willed myself to the show."

Smith made the finals by overcoming a 29-pin deficit heading into the final game, rallying for a 660-625 victory against Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio. It’s the first time Smith has made a TV appearance since 2004 and his lone professional title came at the 2003 USBC Masters.

"My heart rate went up a couple times today, and when I was down in that last game my heart rate went up again," Smith said. "Come Sunday, I’m sure there will be some nerves. When this isn’t something you do on a regular basis anymore, it can be a bit more nerve wrecking."

The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund and $50,000 first-place prize.

2012 ALKA SELTZER PLUS LIQUID GELS USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Friday’s results
 
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
 
ROUND 2 WINNERS BRACKET
Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., def. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 669-630.
Mike Fagan, Dallas, def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 639-572.
Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 676-664.
Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., def. Stuart Williams, England, 663-620.
Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 788-622.
Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., def. Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 637-594.
Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 686-651.
Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 693-688.
 
ROUND 3 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Dan MacLelland, Canada, def. Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 675-613.
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 680-666.
PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 770-656.
Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 721-626.
Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, def. Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 621-586.
Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., def. Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 678-579.
John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., def. Paul Ashby, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 711-581.
Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 750-645.
 
ROUND 4 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,300)
MacLelland def. Baker, 737-735.
S. Williams def. Jones, 682-567.
Wolfe def. Haggerty, 706-623.
O’Neill def. Shafer, 730-684.
Jurek def. Saitoh, 744-557.
McCracken def. Russell, 678-604.
Odette def. Szczerbinski, 613-574.
Belmonte def. Pilon, 749-625.
 
ROUND 5 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,900)
MacLelland def. S. Williams, 707-612.
O’Neill def. Wolfe, 682-638.
McCracken def. Jurek, 650-617.
Belmonte def. Odette, 751-677.
 
ROUND 3 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 777-685.
Warren def. Van Hees, 720-631.
Barnes def. Bohr, 692-665.
Loschetter def. Parkin, 784-605.
 
ROUND 6 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,700)
MacLelland def. Parkin, 763-606.
Bohr def. O’Neill, 728-566.
Van Hees def. McCracken, 595-541.
Smith def. Belmonte, 628-616.
 
ROUND 7 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $5,000)
MacLelland def. Bohr, 718-673.
Smith def. Van Hees, 703-602.
 
ROUND 4 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 756-585.
Barnes def. Loschetter, 673-669.
 
ROUND 5 WINNERS BRACKET
(Winner is top seed for ESPN stepladder finals; loser is No. 2)
Barnes def. Fagan, 806-743.
 
ROUND 8 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $7,000; winners advance to stepladder finals as No. 3 and No. 3 seeds)
MacLelland def. Warren, 746-690.
Smith def. Loschetter, 660-625.

HENDERSON, Nev. - Rick Steelsmith of Wichita, Kan., earned high-qualifier honors Thursday after 15 games at the 2012 Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters.

The 1987 Masters champion finished qualifying with 3,505, an average of 233.6, and will face defending champion and No. 64 seed Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, in the opening round of the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center.

Steelsmith, who earned $1,000 for being the top qualifier, finished 76 pins ahead of second-place finisher Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas. Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, finished third with 3,424.

The top 63 players from the final qualifying standings advanced to match play. Two-time champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., earned the final spot with 3,148, an average of 209.8.

Match play begins at 4 p.m. Pacific on Thursday with three rounds of matches on the schedule. By the end of the day, only 32 players will remain in the field and stay alive heading into Friday’s match-play rounds.
The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund. The Masters will conclude Sunday with the nationally televised stepladder finals at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

