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

Social Networking on PBA Facebook/Twitter: Follow PBA Tour Commissioner Tom Clark “tweets” live during ESPN telecasts.  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.

E-mail: Get on the PBA E-mail list to receive news, alerts and offers directly to your inbox.

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 logo on the PBA homepage.

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!

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

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.

The Aulby Division winner will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa; Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., in the World Championship finals on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. At stake will be a $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

All competition will be conducted on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino.

Belmonte, 28, hasn’t won a title since his first PBA Tour victory in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic propelled him to 2009-09 PBA Rookie of the Year honors. During the 40-game qualifying portion of the PBA World Championship, he finished third behind Rash and Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., averaging 226.18 for five rounds on five different lane conditions. He will be joined in the Aulby elimination round by Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio; rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., and Mike Fagan of Dallas.

Kretzer won his only PBA Tour title in the 2010 Go RVing Match Play Championship. Fagan is a two-time title winner. His most recent victory was in the 2010 One A Day Dick Weber Open. Blanchard, a former Wichita State University star, joined the PBA in October and won a PBA West Region Non-Champions tournament in Reno, Nev., in his first appearance as a member. Sunday’s telecast will be his PBA Tour television debut.

In the Aulby eliminator event, all four players will bowl a one-game match with the lowest scoring player eliminated. The three survivors will bowl a second game, again with the low man knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game to determine who will advance to the World Championship finals.

The four World Championship divisional finals have been named for PBA superstars who excelled in the event during their careers. Palermaa won the Don Carter Division berth, Shafer the Billy Hardwick Division title and Rash topped the Johnny Petraglia Division. The championship trophy is named in honor of Anthony, the only player ever to win the event six times.

A preview of the Aulby Division finals will be webcast on pba.com’s Xtra Frame beginning Wednesday, and a post-game show will be presented on Xtra Frame immediately following Sunday’s ESPN finals.

Carter rocketed to fame during bowling’s so-called golden era of team bowling in the 1950s, but at that same time he was a dominant figure in the emerging world of sports television. He is widely remembered as a member of fabled Budweisers of St. Louis, but most of the world got to know him through his appearances on television shows like Jackpot Bowling, Make That Spare, Championship Bowling and numerous others. He also traveled the world making appearances for Brunswick and Budweiser.

In great part due to his high standing among his fellow competitors, Carter became a leading force in the formation of the PBA in 1958. After appearing on an Akron, Ohio, radio program hosted by attorney Eddie Elias where he talked about the importance of building a professional bowling tour similar to what golf had created, Carter and his fellow Budweisers’ teammates (Dick Weber, Ray Bluth, Tom Hennessey and Pat Patterson) convinced a group of other players to pledge $50 each to back Elias’ plan and get the PBA off the ground.

The PBA was launched in 1959 with three tournaments, but only three years later it had a schedule of 32 events and Carter was one of its stars, eventually winning seven PBA titles including six major championships.

Carter won two of the seven PBA Tour events conducted in 1960 including the PBA National Championship. His other major wins were four BPAA All-Star titles (the forerunner of the PBA U.S. Open) and the 1961 American Bowling Congress Masters. He also won a record five World Invitational titles – a grueling 100-game marathon – and he won four ABC Tournament titles.

The St. Louis native first experienced the sport at age 13.

“We were very poor but my mother managed to give me one game of bowling for my 13th birthday,” Carter said in an article written by the late Hall of Fame bowling writer and long-time friend Dick Evans. “That was the biggest birthday present of my life. I enjoyed that one game so much that when one of my teachers started a bowling club after school, I signed up. Then I started setting pins so I could bowl and practice for free.”

It was at that early age that he also developed his unique, unorthodox bowling style, using a bent elbow and a deep knee bend to almost push the ball down the lane. Carter later said his technique evolved because he started bowling with balls that had very large finger holes, and that’s the only way he could hold onto the ball.

Carter also was a good athlete in other sports, including baseball. After serving a tour of duty in the United States Navy during World War II in the South Pacific, Carter signed a minor league baseball contract with the Philadelphia Athletics organization as pitcher-infielder. But after a year he returned to St. Louis and took a job at Golden Eagle Lanes where he began taking up the sport seriously.

His bowling career gained momentum in 1951 when he was invited to bowl on the Pfeifer Beer team in Detroit. Then his long-time St. Louis bowling friends, including Bluth, Hennessey and Whitey Harris, convinced Anheuser-Busch to sponsor their team. With the brewery’s financial backing secured, the group lured Carter back to town and their Budweiser team became arguably the most famous bowling team in history. A great deal of the team’s fame came after it recorded a 3,858 five-player team series in 1958, a record that stood until 1994.

At the height of his fame, Carter was as recognizable among American sports heroes as Mickey Mantle, Johnny Unitas and Arnold Palmer. And he accomplished something none of those sports legends had ever done when he became the first athlete in American sports history to sign a $1 million sports marketing endorsement contract with bowling ball manufacturer Ebonite in 1964.

Carter received virtually every honor available within the sport. He was voted Bowler of the Year six times (1953, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1962). He served as the PBA’s first president. He was inducted into the ABC Hall of Fame in 1970, alongside his close friend and teammate Dick Weber, and he was a charter member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975, also joined by Weber, Bluth, Carmen Salvino, Harry Smith and Billy Welu.

Carter was selected as the Greatest Bowler of All-time in a 1970 Bowling Magazine poll, ranked second in Bowling Magazine’s “20 Greatest Bowlers of the 20th Century” poll in 2000, and he was voted the 11th greatest PBA player of all-time as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2009.

Because of deteriorating knee injuries, Carter retired from PBA competition in 1972 and settled in Miami, Fla., with wife and fellow hall of fame bowler Paula Sperber where he owned a chain of bowling centers bearing his name.

Because he hated to fly, and didn’t like public speaking, Carter rarely ventured far from home in retirement, although he did regain widespread public exposure in the 1980s when he appeared in a series of Miller Lite commercials featuring retired sports stars.

Carter is survived by his wife, Paula; son Jim (Nancy) of Winter Garden, Fla.; daughter Caycee Carter of Winter Garden, Fla.; adopted son John Carter, Miami; three grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Details regarding memorial services are pending.

Tributes to Carter began to arrive almost immediately:

TOM CLARK, PBA COMMISSIONER:

“It is impossible to put into words what Don Carter meant to the PBA and sport of bowling. There is no way to fill the void left by his passing. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Paula and his family. He was a pioneer, a champion and will never be forgotten."

RAY BLUTH, BUDWEISERS’ TEAMMATE AND FELLOW HALL OF FAMER:

“It’s a sad day. You’re never really prepared, and when you think of how many guys we had on our team over the years, I’m the only original and Bill (Lillard), who joined later, are the only ones left.

“Don was the greatest bowler of his era. There was no one like him. Don was the star of the (Budweisers). He was our leadoff man. He wasn’t too gung-ho about that role, but he kept getting strikes and so did the rest of us, so he stayed there. It was just a great experience bowling with Don.”

BILL LILLARD, BUDWEISERS’ TEAMMATE AND FELLOW HALL OF FAMER:

“He’ll be missed. He was a great guy; he was hard to get to know, but once you did, he was your friend forever. They always ask who was the best bowler ever. There wasn’t much difference between some of the top guys, but Don beat me relentlessly, so in my eyes, he was the greatest ever.”

CARMEN SALVINO, FELLOW PBA HALL OF FAME CHARTER MEMBER:

“Don was one of the greatest bowlers who ever lived, but he had some other things that made him great. He was a great athlete. He won two 100-game tournaments in one year and I don’t know how many other bowlers could take that kind of punishment. And he had the ability to focus better than anyone I’ve ever seen.

“On the lanes, he was in his own world, but off the lanes, he was a true gentleman. I had a lot of respect for him, as a bowler and as a man.”

CHUCK PEZZANO, PBA HALL OF FAME BOWLING WRITER AND HISTORIAN: 

“I believe he was the greatest bowler that ever lived. He was a master of any condition, great in the clutch and great coming from behind. He had all the attributes of a great athlete. He was there to bowl and to win. I often thought that if I could build a robot of the perfect bowler, I would take most of the parts from Don Carter.

“He wasn’t really emotional, but I never saw him so emotional as when he was honored as one of PBA’s 50 greatest players. One thing that many people didn’t know was that he was very compassionate and helped a lot of people who might have fallen on hard times during his career.”

NELSON (BO) BURTON JR., PBA HALL OF FAMER AND LONG-TIME TELEVISION ANNOUNCER

"Don was probably the greatest practicer our sport has ever seen. He was very strong, an excellent athlete. Carter had an aura about him. When he walked into the bowling center it was like, ‘He’s here.’"

Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, leads the field of four players in Sunday’s Mike Aulby Division finals. He will be joined in the Aulby elimination round by Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio; rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., and Mike Fagan of Dallas.

Belmonte hasn’t won a title since his first PBA Tour victory in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic propelled him to 2009-09 PBA Rookie of the Year honors. Kretzer won his only PBA Tour title in the 2010 Go RVing Match Play Championship. Fagan is a two-time title winner. His most recent victory was in the 2010 One A Day Dick Weber Open. Blanchard, a former Wichita State University star, joined the PBA in October and won a PBA West Region Non-Champions tournament in Reno, Nev., in his first appearance as a member. Sunday’s telecast will be his PBA Tour television debut.

The Aulby Division winner will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa, Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., in the World Championship finals on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

In Sunday’s division finals, all four players 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 knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game, with the survivor advancing to the World Championship finals.

The Mike Aulby finals is named after the PBA Hall of Famer, 29-time PBA Tour champion and winner of the 1979 and 1985 PBA National Championships.

Three easy steps to enhance your PBA World Championship telecast experience:

1. Free Xtra Frame Mike Aulby finals preview show (now available on pba.com’s Xtra Frame) - Tune into pba.com’s Xtra Frame for interviews with the finalists as they give their insight into strategy and equipment selection. All World Championship preview shows on Xtra Frame are available the Wednesday before each Sunday ESPN telecast for free.