2012 USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev., Thursday’s Results
QUALIFYING - ROUND 3 (15 games)
1, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 3,505.
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,429.
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,424.
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,382.
4, D.J. Archer, Port Arthur, Texas, 3,382.
6, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,376.
6, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,376.
8, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,375.
9, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,372.
9, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3,372.
11, Alex Aguiar, N. Dartmouth, Mass., 3,361.
12, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,354.
13, Stuart Williams, England, 3,344.
14, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,335.
15, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,313.
16, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,311.
17, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,300.
18, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,293.
18, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 3,293.
20, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,286.
20, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,286.
22, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3,279.
23, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,276.
24, Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,271.
25, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,265.
26, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,257.
27, Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 3,254.
28, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,253.
29, Matt McNiel, Chanhassen, Minn., 3,252.
30, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 3,249.
31, Siu Hong Wu, Hong Kong, 3,246.
32, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,241.
33, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,237.
34, Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., 3,222.
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,219.
35, Shigeo Saito, Japan, 3,219.
37, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,213.
38, John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 3,210.
39, Paul Ashby, Middleburg Hts., Ohio, 3,206.
40, Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., 3,203.
41, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore., 3,192.
42, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,189.
43, Robert Gotchall, Lincoln, Neb., 3,188.
44, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,187.
45, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,184.
46, Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 3,180.
47, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,179.
47, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,179.
49, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 3,175.
50, Mathew Jones, Phoenix, 3,174.
50, Jason Duran, Arvada, Colo., 3,174.
52, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,171.
53, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 3,169.
54, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,166.
55, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,165.
56, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,163.
57, Vernon Peterson, Lake Wales, Fla., 3,162.
58, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,157.
59, Kyle Barnes, Smyrna, Tenn., 3,154.
60, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3,149.
60, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,149.
60, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,149.
63, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,148.

DID NOT ADVANCE
64, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,138, $1,200.
65, Adam Barta, Girard, Ohio, 3,137, $1,100.
66, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,136, $1,100.
67, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,132, $1,100.
68, Jeff Piroozshad, Coral Springs, Fla., 3,131, $1,100.
69, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,121, $1,050.
70, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 3,114, $1,050.
71, Michael Herring, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 3,105, $1,033.
71, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,105, $1,033.
71, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 3,105, $1,033.
74, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3,099, $1,000.
75, Jason Barnhouse, Maple Grove, Minn., 3,087, $1,000.
76, Cameron Smith, Glendale, Ariz., 3,038, $1,000.
77, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,028, $1,000.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. — Throwing his traditional rocket to the pocket, Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind., successfully defended his PBA Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite title Sunday at Fountain Bowl.

McCune, who was the top qualifier for the stepladder finals, defeated PBA Hall of Famer and 35-time Tour titlist Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., 245-229, in the championship match for his third career win.

“Anytime I can play outside on the lane and throw it hard it plays in my favor,” said McCune who estimated he was throwing the ball at a little over 20 miles per hour. “It’s old school and that’s where I feel most comfortable.”

McCune won his second career title last season when, as tournament leader, he defeated Norm Duke, 238-237, to win the Cheetah Championship. It was during the match play round of that event that McCune broke the PBA nine-game scoring record with a 2,468 pinfall (274.22 average). In this year’s Cheetah Open, conducted on PBA’s Cheetah lane conditioning pattern, he averaged 253 for the tournament.

“When I bowl on this condition there’s a little pressure because I know I need to take advantage of it,” he added. “I was a little worried after the first two frames of the tournament when I had open frames but I went to a different ball and made a couple of other adjustments and got back on track.”

McCune was the first player to successfully defend a Tour title since Chris Barnes won back-to-back events in Columbus, Ohio, in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.

The landmark Cheetah Open was the first PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. Three more Xtra Frame events are scheduled during the remainder of the season.

“It was going to be a good match because he’s one of the best on this pattern and I match up real well in this house,” said Weber, who was trying for his 36^th Tour title. “It was a good match for a while until I had a couple bad shots.”

Weber defeated fellow Hall of Famer Duke in the opening stepladder match, 237-226, to advance to the semi-final against Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., who was rebounding after his fall on the approach during the PBA World Championship Mike Aulby Division Final telecast on ESPN two weeks ago. Weber defeated Blanchard in the semifinal 248-165.

PBA CHEETAH OPEN PRESENTED BY EBONITE

Fountain Bowl, Fountain Valley, Calif., Sunday

FINAL STANDINGS:

1, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., one game, 245 pins, $10,000

2, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., three games, 714 pins, $5,000

3, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., one game, 165 pins, $3,000

4, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., one game, 226, $2,500

PLAYOFF RESULTS:

Match One – Weber def. Duke, 237-226

Semifinal match – Weber def. Blanchard, 248-165

Championship match – McCune def. Weber, 245-229

MATCH PLAY RESULTS

After 22 games, including match play records and bonus pins. Top four advanced to stepladder finals

1, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 8-5, 5,814.
2, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 10-3, 5,809.
3, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 7-6, 5,806.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7-6, 5,692.
5, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 9-4, 5,684, $2,300.
6, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 6-7, 5,651, $2,100.
7, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 6-7, 5,641, $2,100.
8, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 7-6, 5,620, $1,800.
9, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-7, 5,606, $1,750.
10, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 8-5, 5,602, $1,800.
11, Stuart Williams, England, 8-5, 5,596, $1,650.
12, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 8-5, 5,592, $1,800.
13, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 5-8, 5,554, $1,550.
14, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3-10, 5,535, $1,700.
15, a-Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, 8-5, 5,515, $1,450.
16, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5-8, 5,475, $1,600.
17, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 6-7, 5,424, $1,550.
18, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 8-5, 5,417, $1,300.
19, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 4-9, 5,364, $1,275.
20, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 5-8, 5,338, $1,238.
20, a-Lowell Huber, Westminster, CA, 7-6, 5,338, $1,238.
22, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 6-7, 5,313, $1,300.
23, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6-7, 5,259, $1,175.
24, a-Takashi Kudoh, Japan, 3-10, 5,147, $1,150.

a = amateur

300 games

Danny Wiseman (2), Bill O’Neill (2), Jesse Buss (2), Norm Duke, Michael Haugen Jr., Martin Larsen

ARLINGTON, Texas - After an emotional victory at the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Masters, Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, thinks the key to his chances of successfully defending his title is keeping those emotions in check.

Hess was tearful and exuberant after defeating Jack Jurek of Lackawanna, N.Y., 225-214, to win last year’s title at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. When the 2012 Masters begins Tuesday at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center in suburban Las Vegas, Hess will have around 300 bowlers looking to dethrone him.

“I’m ready to try and defend, and hopefully I can find the same kind of magic that I found last year,” said Hess, whose victory last year was his first title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. “The key is to keep my emotions a little more level. I don’t want to have the big peaks and valleys in the short matches.”

Though his goal is to keep his emotions in check, Hess knows that when they announce him as the reigning champion before his first squad that he’s likely to get a little teary-eyed once again.

“I can imagine when they go through and announce the previous winners of the Masters at the start of the first squad, that is going to be a pretty emotional moment and take me back to the day when I won last year,” Hess said. “It was a childhood dream of mine to win on the PBA Tour. I never thought it would take until I was 41 to get that done, and to win was an amazing accomplishment.”

It has been more than four decades since anyone has repeated as champion at the Masters. It’s only been done twice and Billy Welu was the last to do it in 1965. So Hess knows history won’t be on his side as he takes to the lanes next week.

“Do I think I can do it? Absolutely,” Hess said. “But that stat right there just goes to show how hard it is to win back-to-back. If I go out and perform like I know I can perform, I like my chances.”

All participants will bowl two five-game blocks of qualifying Jan. 24 and 25 before the first cut is made to the top 25 percent of the field. After another five games the morning of Jan. 26, the top 63 bowlers will join Hess in match play, which continues until the top four bowlers are determined for the TV finals. The stepladder finals will take place at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 29 and will be broadcast live on ESPN.

The Masters, which is one of four majors on the PBA Tour, also is a part of the World Bowling Tour organized by the World Tenpin Bowling Association. For more information on the Masters, visit BOWL.com/masters.

The Bayer Viper Open is the first of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the PBA World Series of Bowling at South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. ESPN will air the finals at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT).

The Cheetah Open is the first of four Xtra Frame Tour events that will be covered live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel. Sunday’s coverage from Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif., begins with a six-game round of head-to-head match play for the top 24 qualifiers at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) followed by a seven-game match play round at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT). The top four will advance to the Cheetah Open stepladder finals at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

Mike Fagan of Dallas, a two-time PBA Tour champion, will head the field of four for the eliminator-format finals of the Viper Open. Fagan averaged 242.36 for 14 qualifying games to advance to the finals. He’ll bowl against England’s Stuart Williams, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and Ildemaro Ruiz of Venezuela for the Viper title.

Eliminator-format finals feature three one-game rounds. All four players bowl the opening game, with the lowest-scoring player after each game being eliminated. Fagan, 31, is a nine-year PBA Tour veteran who won his last title in the 2010 One A Day Dick Weber Open, held at Fountain Bowl. Rash, 28, is a four-time PBA Tour winner who is seeking his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters. Williams and Ruiz are making their second PBA television appearances. Neither has won a PBA Tour title.