2. Sunday, 1 p.m. ET – ESPN telecast of the Mike Aulby Division final from South Point in Las Vegas.

3. Sunday 2:30 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame post-tournament show interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation. (Xtra subscription information is available on the pba.com Xtra Frame page.)

Bowling fans can provide their feedback on World Championship telecasts through PBA’s social networking platforms on Facebook and Twitter.

And rumor has it the Bridgestone spot may be included in the Super Bowl advertising lineup.

“It’s an ad campaign for Bridgestone tires that relates the performance of their products to different sports, and they use athletes to get their message across,” Kulick said. “I’m very excited to be asked to represent the PBA and bowling in the campaign.”

Bridgestone has prepared a series of teaser ads, including a 60-second “Press Conference” introduction that debuted during Monday’s Bridgestone National Hockey League Winter Classic telecast from Philadelphia. (A link to the introductory commercial is available on pba.com under the “In The News” tab).

While the debut “Press Conference” commercial only includes a unique bowling ball that appears to be made of Bridgestone tire material, and a “cameo” head shot of Kulick, “There’s more to come,” she said.

RASH HOSTS 17TH “STARS OF FUTURE” YOUTH EVENT

Sean Rash was 13 years old when he decided to host his first scratch bowling tournament for Alaska’s most accomplished youth bowlers. On Dec. 27, he returned to Jewel Lake Bowl in Anchorage to assist with the 17th edition of the Sean Rash Stars of the Future tournament.

Rash is one of a growing number of PBA Tour stars who are giving back to the sport by hosting youth scholarship tournaments to encourage young bowlers to continue their growth within the sport.

While Rash won his own event six times, 10 other teens have captured the title over the years, including Jacques Kaune who topped a field of 26 Alaskan youth bowlers to win this year’s event. For his efforts, Kaune earned $950 in scholarship money plus a paid entry into the USBC’s 2012 North Pointe Junior Gold National Championships courtesy of Rash’s parents, Gene and Diana Rash.

For the 2011 event, $2,600 in scholarship money raised the event’s overall total to more than $24,000 in scholarship awards. It also has become a tradition to provide each tournament entrant with a gift, frequently donated by Rash’s fellow PBA and/or former Team USA competitors.

LIMITED REGIONAL SCHEDULE RESUMES IN JANUARY FOR SENIORS

A limited schedule for PBA Regional activity resumes for Midwest and Central senior players in January and early February, including the T-Byrd Lanes Senior Open in Rochelle, Ill., Jan. 6-8; the Lynwood Bowl Senior Open in Lynwood, Ill., Jan. 20-22, and the Sparetime Lanes Senior Open, Feb. 3-5, in Decatur, Ill. All three events are sponsored by Allstate Insurance.

The PBA Central Region also will conduct the Legend Lanes Regular/Senior Doubles Classic in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Jan. 27-29.

February’s highlight for non-senior players will be the new Regional Players Doubles Championship presented by Hammer Feb. 10-12 at The Orleans in Las Vegas. For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

XTRA FRAME FREE PRE-GAME SHOW NOW FEATURES MIKE AULBY DIVISION FINALS

Xtra Frame, PBA’s official online bowling channel, continues its free pre- and post-game shows this week with the PBA World Championship Mike Aulby Division finals, beginning with a pre-game introduction that is currently available on pba.com.

Pre-game shows for all PBA Tour events will be online on Wednesday afternoon preceding each Sunday telecast. A post-game show, featuring an interview with the tournament champion(s) and a discussion of equipment used during the finals, will be posted immediately after the telecast.

Xtra Frame subscribers also can access the archives within Xtra Frame for a recap of the individual tournaments leading up to the Sunday telecasts. For information on how to subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

PBA Tour star Sean Rash, the Brunswick Corporation, Best Buddies Nevada and PBA, provided eight-year-old Dan McCarty of Las Vegas with the thrill of a lifetime when he rolled out the ceremonial first ball prior to the start of Sunday’s Johnny Petraglia Division Finals of the PBA World Championship telecast on ESPN.

Dan’s story is a special one as he lives with a disease called osteogenisis imperfecta also known as brittle bone disease which requires that he be confined to a wheelchair.

Prior to the start of the World Series of Bowling, Rash, a four-time Tour winner, participated in a Brunswick photo shoot where ‘Best Buddies’ were invited to attend.

Rash and McCarty hit it off right from the start and it wasn’t long before an invitation to attend the Petraglia Division finals was extended by Brunswick and PBA for McCarty to be part of the pre-tournament festivities.

Being confined to a wheelchair didn’t prevent McCarty, who was wearing one of Rash’s signature yellow Brunswick shirts, from rolling out the first ball with a little help from Rash and ESPN PBA Tour color analyst Randy Pedersen.

“Danny and I were just sitting there chatting and I said, hey, do you want to bowl?,” Rash said, “He asked if he’d be allowed to do it and I said I didn’t know why not, so we got a ball and threw a few shots. The next thing I knew his parents asked if he could come to the show, and I told them I had no problem with that. When you look at what that kid’s been through, he’s such an inspiration.”