The Xtra Frame Tour Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite gets underway on Saturday with nine qualifying games that will reduce the estimated field of 150 players to 24 for Sunday’s head-to-head match play competition. Saturday’s qualifying rounds also will be webcast live on Xtra Frame.

Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind., won the 2010 Cheetah Open during the PBA World Series of Bowling at South Point Lanes in Las Vegas, nipping Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., 238-237, in the title match. But Fagan won the last event hosted by Fountain Bowl, defeating Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., 241-213, for the title.

The winners of both events Sunday will earn berths in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions, April 8-15, at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

To watch the Cheetah Open, bowling fans must subscribe to Xtra Frame. One-month subscriptions are available for $7.99 and full-year subscriptions are $64.99. To sign up, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Event: PBA World Series of Bowling

Tournament: PBA World Championship Finals

Where: South Point Hotel Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas

Purse: $542,120, winner’s share: $50,000 and Earl Anthony trophy

Eliminator Format: Four finalists will bowl a one-game match. The player with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three survivors will bowl another game, with the low man ousted. The two finalists will then bowl in the championship match.

Each finalist won a Division final to advance to Championship.

Television: ESPN (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET)

Finland’s Osku Palermaa and Australia’s Jason Belmonte, two-handed players of almost the same age who developed their unique styles half a world apart, will join 25-year PBA Tour veteran Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., and 29-year-old Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., in the battle for the $50,000 first prize and a major title.

Palermaa, won his only PBA Tour title in the GEICO Shark Championship during the 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling. Palermaa, who defeated Stuart Williams, Dom Barrett and Jack Jurek to win the Don Carter Division berth, is trying for his first major title.

Belmonte hasn’t won a title since his first PBA Tour victory in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic. He also is looking for his first major title after rolling a 300 game on his way to winning the Mike Aulby Division over Brian Kretzer, Josh Blanchard and Mike Fagan.

Shafer is a four-time PBA Tour title winner who wants to end his record streak of 12 consecutive top five finishes in PBA majors without a title. Shafer eliminated Andres Gomez, Ildemaro Ruiz and Tom Smallwood in the Billy Hardwick Division.

Rash is the only finalist who has won a major (the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters), but he hasn’t won a title in eight television appearances since then. Rash dominated the 40 qualifying games leading into the World Championship elimination rounds, averaging 234 on five different PBA lane conditions. As the top qualifier in the finals field, he has selected the Scorpion lane oiling pattern, the same pattern he selected for the Johnny Petraglia Division when he eliminated Pete Weber, Ryan Ciminelli and Nathan Bohr.

Last Season: Chris Barnes captured his 13th PBA Tour title and became the sixth player in PBA history to earn a lifetime Triple Crown (victories in PBA World Championship, U.S. Open and PBA Tournament of Champions) by defeating Bill O’Neill, 267-237, at South Point Bowling Center on Jan. 16, 2011.

PBA:39X60 Pre-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Tune into PBA.com’s Xtra Frame for interviews with the finalists as they give their insight into strategy and equipment selection.

PBA:39X60 Post-game Show: (Free on PBA.com, PBA YouTube Channel) Sunday 2:30 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation.

Xtra Frame Coverage: Exclusive individual PBA World Championship qualifying rounds of the Bayer Viper Open (8 games), Chameleon Open (8 games), Scorpion Open (8 games), GEICO Shark Open (8 games) and World Championship Cashers Qualifying (8 games) are available at www.xtraframe.tv

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Sixteen PBA Tour players, based upon competition points at the close of the current season, will earn automatic berths in a field that will include top Japan and Korean PBA competitors, and international amateurs. An additional four PBA players will receive special invitations from the host organization.

“We could not be more pleased with this renewed partnership with the Japan PBA and look forward to bringing fresh energy to one of bowling’s pinnacle events worldwide,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “Our players will be excited for the opportunity to compete, participating sponsors will gain great value from their association and the resulting action on the lanes will undoubtedly thrill fans once again.”

"We are very happy with the return of the Japan Cup, in a new way,” said Japan PBA President Ritsuko Nakayama.