McCarty must have been an inspiration indeed as Rash won the Petraglia Division finals advancing to the World Championship finals on Jan. 15.

In addition to rolling the ceremonial first ball, McCarty and his family were treated to a limousine ride from their home to the South Point Hotel and Resort, given VIP front-row box seating, access to the Brunswick media lounge, dinner at the South Point plus and autographed Sean Rash jersey, Brunswick Viz-A-Ball and an opportunity to meet the entire Brunswick/DV8 Pro Staff.

Best Buddies is a non-profit organization whose mission is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more information on Best Buddies, visit their website at www.bestbuddies.org.

Rash, who won his only major title in the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters, defeated PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., 246-222, to capture the third of four berths in the World Championship finals at South Point Hotel Exhibition Hall.

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

Rash 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 the winner of next Sunday’s Mike Aulby Division finals in the World Championship finals on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA World Championship offers a $50,000 first prize and the first major title of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season.

Rash, a four-time PBA Tour winner who is trying to end a four-year title slump, survived a high-scoring opening game led by Weber’s 279. Left-hander Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., was second with a 267 and Rash posted a 257. Nathan Bohr of Wichita, Kan., rolled a respectable 236 in his PBA television debut, but was eliminated.

Rash took command in game two, starting with nine strikes before leaving the 6-10 on his first shot in the 10th frame and finishing with a 278 game. Weber was right behind, starting with eight strikes on his way to a 268. Ciminelli was ousted after rolling a 219 game.

In the final game, Weber lost the strike pocket for four frames, allowing Rash to jump into a 34-pin lead after five frames, and he never let the 35-time PBA Tour titlist back into the match.

“I think we broke down the lanes extremely well,” Rash said. “Ciminelli was all by himself on the left side. Nathan played a little right of where Pete and I were playing. We were in the track area and just chased the transition to the left. Pete’s got a phenomenal ball roll. He can do things the rest of us can’t. But I got into a little groove and my confidence got higher and higher.”

Rash said beating Weber was a “special thing” because of a bond the two have developed ever since Rash arrived on the scene.

“Pete and I have been friends since I came out on tour,” he said. “A lot of people figure I’m the new bad-(boy), the role Pete played for 25-or-so years. He has given me a lot of great advice, to be who I am, not worry about what people think and not try to change. When I’m on the lanes I’m by myself. The only people I care about are my wife and family. But to beat Pete is a special thing.”

Rash also will head into the PBA World Championship finals with a dark cloud hanging over his head. He has not won a title in his last eight television appearances.

“I’ve had some mental issues over the years. Everyone knows that,” he said. “I’ve had some things come up bowling-wise, family-wise that get in the way of the sport sometimes. And some personal things. Physically, I bowled well for several years, but I remember Chris Barnes made 12 shows in a row and never won. Look at Amleto (Monacelli) and Walter (Ray Williams Jr.) and they had years between titles. Chris Barnes told me a long time ago – and Parker Bohn the same thing – that you have to put yourself in position to win. No one remembers who bowled Friday night in the Round of 32. You remember the guys who got to TV on Sunday and had a chance to win. And now I’m in position to win again.”

Rash also noted he was inspired during the Petraglia round by the presence of new-found friend Dan McCarty, an 8-year-old who was born with a medical condition commonly called “brittle bone disease.” Rash met the youngster during a “Best Buddies” gathering in Las Vegas prior to the PBA World Series of Bowling, struck up a friendship and invited McCarty to attend the television show.

“It was a thrill to have Danny at the show,” Rash said. “When you realize what that kid’s been through, what he lives with his entire life, he’s such an inspiration.”

The Petraglia finals were conducted on the PBA’s Scorpion lane condition, selected by Rash as the high qualifier.

The Mike Aulby Division finalists will be the final group to bowl, on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. Australia’s Jason Belmonte is top qualifier for that group which also includes Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio; PBA Tour rookie Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., and Mike Fagan of Dallas.

Special pre-game shows for each World Series of Bowling telecast will be webcast beginning on the Wednesday preceding the ESPN finals on pba.com’s Xtra Frame and a post-game Xtra Frame interview with the winners will immediately follow the Sunday telecasts.

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

JOHNNY PETRAGLIA DIVISION FINALS

South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas

Round One (lowest score eliminated): Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 279; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 267; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 257; Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 236 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Rash 278, Weber 268, Ciminelli 219 ($4,500).

Championship (winner advances to PBA World Championship finals): Rash def. Weber ($5,000), 246-222.

The Petraglia Division is the third of four eliminator rounds that will reduce a field of 16 PBA World Championship finalists down to four for the Sunday, Jan. 15, showdown for the $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

All World Championship competition will be conducted on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino.