The 2012 Japan Cup will be held Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Tokyo, with preliminary qualifying at Minami-Suna Bowling Center followed by additional qualifying, match play and television finals at Shinagawa Princess Hotel Bowling Center.

The tournament will offer a total of just over $285,000 in prize money, including a $78,000 first prize and a PBA Tour title. Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., is defending champion.

The Japan Cup originated as the Japan Gold Cup in 1968. The late PBA Hall of Famer Don Johnson won the inaugural event. In the 25 years that PBA players have been invited to the event, it has been won 23 times by PBA pros and twice by Japan PBA players. Walter Ray Williams Jr. is the only player who has competed in all 25 Japan Cup tournaments.

Considering how well Rash and Belmonte had bowled in the World Series, a lot of folks (including me) were expecting nothing but a final featuring the two newly minted rivals, but Shafer and Osku had other plans. As you saw in the Pre-game warmup for the show, the bowlers were striking at will on the Rash-chosen Scorpion oil pattern and many people (including Storm/Roto-Grip ball rep Chris Schlemmer) expected a high-scoring affair, but the lane oil had other plans for that as well.

MATCH 1

Fans who might have been hoping for an all two-hander final had their hopes dashed in the opening match. Rash and Shafer zoomed out to games of 245 and 236, leaving the slow-starting two-handers behind to duel for the third and final spot in the next round. Coming down the stretch, Belmonte - who started hot and then suffered through some mid-game transition and a couple of poor shots - seemed to get it together heading into the final two frames. But he slammed a very familiar-looking stone 7 (a carbon copy of the one he left to lose the Plastic Ball Championship in 2009) in the 9th and finished with a 203. Osku, needing a double to advance or strike nine-spare to tie was forced to the second option when his second shot in the 10th left a pesky 10-pin. Luckily, Osku throws it 30 mph on his spare attempts because the only thing that looked like it could’ve knocked that 10-pin over on his spare shot was the wind as the ball blew by the 10-pin. After paramedics came in to defribrillate Osku’s heart (just kidding, but mine definitely would have stopped) Belmonte and the burly Finn went to a one-ball sudden death roll-off.

Belmonte elected to lead off and left the bucket on a shot that sailed wide on him. Needing just 7 or better, Osku packed a strike and joined the others in the next match. According to Belmonte’s Facebook page, the loss was “bitterly disappointing” and was really a big missed opportunity, considering the conventional wisdom that he gets tougher to beat in the eliminator format the longer he stays on the show. But the rest of the players heeded Randy and Chris Barnes’ advice and got him out of there early.

MATCH 2

The second match of the day was a virtual dead heat all the way into the 9th, as all three players fought transition that was seeing their balls hook too early in the front and not enough on the back part of the lane. Rash looked like he might have it figured out until a wicked 7-10 split jumped up in his 9th frame and doomed him to a 193 score. After the miss, Osku caught a double for 217 and Shafer, looking to join Palermaa in the final, finally got the break he’s been waiting for in 50 long TV appearances, rolling the 2-pin in consecutive shots in the 9th and 10th for 222 to secure his spot in the title match.

It was a cruel ending for Rash, after his complete domination of the qualifying rounds and really a pretty good game here in the finals. His consolation is that he has five more appearances over the rest of the World Series telecasts and clearly, the respect of his fellow competitors for what he was able to accomplish at South Point.

MATCH 3

As is often the case on these eliminator-format telecasts (and is also true in any show where more than one two-hander makes the finals), the longer it goes, the more the conditions favor the two-handed player. The reasons are detailed in this blog, and, using that logic, one would assume that Osku would have the advantage over Shafer heading into the final, due to the former’s ability to generate the revs necessary to get left of the front-lane burn and around the back-end oil. But Shafer definitely has a few tricks up his sleeve, especially one that his fellow players refer to as “Voodoo roll” that allows the crafty veteran to stay right longer than most other players, thanks to his unique release.

But as the game progressed, it was clear that both players would need to make adjustments in order to combat the rapidly-changing environment, and heading into the 8th frame, both players were pacing sub-200 scores. Shafer made a good move (a ball change coupled with a move to the left) to give himself a chance to strike, but couldn’t figure out the carry part of the equation, leaving flat-10s in the 8th and 9th to give Palermaa the opening he needed. After sniffing around all game, Osku found something late and put together a double in the 9th and 10th to shut out Shafer with a score of 203.