Rash, 29, dominated the 40-game qualifying portion of the PBA World Championship, averaging 234.03 on five different lane conditions and topping No. 2 qualifier Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., by 296 pins. As the top qualifier in the Petraglia Division, Rash has selected the PBA’s Scorpion lane condition as the scoring environment for Sunday’s round. Rash’s competition will include PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo.; third-year player Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and non-titlist Nathan Bohr of Wichita, Kan., who will be making his PBA television debut. The Petraglia Division is the only group in the World Championship elimination rounds without an international player.

Rash is a four-time PBA Tour champion, but he has not won a title since the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters. Ciminelli won his only title in the 2011 One A Day Earl Anthony Memorial. Weber, on the other hand, is a 35-time PBA Tour title-winner with eight majors. The rest of the PBA World Championship field has won a combined 17 titles including two majors.

In the eliminator round, all four players 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 knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game with the survivor advancing to the World Championship finals.

The four World Championship divisional finals have been named for PBA superstars who excelled in the event during their careers. Finland’s Osku Palermaa won the Don Carter Division berth and Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., captured the Billy Hardwick Division title. The Mike Aulby Division finals will conclude the preliminary rounds on ESPN on Jan. 8. Aulby Division competitors will be Jason Belmonte, Australia; Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio; Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., and Mike Fagan, Dallas.

The PBA World Championship trophy is named in honor of Anthony, the only player ever to win the event six times.

A preview of the Petraglia Division finals will be webcast on pba.com’s Xtra Frame beginning Wednesday, and a post-game show will be presented on Xtra Frame immediately following Sunday’s ESPN finals.

SEATTLE  – Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio, will be the title sponsor of the Professional Bowlers Association’s Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300, Feb. 17-19 at Sequoia Lanes in Columbus. The tournament will be the third of four PBA Tour Xtra Frame tournaments on the 2011-12 PBA Tour schedule.

The tournament will be webcast live, exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel, from start to finish.

The newly-created Xtra Frame Tour will also include the Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite, Jan. 21-22, in Fountain Valley, Calif.; the Detroit Open presented by Track, March 11-12, in Allen Park, Mich., and the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer, March 31-April 1, in Indianapolis. PBA Tour titles and berths in the Round of 36 for the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions will be awarded in all four events.

The PBA Ricart Ford Open will also offer a $10,000 first prize. The tournament is open to all comers with a $350 entry fee for PBA members and a $400 fee for non-members. It will pay a prize fund of $66,000 based on a field of 130, with one in three players cashing.

Kicking off the tournament weekend on Feb. 16 will be the fourth annual Don Johnson Memorial team fundraising event benefiting juvenile diabetes research and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus which has raised over $110,000 in the three previous years. The tournament will also feature a lineup of pro-ams on Feb. 17. Additional information regarding these special events will be released as further details become available.

Thanks to the extensive live online coverage of Xtra Frame Tour events, PBA fans will be able to witness the pressures and drama of a complete PBA Tour event from qualifying through match play, concluding with the stepladder finals.

Xtra Frame also will provide live coverage of the preliminary rounds of the Tour’s three major championships: the USBC Masters, Jan. 23-29, in Las Vegas; the U.S. Open, Feb. 20-26 in North Brunswick, N.J., and the PBA Tournament of Champions, April 8-15, in Las Vegas.

Xtra Frame is available for a $7.99 monthly or 12-month subscription rate of $64.99 which includes year-round coverage of PBA activities, including PBA Tour, Senior Tour and selected PBA Regional events. The full-year package provides subscribers with hundreds of player and industry leader interviews, new product introductions, coaching tips and human interest features, and access to Xtra Frame’s huge archive of past PBA events plus much more.

To sign up for Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo. Xtra Frame’s 2011-12 programming schedule includes:

2011-12 XTRA FRAME LIVE PBA TOUR SCHEDULE

Jan. 21 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite (qualifying)
Jan. 22 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite (match play, finals)
Jan. 24 - USBC Masters (qualifying)
Jan. 25 - USBC Masters (qualifying)
Jan. 26 - USBC Masters (cashers Round, match play)
Jan. 27 - USBC Masters (match play)
Feb. 17 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 (qualifying)
Feb. 18 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 (match play, finals)
Feb. 21 - 69th U.S. Open (qualifying)
Feb. 22 - 69th U.S. Open (qualifying)
Feb. 23 - 69th U.S. Open (qualifying)
Feb. 24 - 69th U.S. Open (cashers round, match play)
Feb. 25 - 69th U.S. Open (match play)
March 9 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Detroit Open presented by Hammer (qualifying)
March 10 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Detroit Open presented by Hammer (match play, finals)
March 31 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour PBA Dick Weber Playoffs presented by Track (qualifying)
April 1 - PBA Xtra Frame Tour Dick Weber Playoffs presented by Track (eliminator rounds, regional finals, conference finals)
April 9 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Champions rounds)
April 10 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Elite qualifying)
April 11 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Elite qualifying, cashers round)
April 12 - PBA Tournament of Champions (Round of 36)
April 13 - PBA Tournament of Champions (match play)

The second All-In Showdown of the season follows the inaugural event held during the PBA World Series of Bowling, where Tommy Jones topped a field of eight players, including Sean Rash in the final two-game match of the BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown, 446-426, for a $45,000 payoff.

The new Xtra Frame Tour Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite is set for Jan. 20-22, starting with practice and pro-ams on Friday plus the renewal of the All-In Showdown at 2:30 p.m. PT. The All-In Showdown, along with Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s match play rounds, will be webcast live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel (for subscription details, visit pba.com).

Instead of the WSOB “survival” format where half of the field advanced in each round, the Fountain Valley Showdown will feature two-game, head-to-head elimination matches. Opponents and lane assignments will be decided by blind draw. Competition will be conducted on the PBA’s Cheetah pattern.

The Fountain Valley version of the All-In Showdown will be slightly different than the World Series version: while the entry fee remains $5,000 and the winner will take the full prize fund, entries will be accepted in blocks of two, four or a maximum of eight to ensure there will be no “bye” rounds. Example: if three players enter, the third player will be placed on standby until a fourth entry is paid. If there are four entries, entries no. 5, 6 and 7 will be on standby until a capacity field of eight is achieved.

Players can enter the Xtra Frame Tour Cheetah Open on pba.com. Players can enter the All-In Showdown by calling Barb Wilt at the PBA office (206-654-6025). Entries will be accepted on a first-come basis.

XTRA FRAME FREE PRE-GAME SHOW TO FEATURE JOHNNY PETRAGLIA DIVISION FINALS

Xtra Frame, PBA’s official online bowling channel, continues its free pre- and post-game shows next week with the PBA World Championship Johnny Petraglia Division finals, beginning with a pre-game introduction that will debut on Wednesday on pba.com. The Petraglia Division, the third of four elimination rounds leading up to the January 15 PBA World Championship finals on ESPN, features top qualifier Sean Rash, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber, third-year Tour player and one-time titlist Ryan Ciminelli and journeyman Nathan Bohr who is making his PBA TV debut.

Pre-game shows for all PBA Tour events will be online on Wednesday afternoon preceding each Sunday telecast. A post-game show, featuring an interview with the tournament champion(s) and a discussion of equipment used during the finals, will be posted immediately after the telecast.

Xtra Frame subscribers also can access the archives within Xtra Frame for a recap of the individual tournaments leading up to the Sunday telecasts. For information on how to subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

LORD & LORD CLAIM PBA SOUTH REGION DOUBLES TITLE

George Lord of Lakeland, Fla., and his son James Lord of Ft. Mill, S.C., swept PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker, King, N.C., and 13-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Allen, Baltimore, in the best-of-three-game title match Sunday at Wayne Lanes in Waynesboro, Va., to win the PBA South Region Decker Appraisal Service Doubles presented by Hammer.

The Lords won the first doubles games, 447-373, and put the title away with a 459-396 victory in game two. The win was George Lord’s second in senior regional competition and the first for his son, who also became eligible to enter the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions. The Lords earned $3,200 as a team while the team of Baker and Allen earned $2,000. In a teary acceptance speech both father and son acknowledged how much it meant to win a PBA title together. 

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

LAS VEGAS – Four-time Professional Bowlers Association title winner Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., earned another chance to win his first major title on Jan. 15 after advancing to the finals of the PBA World Championship in the Billy Hardwick Division finals that aired Sunday on ESPN.

Shafer, who has made a PBA-record 12 championship round appearances in major tournaments without a title, defeated Andres Gomez of Colombia, 191-177, to win the second of four PBA World Championship elimination rounds at South Point Hotel Exhibition Hall. The divisional finals consist of three one-game rounds, starting with four players, and eliminating the lowest-scoring player after each game.

Shafer will join Finland’s Osku Palermaa, winner of the Don Carter Division, and the winners of the Johnny Petraglia and Mike Aulby Division finals in the World Championship finals on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET. The PBA World Championship offers a $50,000 first prize and the first major title of the 2011-12 PBA Tour season.

Shafer, who is celebrating his 25th season as a PBA Tour competitor, established command in the opening game, recovering from a missed split conversion in the second frame to reel off nine consecutive strikes for a 267 game. Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, making his PBA television debut, was second with a 258 followed by Gomez with a 222. The group’s top qualifier, 2009 PBA World Champion Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., was eliminated with a 194 game after failing to convert 4-7-9 and 4-9 splits in the sixth and eighth frames, respectively.

Gomez led the group in game two, starting with five strikes on his way to a 219. Shafer was next with a 207 and Ruiz was eliminated after posting a 180.

Shafer jumped out to a 29-pin lead after four frames in the final game, but failed to convert the 3-6-10 in the fifth frame and the 3-6-7-10 split in the ninth. While Gomez had his own problems as the lane conditions deteriorated, he still had a chance to win after Shafer opened in the ninth frame. Needing two strikes and eight pins in the 10th frame to lock Shafer out, he left the 2-8-10 split. Needing only seven pins to clinch the win.

“I threw that shot in the ninth frame as good as I could possibly throw it,” Shafer said, “but I just didn’t move far enough right.