And just like that, Osku Palermaa became the second player from Finland - and the first two-hander - to win a PBA major title. The win was a huge boost for Palermaa, and caps off a great stretch in both his professional and private life that has seen him welcome a daughter into the world and now cash his biggest PBA check. And for those of you who think Palermaa lacks a little something in the personality department, check out this post-show interview and his cheeky, confident smile and sense of humor. It may be a little on the dry side, but it is definitely there.

Well, the year’s first major is now in the books, but that doesn’t mean there is not a huge amount of PBA-related things going on in the near future. The animal pattern finals now begin on ESPN, starting with the Bayer Viper Open next Sunday at 3pm ET (note the time change). Also airing Saturday and Sunday on Xtra Frame is the first-ever Xtra Frame Tour event - where a National title will be contested and awarded entirely on your online bowling channel. Don’t miss a moment of the action and subscribe to Xtra Frame now (for just $7.99 a month or get a day pass for just $3.99) to see the champion crowned at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, California!

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LOS ANGELES – Four time NBA All-Star Chris Paul has a new team and a new home, and he will once again join forces with the Professional Bowlers Association to host the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by Sheets™ Brand to benefit charities supported by his CP3 Foundation.

Paul, who joined the Los Angeles Clippers at the start of the 2011-12 season, will host the fourth annual fundraiser at Lucky Strike LA Live (800 W. Olympic Blvd., across from the Staples Center) on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 7-10 p.m. PT. Red carpet and pre-show activities will begin at 6:30 p.m.

“The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational (presented by Sheets™ Brand) is a focal point and one of the highlights of the year for the CP3 Foundation,” said Paul. “We’d like to thank the PBA, Lucky Strike LA Live, ESPN, event sponsors Sheets™ Brand and Storm Bowling Products, and all the participants for making what is becoming an annual tradition for the CP3 Foundation and its charities. It’ll be a lot of fun and I expect to defend my title.”

To date, the following celebrities confirmed to participate include Paul, Reggie Bush (former USC star, Super Bowl winner and Miami Dolphins running back), Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers forward and reigning NBA Dunk Contest champ), Michael Strahan (NFL great, Super Bowl winner and Fox NFL Sunday analyst), Jesse Williams (of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy) and comedian Kevin Hart. The made-for-television event which will be taped for broadcast by ESPN on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. ET, just ahead of the Super Bowl telecast.

Chart-topping teen sensation Mindless Behavior will perform music from their current hit CD, “#1 Girl,” one of the biggest selling debuts from a new artist in 2011. The group gained popularity touring with Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, and the Backstreet Boys and create a frenzy wherever they go. Their new single "Girls Talkin Bout" is climbing the radio charts now.

The PBA Tour will also have an all-star lineup led by PBA Hall of Famer and 35-time Tour titlist Pete Weber; Jason Belmonte of Australia, one of only two players in Tour history to win a Tour title with a unique two-handed delivery; six-time Tour winner Wes Malott, and four-time winner Ryan Shafer. Storm Bowling Products will once again be the official bowling equipment sponsor for the event.

The event is open to the public and information for purchasing tickets may be obtained by calling Lucky Strike LA Live at 213.542.4886 or emailing jennifer.itagaki@bowlluckystrike.com. Ticket prices are $75, $125 and $225.

Paul, an accomplished bowler who often refers to bowling as his second-favorite sport, founded his CP3 Foundation in 2005 as a tribute to his late grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, and the Winston-Salem, N.C., community where he grew up. The foundation provides funding for activities ranging from a scholarship program to food drives to recreational support programs for children in under-served communities in both Winston-Salem and New Orleans.

“The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational has grown to be one of our most anticipated events every year,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “Chris and his fellow superstar friends love bowling with our stars and the PBA is proud to partner with the Paul family on behalf of the CP3 Foundation, which continues to brighten kids’ lives.”

Paul and Belmonte have won back-to-back titles in the special event. Celebrity bowlers who have participated in previous events include fellow NBA stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay; NFL stars Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Jack Del Rio and Bush, and hip-hop stars Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Lil Wayne and Nelly.

A 300 game by Jason Belmonte! A tight finish between Mike Fagan and Brian Kretzer for the last spot in the title match. And a harrowing fall by rookie Josh Blanchard made this week’s show by far the most talked-about telecast of the season.