“I thought I had blown another one. I’ve had some bad breaks in majors when I bowled pretty good and guys I bowled against bowled better, but I’ve blown a few, too. You just don’t want to make that your history, your reputation.

“I usually don’t get excited and show up my opponent,” Shafer said of his emotional display after his 10th frame strike, “but that one meant a lot to me. Andres is a great guy, and he made a great shot in the 10th, too. I know he can make a great shot when he needs to make one, but it just didn’t work. I definitely got a second life, but I got to the finals and now we’ll see what happens next.”

The Hardwick finals were conducted on the PBA’s Scorpion lane condition, selected by Smallwood as the highest qualifier in the Hardwick field.

The Johnny Petraglia Division finalists will be the next group to bowl, on New Year’s Day at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who led all World Championship qualifiers by 296 pins, has selected the Scorpion pattern as the lane condition for this elimination round. Other Petraglia Division players will be PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo.; left-hander Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Nathan Bohr of Wichita, Kan. Weber, who has won 35 PBA Tour titles including eight majors, has won more titles and more majors than the rest of the 15 World Championship finalists combined (17 titles, two majors). Bohr, the only non-titlist in the group, will make his PBA television debut.

The Petraglia Division finals air on Sunday, New Year’s Day, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Mike Aulby Division finals, completing the preliminary elimination rounds, will air on Jan. 8, also at 1 p.m. ET. Special pre-game shows will be webcast beginning on the Wednesday preceding the ESPN finals on pba.com’s Xtra Frame and a post-game Xtra Frame interview with the winners will immediately follow the Sunday telecasts.

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BILLY HARDWICK DIVISION FINALS

South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas

Round One (lowest score eliminated): Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 267; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 258; Andres Gomez, Colombia, 222; Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 194 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Gomez 219, Shafer 207, Ruiz 180 ($4,500).

Championship (winner advances to PBA World Championship finals): Shafer def. Gomez ($5,000), 191-177.

The PBA Hardwick Division, which will air at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN, is the second of four eliminator rounds that will eventually trim the PBA World Championship field of 16 finalists down to four for the Sunday, Jan. 15, battle for the $50,000 first prize, the Earl Anthony Trophy and the PBA Tour’s first major title of the 2011-12 season.

Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., who won his only PBA Tour title in the 2009 PBA World Championship, heads the field of four players who will do battle this week. Joining him in the Hardwick final from the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas will be Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, Colombia’s Andres Gomez and 25-year PBA Tour veteran Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y.

Smallwood became an instant hero among America’s blue-collar work force when he defeated former PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott for the 2009 PBA World Championship. Smallwood, who had lost his job with General Motors, had decided to pursue his dream to become a professional bowler and stunned the bowling world with his upset victory in Wichita, Kan. Last season, he won $100,000 as runner-up to Mika Kovuniemi in the PBA Tournament of Champions.

Both South American players are trying for their first PBA Tour titles. Ruiz, is making his PBA television debut and Shafer is trying for his fifth Tour title.

In Sunday’s divisional finals, all four players 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 knocked out. The two finalists will bowl a final game, with the survivor advancing to the World Championship finals.

The Billy Hardwick finals are named after the PBA Hall of Famer and two-time PBA Player of the Year who won 18 Tour titles including the 1963 PBA National Championship and 1965 PBA Tournament of Champions.

Three easy steps to enhance your PBA World Championship telecast experience:

1. Free Xtra Frame Billy Hardwick finals preview show (now available on pba.com’s Xtra Frame) - Tune into pba.com’s Xtra Frame for interviews with the finalists as they give their insight into strategy and equipment selection. All World Championship preview shows on Xtra Frame are available the Wednesday before each Sunday ESPN telecast for free.

2. Sunday, 1 p.m. ET – ESPN telecast of Billy Hardwick Division final from South Point in Las Vegas.

3. Sunday 2:30 p.m. ET – Xtra Frame post-tournament show interviews the winning player and provides in-depth ball rep analysis of the winner’s equipment selection and ball preparation. (Xtra subscription information is available on the pba.com Xtra Frame page.)

I know Ryan Shafer hasn’t always been the fan’s most popular player over the course of his now 27-year PBA career, but let me tell you something that may change your mind. Shafer is one of the most popular players in the locker room (he won the Steve Nagy Award for sportsmanship a few years back) and he selflessly donates a huge chunk of his time to the cause of curing Juvenile Diabetes (he’s suffered from the disease since his late teens). He’s probably gotten more ink for that than any of his four PBA wins and countless other high finishes. The bottom line is that this guy has survived making a living on Tour (not an easy thing to do) for almost three decades when you know his intelligence (he was class valedictorian in high school and was accepted to attend Cornell University) offered him an almost limitless array of other, more lucrative career options. He is an excellent bowler and probably even deserves to be in the PBA Hall of Fame in spite of his shortage of the qualifying number of victories. As Randy Pedersen correctly says, “Ryan is the best player in history with only four wins.”

When the finals of the PBA World Championship airs on January 15, Ryan Shafer will be in it, joining Osku Palermaa and two other finalists (click here for the schedule for the upcoming two shows - remember we are off next week for X-mas) for a chance to win the season’s first major. If I were you, I’d say Ryan Shafer would make a very worthy player to root for.