Let’s get right to the action because this group was fighting for the last of four spots (Osku Palermaa, Ryan Shafer and Sean Rash nailed down the first three) in the PBA World Championship finals next week on ESPN. Our opening match, unlike the scorefests we’ve seen the last two weeks, illustrated the difficulty of the Shark oil pattern (Belmonte’s choice), with no one really looking 100% comfortable and two players (Belmonte and Blanchard) looking very lost indeed.

Blanchard began to unravel after flagging a 7-pin in the 2nd, following that miss up with two more open frames to give the rest of the guys a chance to breathe. Belmonte gave Blanchard hope however, as he struggled for the opening five frames, only holding on to an 18-pin advantage at the halfway point. Fagan was able to stay out of trouble throughout the match, while Kretzer, who likes to play well left with slow speed, seemed to have the best look of the finalists early.

As the match wore on, Belmonte settled down and began to hammer the pocket. Two rock-solid 9-pins after a double kept him from pulling away from Blanchard, but the young, recently graduated collegiate star just couldn’t find it. When he left the 2-10 in the 9th, any outside chance he might have had went by the wayside, but on the spare attempt things went from bad to worse for poor Josh.

Throwing a brand-new spare ball, Blanchard hung up in the thumb - and I’m talking HUNG UP - as in, it didn’t come off his hand. The momentum of the ball carried Blanchard awkwardly out onto the lane surface, where he then slipped and fell right on his keyster between the right edge of the lane and the right gutter. Like a gentleman, Belmonte went out to check if he was OK - he was - but the real damage was undoubtedly more to Blanchard’s ego.

I can tell you that the moment was just as scary live as it was on tape - and equally as shocking. I wish I could say that I’ve never seen anything like this before - but I have. I did it myself during a PBA regional event. Of course, when I did it no one was there with a video camera (let alone ten HD ESPN cameras) and it didn’t end up on youtube or yahoo’s home page or Sportscenter.

One fan wondered on Facebook why the PBA didn’t edit out the moment from the telecast to spare Josh the ignominy. My feeling on that is that Josh will make many more shows in the future and will experience a lot of success in the sport. Omitting it would have robbed Josh of the ability to gain new fans, plus what will be the satisfaction of redeeming himself the next time he finds himself under the TV lights.

The show went on in Match 2, and Randy and Chris Barnes’ astute observation that Jason Belmonte would start to get comfortable the longer he stayed on the show began to come true in a big way. Belmonte (and really everyone through the first half of the game) started to get lined in and the strikes began to mount. Both Fagan and Kretzer slowed down in the latter part of the match, but Belmonte continued to strike, staying perfect heading into the 10th. He threw three great shots there to cap off an astounding display of accuracy and power that saw him become the 21st player in PBA history to roll a 300 game on television (and a $10,000 bonus).

It was probably also the only time in PBA history that a televised match was not decided after the first player to finish shot 300. That’s because Fagan and Kretzer were still close heading into the 10th. Kretzer finished first and had a chance to close out the match with 9 pins on his fill ball. He threw a rocket at the pocket that bounced off the headpin like Rodney Dangerfield’s shot in this Miller Lite commercial (look for a cameo from the late, great Don Carter) and left a pocket 8-10. Fagan needed three strikes to tie. So what does he do? HE MAKES A BALL CHANGE!

That’s right folks. A ball change. (A move that Chris Barnes said he liked and I also happened to agree). Fagan guessed right and struck on the first one, but the second shot hooked a bit high for a 4-pin, giving Kretzer a 231-220 win and the chance to get slaughtered by - oops, I mean - to bowl against, Belmonte.

Although Belmonte did begin to lose his reaction in the middle and then again towards the end of the final match, Kretzer seemed to be the one suffering from a “300 hangover” as he never was able to figure anything out in the title match. Belmonte’s quick start buried Kretzer early and, by the time things started to get really interesting for Belmonte, he just needed to stay clean in the 9th and 10th to lock up the match. He did so, winning 196-179, and now we have an unbelievably great final four for next week’s competition for the first major of the PBA season.

See you all next week!

PS - And if you’re also upset that a guy falling down got more coverage in the national media than a guy throwing a 300 on TV with two freaking hands, then feel free to vent your frustrations in the direction of those responsible!