Happy Holidays!

In addition to the new ESPN spots, you can find a wide variety of additional PBA video clips on PBA’s YouTube page.

The new ESPN spots include a “How To” advice clip (in 15- and 30-second versions), and clips on Majors, Majors’ Strategies and one devoted to Jason Belmonte’s two-handed style.

"We’re proud of these spots, which accentuate virtues of our sport and the PBA through the words of some of our greatest stars," said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark.

NINE PBA STARS TO HELP HOST BRUNSWICK BOWLING CAMP

Four-time PBA Tour champion Sean Rash has assembled the entire Brunswick and DV8 Pro Staff for a three-day, world-class Brunswick Bowling Camp at Brunswick Zone XL in Romeoville, Ill., July 6-8.

“The idea is to use everyone on our staff – nine exceptional players who do everything the game has ever seen – so we’ll be able to do multiple things throughout the camp,” Rash said. “We have high-rev players, a two-hander, a left-hander, strokers, PBA hall of famers, you name it.”

The Brunswick/DV8 staffers who have joined forces to host the unique 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 camp will include three “9 to 5” days of intense instruction and analysis, including videotaping, classroom discussion, hands-on experience with lane conditions, bowling equipment analysis, and discussions on tournament preparations and mental attitudes. The $1,200 tuition fee ($1,300 after March 1) will include four new bowling balls (two Brunswick, two DV8), two shirts, breakfast and lunch each day, a coaching manual, videotaping and tickets to a Chicago White Sox game.

“We’re looking for anyone and everyone, from those who average 120 to players who average 210 and want to learn what it takes to reach the PBA level,” Rash said. “Age doesn’t matter.”

For more information, send Rash an e-mail message at seanrashfan@gmail.com or visit parkerbohn.com.

TURBO ANNOUNCES TRIBUTE TO LATE PBA SENIOR TOUR COMPETITOR MEL WOLF

Turbo Bowling Accessories has arranged with the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas, to set up a tribute account to purchase a commemorative brick in the name of PBA Senior Tour player and tournament organizer Mel Wolf who lost his battle with cancer on Dec. 6.

The total amount of contributions will determine the size of the brick honoring Wolf. The brick will be installed in the walkway to the front entrance of the IBM/HF. For details on the commemorative brick program, visit bowlingmuseum.com and select “Support.” Donations may be sent through PayPal (also located on the website) or mailed directly to: IBM/HF, 621 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, TX  76011.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and fellow Senior Tour member Mel Wolf,” said Turbo Bowling Accessories CEO Dave Bernhardt. “Mel was a sincere and gracious man who truly loved the sport of bowling. He will be missed by all.”

A tax-deductible receipt will be sent to the donor and an acknowledgement letter will be sent to the family listing those friends and relatives who make donations. The brick will be installed next spring and a picture can be sent to anyone requesting it.

XTRA FRAME PRE-GAME SHOW NOW FEATURES BILLY HARDWICK DIVISION FINALS

Xtra Frame, PBA’s official online bowling channel, continues its free pre- and post-game shows this week with the PBA World Championship Billy Hardwick Division finals, beginning with a pre-game introduction that is currently available on pba.com.

Pre-game shows for all PBA Tour events will be online on Wednesday afternoon preceding each Sunday telecast. A post-game show, featuring an interview with the tournament champion(s) and a discussion of equipment used during the finals, will be posted immediately after the telecast.

Xtra Frame subscribers also can access the archives within Xtra Frame for a recap of the individual tournaments leading up to the Sunday telecasts. For information on how to subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

SMITH, MOHR, FOLEY WIN PBA SANDS REGENCY TRI-REGIONAL TITLES IN RENO

Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore.; Ron Mohr, a newly-relocated Las Vegas resident, and amateur Patrick Foley of Sparks, Nev., were title winners in a PBA Sands Regency Tri-Regional tripleheader at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., over the Dec. 11 weekend.

Smith posted a 10-1-1 match play record and a 24-game total of 5,950 pins on Sunday to win the standard PBA Sands Regency Tri Regional presented by Ebonite. Smith, who earned $2,000, defeated Eddie VanDaniker Jr., of Essex, Mass., by 105 pins.

In the companion Senior Open, Mohr, a former resident of Eagle River, Alaska, went 11-1 and knocked down 5,838 total pins for 24 games to top Rob Cline of Spokane, Wash., for his third West Region Senior Regional title and $1,500. Cline had 5,722 pins, 116 behind Mohr.

On Friday, Foley defeated Wayne Stellick of Aurora, Colo., 214-173, to win the PBA West Region Non-Champions event. Foley, as a non-member, will not receive credit for a PBA title, but he did earn $1,400.

The final pre-holiday season regional event will be the PBA South Region’s Waynesboro (Va.) Regular/Senior Doubles presented by Hammer at Wayne’s Lanes, Dec. 16-18.

Regional competition will then take a holiday break before resuming in January. For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.