For more from The Bowling Guy, follow him on Facebook here.

Belmonte, who won his only PBA Tour title in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic, followed his game-two perfect effort with a less-than-perfect 196-179 victory over Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, to capture the final berth in the World Championship finals at South Point Hotel Exhibition Hall.

Each of the divisional elimination contests consist of three one-game rounds, starting with four players. The lowest-scoring player after each game is eliminated.

In Sunday’s ESPN telecast, Belmonte was fortunate to survive the opening game. Kretzer’s 231 led the opening round. Mike Fagan of Dallas was second with a 194, Belmonte struggled through a pair of open frames for a 188, but PBA rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., had even more problems in his PBA television debut, posting a 139 game to get eliminated.

Belmonte righted his ship in game two, however, earning a $10,000 bonus for his perfect game. Kretzer’s second consecutive 231 game was enough to eliminate Fagan, who started with five strikes but failed to convert the 3-6-10 in the ninth frame and finished with a 220.

Belmonte maintained his poise into the final game, striking on four of his first five shots. He failed to convert the 5-10 and 6-7-10 splits in the eighth and ninth frames, but by that time, Kretzer’s inability to string strikes proved to be his downfall.

“The struggle was to forget about the 300 because you have one more game to bowl,” Belmonte said. “You kinda want those games as your last game, not second-to-last, but I was so thrilled it was difficult to put it behind me and work on the next game. I actually thought about it in the second frame. It just popped into my head and I threw a really bad shot. But the next three or four frames were OK, so I kind of loosened up.

“Then the lanes started playing tricks with me, but Brian was having troubles as well. I was fortunate he didn’t find the look that would allow him to strike. If that game had gone on another four or five frames, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Belmonte will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa, winner of the Don Carter Division; Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., winner of the Billy Hardwick Division, and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., winner of the Johnny Petraglia Division in the World Championship finals on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. At stake will be a $50,000 first prize, the first major title of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season, and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions.

The Aulby finals were conducted on the PBA’s Shark lane condition, selected by Belmonte as the high qualifier in his group.

A special World Championship pre-game show will be webcast on the Wednesday on pba.com’s Xtra Frame and a post-game Xtra Frame interview with the winners will immediately follow the Sunday telecast.

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

MIKE AULBY DIVISION FINALS

South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas

Round One (lowest score eliminated): Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 231; Mike Fagan, Dallas, 194; Jason Belmonte, Australia, 188; Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 139 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Belmonte 300, Kretzer 231, Fagan 220 ($4,500).

Championship (winner advances to PBA World Championship finals): Belmonte def. Kretzer ($5,000), 196-179.

SEATTLE – The Professional Bowlers Association has announced that veteran ESPN sportscaster Gary Thorne will replace Rob Stone as ESPN’s play-by-play voice for the three remaining PBA Tour majors during the 2011-12 season.

Stone, the originator of the famous “hambone” for four strikes in a row and other bowling colloquialisms to describe the action on the lanes, will be leaving ESPN to join FOX Sports primarily as lead studio host for FOX’s soccer coverage.

Thorne is currently a play-by-play announcer for ESPN, working Major League Baseball and College football. He is also the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles and is best known for his work on ESPN’s coverage of the NHL.

Thorne will do play-by-play for the three remaining PBA majors beginning with the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters later this month in Las Vegas, continuing with the U.S. Open in February and the Tournament of Champions in April. Stone will continue to work the remaining World Series of Bowling ESPN-taped telecasts this season and will also do play-by-play for Thursday’s taping of the Chris Paul Celebrity PBA Invitational presented by Sheets™ Brand in Los Angeles.

PBA Hall of Famer Randy Pedersen will remain as ESPN PBA Tour color analyst.

“My time with the PBA Tour has been an absolute and unexpected blast,” said Stone. “There have been so many memories and friendships over the last five years that it’s a grueling effort to call it quits with PBA and ESPN. I will really miss everyone.”

“We are glad to have Rob continue to call the remainder of the World Series of Bowling events this year and wish him well in his new position with FOX," said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. "Over the past five years Rob has provided the soundtrack for some of the greatest moments in PBA Tour history and we are thankful for the passionate approach he took to the position.

“We are very fortunate to have, and look forward to working with, Gary for the rest of this season’s majors,” Clark added.